Page 56 of Worth the Trip

We started toward the parking lot at a pace that was objectively slower than necessary.

I noticed that too.

Kept that observation internal.

When we reached her car, I stopped beside the driver’s door. Yesterday, I had relied on probability. Today, I believed in direct methodology.

“May I have your number, Nolani?”

She turned toward me. “Why?”

“Because I enjoyed you. I want to see you again, and I’m not interested in spending tomorrow walking around Willow Run hoping geography handles my business for me.”

Her eyes stayed on mine.

I didn’t fill the silence.

Then she held out her hand.

“Give me your phone.”

I unlocked it and passed it over.

She typed in her number, saved her name, and handed it back.

I called immediately.

Her phone rang from inside her purse.

Nolani stared at me. “You checking whether I gave you the right number?”

“I respect verification.”

“You have trust issues.”

“I have coaching experience.”

She laughed and pulled out her phone to save mine.

I watched her thumb move across the screen.

“What you doing tomorrow?”

“I haven’t decided.”

“Let me show you Self Springs.”

One eyebrow rose. “You couldn’t find the marina yesterday.”

“That was an away game.”

Her laugh came quick. “Now geography has home-field advantage?”

“Exactly.”

“What would we do?”

“Let me plan it.”