I nod with a small smile. “That’s me. You must be Sadie, or this is a hell of a weird coincidence.”
She chuckles as her gaze sweeps appreciatively over my car. “Wow, you weren’t lying. She is a beauty!”
I preen as I step out of the driver’s seat, running my hand along the side on my way to join her at the front.
The ice blue paint isn’t factory for the ‘69 Chevelle, andcertainlyisn’t the Hugger Orange my grandpa bought it off the line with, but it suited his personality better. As a child, I’d loved nothing more than cruising with him. We’d blast ‘70s rock with the top down and sing off-key together, and when it was time for me to learn to drive, he taught me from the passenger seat.
A nostalgic smile spreads over my lips as Sadie’s attention shifts from the car to me. She whistles low as she checks out my clothes. “Even with a car like this, you’re taking center stage. This is such a fun outfit. I’m really digging the retro vibes.”
“You don’t think it’s too much?” I ask with a half-hearted back and forth sway that flares the end of my navy blue skirt. The short-sleeved white button-up is tucked into a thick patent red belt that sits high on my waist. Half the buttons are undone, and if I had any cleavage, someone would get an eyeful. As it stands, I’m only showing off the spattering of hair between my less-than-impressive pecs.
Turns out, going to the gym exactly three times to prepare for this photo shoot didn’t do as much for my body as I had hoped.
“I think it’s just enough,” she says, and a touch of relief loosens the stress knotting my stomach.
“The other person didn’t mind?”
Sadie kept my partner’s information secret, all the way down to their gender. My identity was proudly listed as pan on her application, and once she verified I was comfortable with anyone, the decision was left in her hands. She chose based purely on compatibility, and curiosity is making me antsy.
“Not at all. Honestly, they were pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing.”
I nod as I force myself to stop wringing my hands. A few more minutes go by as Sadie prepares. She shows me the equipment she’s brought and explains what everything does. I’m getting a lesson in ambient lighting as gravel crunches behind us.
Nerves bolt through my stomach as she turns and waves, but I need a moment to collect myself. My face is doing the weird scrunchy thing it does when I’m anxious, and I intentionally smooth my tense muscles and relax my eyes. Forehead wrinkles are the last thing I need when I’m supposed to be feeling pretty.
Voices approach, one distinctly deeper than Sadie’s. My partner for the evening. I run my palms down my skirt and attempt a serene smile as I turn to face them.
The guy walking beside Sadie is enormous—easily six-foot-three or taller, with shoulders that square off like they’re chiseled from brick. Suspenders dig into a chest that ismuchmore impressive than mine.
He definitely spent more than three days at the gym.
A white t-shirt is tucked into a pair of time-weathered jeans that hug his thighs criminally well. I finally stop ogling the guy’s body and let my gaze move to his face. Dirty blond curls blow in the light breeze, and his brows flick up as he meets my eyes. Amusement twitches at his lips as they tilt into an annoyingly adorable smirk. My attention moves past him to find a very familiar Subaru with the smudge of my handprint still on the glass.
CHAPTER 02: AARON
Holy shit, he’s just as cute as he was back in town.
His foot taps an agitated rhythm against the pavement as he stands with his hands planted firmly on his hips. The soft tap echoes off the diner’s metal siding, bouncing around us as his skirt swishes from side to side.
And hisface.
It’s balled up like a wadded piece of paper, all scowly and crinkled. Less angry than before, but equally annoyed.
“Hi there,” I say as I try to stifle my grin. “I’m Aaron.”
“Oh?” He narrows his eyes, and Sadie looks wholly confused. “That’s not the first name I would’ve chosen for you. Do they call you anything else?”
I hide a smile behind my hand as his eyes narrow further. “Well, someone recently called me something rather interesting. A ‘rolling road hazard,’ if memory serves.”
“It does,” he says with a tone that’s syrupy sweet. “That’s a better fit.”
“Do you two know each other?” Sadie asks, and my partner—I realize I haven’t gotten his name yet—crosses his arms and huffs a sigh.
“We met earlier whenAaronran a stop sign and almost hit me. Camethis closeto scratching my car.” He holds up his thumb and pointer finger in a major exaggeration of the distance between our vehicles. More indignation scrunches his face, and those adorably irritated wrinkles form on his forehead again. I pinch my lip between my teeth and wonder if it’s the appropriate time to shatter his indignant delusions.
It wasn’tmethat blew through that intersection.
Sure, I was excited to see what the afternoon held and was eager to get here, but I was paying attention… which was a good thing, considering his car cut me off on a nearly blind curve.
