Page 57 of The Other Room

“Oh!” I sat forward, and the boat rocked with my movement. “I brought wine.”

“Wine?” She arched an eyebrow. “Whoa. When did we get so fancy?”

With a shrug, I pulled the bottle out of the blanket. “Figured wine went better with stargazing than beer.”

“I can dig it.”

As I stared at the bottle, I cringed when I realized it wasn’t a screw top and I hadn’t brought a corkscrew. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Um, no corkscrew.”

“You dumbass.” She laughed.

Shaking my head, I started to put the bottle down. “If the shoe fits.”

“Ooh!” She lit up and sat forward beside me. “Hold on!”

Jo grabbed my discarded tennis shoe and opened her hand for me to give her the bottle. I watched in awe as she placed the bottle upside down between her knees and then smacked it repeatedly with my shoe. After some impressive whacks, she stopped and lifted the bottle. A triumphant grin spread across her face when she hoisted it up to show the cork halfway out.

I shook my head. “That’s awesome!”

“Bartender trick.” She grabbed the top of the cork, grunting and grimacing while she tried to pull it the rest of the way out.

“Allow me to do my part.” I opened my hand, and she handed it over with some resistance.

“Normally I could do it, but my hands are tired from opening beer bottles all night.”

“I got you.” I yanked the cork the rest of the way out, grateful I’d been successful and hadn’t had to hand it back in defeat.

“And... no glasses, either.” I grimaced.

Really crushing it, Casanova.

“Do I seem like the kind of girl who requires a glass to drink wine?” Jo pressed the bottle to her lips and took a swig.

God, I love this woman.

“Nope. Not the Jo I know.” She handed me the bottle, and I took a much-needed swig.

She leaned back against the make-shift pillow and I followed, resting my head beside hers.

“This was a pretty good idea.” She pulled the wine bottle from my hand and took another sip.

“I’m full of them.”

“You’re full of something...”

We turned toward each other, our noses almost touching and laughed.

Don’t kiss her. Don’t kiss her. Don’t kiss her.

It seemed I had a new chant now that just friends wasn’t valid anymore.

“Look!” she jerked her head away and pointed at the sky.

I caught the tail end of the white streak before it disappeared. “Cool. It’s starting.”