Inger shrugs, giving me an apologetic wince. “You do have the vibe.”
Marlow snickers. “I thought I’d be happy to see Stevie with someone, but ...” She can’t quite compose herself. “I amover the moonabout the fact that my friend is in a relationship with Bigfoot.” Her eyes glisten.
Ugh. I need to stop this before it gains traction. I’ve only just shed the other unflattering nickname this town foisted upon me. I’m not Shirtless Adam, nor am I Bigfoot. “I’m not—”
Muffie stabs a wrinkled finger at my T-shirt, making her bracelets clink. “You’re Bigfoot.”
“Okay.” Ike checks his watch, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s bring this to a vote. I move that Marlow and the Boyfriend party be declared—”
“That’d be a great name for a band,” Muffie muses to herself. “Marlow and the Boyfriend Party.”
Confusion washes over Ike’s features. He shakes his head. “Uh, they should be declared the winners of the Bigfoot Versus Boyfriend bet. All in favor, say aye.”
A chorus of loud “aye”s—including two from Stevie’s dad and Ruth—make it clear that Marlow is the official winner.
“Any opposed?” Ike asks. He doesn’t need to. Everyone has cast their vote already, myself and Stevie included.
“There you have it.” Ike bangs his gavel. “Let the record reflect that Marlow won. She’ll disperse the pot accordingly. The Committee to Determine the Outcome of Bigfoot Versus Boyfriend is officially dissolved.” He bangs his gavel again. Diana rests her hand over his, holding the gavel in place. He grins.
As the crowd disperses noisily around us, I crook my finger at my very public girlfriend.
She leans in. “Yeah?”
I duck close to her ear. “This town needs a movie theater or something.” I let my lips brush her earlobe. I haven’t kissed her in too long.
She shivers. “Uh-huh.”
Oh, I like that reaction. “One more thing.”
Her voice quivers when she whispers, “Yeah?”
“I’m allowed to kiss you in public now.” I’m only trying to rile her up a little more, but I should’ve known better. This is Stevie Sullivan I’m talking to.
She fists my T-shirt, dragging me to her. She’s barely planted a soft kiss on my lips when the crack of a gavel makes her gasp and pull away.
Diana snatches the gavel out of Ike’s hand. “No more.” She turns to us. “Sorry, you guys. Carry on with ... you know.”
Stevie snickers.
“I like your friends,” I murmur.
She smiles. “Ourfriends.” She winks.
Our friends? I think about my interactions with Ike, Marlow, and the rest of this ragtag committee, and I realize she’s right. I’m not alone here. The awkward little boy chasing iguanas through mangrove trees would love this.We have friends.
I clear my throat. “Our friends.”
“You ready to get out of here, Bigfoot?” she asks with a saucy wink.
“No.” I shake my head. “That nickname isn’t happening.”
Stevie’s smile is trouble. “Says the man who has called me Carrot Cake with a straight face.”
She has me there.
Muffie’s rumpled face appears between us. “I’d get used to it, Bigfoot.”
Chapter 38
