Page 24 of Blue Moon

Chapter 10

Sol

Sawyer licked his lower lip and signaled to the waiter. “Check, please.”

I let out another nervous laugh. “Sawyer, the meal is free.”

He fidgeted in his chair and slapped down a hundred-dollar bill. “Well, I’m going to at least give them a tip. And babe, nothing in life is free.”

His words caught me off guard. He was so right. Nothing was free. Though I dined in fancy restaurants, stayed in luxurious hotels, and was regularly invited to exclusive events, everything came at a cost. I wasn’t free to be truly honest with my opinions—I always gave my sponsors glowing reviews. Was that unethical? My followers hung on my recommendations and went places that I frequented. Didn’t my fans realize that my opinions were influenced? That was my legit job title—influencer.

A chill overtook me. I hated thinking about this fake persona that surrounded me. I constantly justified it to myself, but after only knowing Sawyer for two days, I was already questioning how I lived my life.

“Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand, and we left the restaurant.

As we waited for the car, I leaned into him and inhaled his earthy scent. He smelled so good, like a combination of cedarwood and mint.

He wrapped his arms around me, and I thought for a second that he was going to kiss me, but instead, he put his thumb under my chin and forced me to look at him. “You’re breathtaking, Sol.”

My lips widened into a smile. Last night had been so awkward, but now I could sense this big shift in his personality—he actually seemed interested in doing what I wanted to do.

Well, I’d take advantage of his gentlemanly behavior for as long as it lasted.

The valet pulled up with the car and handed the keys to Sawyer, who opened the door for me. Then, Sawyer tipped the guy and off we went on our next adventure.

I directed Sawyer back over the bridge—as much as I loved San Francisco, Marin County was my hometown.

As we exited in Mill Valley, he pulled in front of a drug store. “I’m going to stop here really quick. Do you need anything? Or do you want to come in with me?”

Honestly, I had to update my Instagram story, something I would prefer to do in private since clearly it bothered him. “No, I’m fine in the car. But if you could just get me a bottle of water, that would be great.”

“Sure thing.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Once he was inside the building, I grabbed my phone and hit record.

“Hi, guys. We just finished with dinner, and now, we’re heading up to the top of Mount Tam to catch the Blue Moon.” I quickly posted the story and counted the minutes until Sawyer returned to the car. Suddenly, I was more interested in spending time with him than on my phone. I hadn’t felt like this about anyone in a while. Sawyer was so confident and in control, which I found quite sexy. Plus, his occupation was so elite. It seemed like the only men I’d met recently either worked in tech startups, were influencers, or were trust fund babies. Sawyer was a welcome change.

He finally emerged from the store, carrying two bottles of water and a blanket. Nice job, buddy. He threw the blanket in the backseat and handed me my bottle of water. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” He backed out of the parking lot and started driving up the mountain as I opened the bottle and took a sip. I also kicked off my heels and changed into a pair of foldable flats I’d tucked away in my purse.

I could feel my heart racing. I was about to go somewhere isolated with a man I barely knew. Sure, he was a highly decorated pilot, but I still didn’t know anything about him. Who was he? What was his family like? What did he want out of life?

As if he could sense my anxiety, he reached over and placed his hand on mine. “You okay?”

“Yup. Just nervous, that’s all.” About tonight. We’d had a good date so far—what if he expected sex? He had tried to get me to go to his hotel room. Luckily, he didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or give me a bad vibe. Honestly, he made me feel safe. Ever since he’d brought me flowers last night, he had gone out of his way to treat me well. But even so, I was worried about telling him I was a virgin if the night progressed.

“Why are you nervous?”

I shrugged. “I just . . . I don’t know. I don’t date much.”

“Neither do I.”

That wasn’t reassuring. Of course, he didn’t date much—he was a player. This man had women throwing themselves at him in every city. And apparently, I was one of them.

I exhaled.

Sawyer squeezed my hand. “Relax, babe. We’re just going to stargaze. I’ll behave like a perfect gentleman.”