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“I hope you’re right,” I mutter.
“I am.”
My leg bounces beneath the high-top table. “How can you be so sure?”
“I may have been studying,” he returns, his grin sheepish.
I open my mouth to interrogate him further, but the buzzer goes off before I have the chance.
“The correct answer is over six million,” the host reveals, his head bobbing up and down as his gaze bounces from one whiteboard to the next. “That was a tough one. We only have two Padawan teams left, and the next question is a doozy. Which character is named after George Lucas’ son? And what species is he?”
“Dexter Jettster,” I whisper before grabbing the Expo marker from Owen’s grasp.
/> “A Besalisk,” he adds, nudging me to write it on the board.
My gaze darts over to the final opposing team to see them quietly arguing over possibilities as the timer slowly ticks down to zero.
“Time’s up!” the host’s voice echoes through the speakers. “Remember, this is a two-part question. If you both only get one answer correct, we’ll move onto the next round, but if one of you is able to answer both questions correctly, we’ll be able to announce a winner. Raise your whiteboards, and let’s see what you were able to come up with.”
The crowd goes wild as their attention shifts from one board to the other before cheers erupt.
“And it looks like we have a winner!” With a nod directed at us, he adds, “Come on up, you two.”
As Owen and I slide out of our chairs, he tangles our fingers together. Then we walk up to the host. In one hand, he’s holding a microphone, and in the other, there’s a small plastic trophy that looks like the ones coaches hand out at kids’ soccer tournaments. This one, however, has a sticker of Baby Yoda with a green lightsaber and the words, “Do or do not, there is no try.”
I snort as I read the inscription and show it to Owen.
“Aw, aren’t you two a cute couple,” the host gushes. “Anyone else getting some major Leia and Han vibes over here?”
Hoots and hollers erupt, but I roll my eyes.
“Alright, Jedis. Anything you’d like to say to the young Padawans here?” The host motions to the crowd.
I laugh and shake my head before Owen takes the offered microphone and says, “May the Force be with you.”
More cheering ensues.
The host takes the microphone back and replies, “I’m sure it will be. Thanks for coming out tonight, everyone. We had a blast, as always, and we can’t wait to do this again in the future. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for updates on locations, trivia questions…you get the idea. Drive safely, and like our Jedi friend mentioned a moment ago, May the Force be with you.”
The trophy dangles from Owen’s grasp as we walk back through the parking lot to my car. It’s dark and cold but kind of peaceful too. Quiet somehow. Like my mind just got a good workout and isn’t running a thousand miles an hour, and my nerves have decided to take a backseat to the moment, too, allowing me to just…be here. With Owen.
It’s refreshing.
“So, did you have fun?” he murmurs, his hand on my lower back as we slowly eat up the distance between us and the car.
I nod. “I had a blast. You kind of knocked it out of the park, Owen.”
“Then, I guess I succeeded.”
“Definitely. Did you really study for this, though?”
He laughs, and the sound makes my gut tighten. “Will you judge me if I say yes?”
“You did?” I prod, my voice laced with disbelief.
With a soft click, he unlocks the doors, then guides me to the passenger side and opens mine. “Yeah. I really did.”
“I think that’s pretty adorable.”
