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“Just don’t swallow it all in one shot,” Ox says with a playful jab. I glare over at Connor who nearly chokes on his drink.
“Damn, Ox. Really?” he scolds.
Ox laughs out loud. Hearing him laugh reminds me of how Santa Claus would sound if I ever actually met him. It’s a jolly rumble that rolls out and then catches on itself into a happy bounce that fills the hearts of all who hear it. It’s infectious. Fangirl swoons again.
“You’ll have to excuse him, Lainey. He was raised by wolves,” Tori says, joining the laughter and diffusing Connor’s frustration.
“Which one?” I ask, giving her a wink. At that, the entire table, including Connor, erupts into laughter. Connor instantly relaxes and whatever irritation he seemed to have had with Ox is forgotten. It seems we couldn’t stop laughing. Through two rounds of ice water, four baskets of fish and chips and two shared molten lava cakes with ice cream. By the time we return to the bikes, the sky is rapidly fading from a light blue to a deep purple and my sides burn from the reverie of the night.
I hold onto Connor even more closely than before, the night air chilling my skin as we wind our way back to theJourney’s End. Ox and Tori both hug me, Ox clapping my back in a hard slap.
“It was so nice to meet you, Lainey,” Tori says politely. “I do hope we see you again sometime.”
I took my time driving to the bar from my apartment earlier that afternoon. I wanted to be late on purpose and now I regret not getting ten more minutes with these lovely people who so quickly and unexpectedly have become my friends. Ox and Tori take off on their bike leaving Connor and me alone in front of the bar.
“Thanks for such a great day. I wish you’d have let me pay for my dinner tonight, though,” I say, rubbing my shoulders. The air has turned thick with the coming of the evening. But I’m not shivering from the cool air. I’m shivering with the joy of reliving the day in my mind as I share my gratitude with Connor.
“Nah, it’s no big deal.” Connor moves closer and I can feel the heat of his body next to mine. His hands drift up my arms to my shoulders and he leans forward and drops a single, soft kiss on my cheek.
“I want you to meet me at this address tomorrow at three. Can you come?”
I feel him slip a small card into my hand. I look at it and see it’s a card for theJourney’s End,but on the back, he’s written an address and two sets of numbers.
“It’s a house near where we were riding today. That’s the address,” he says, running his finger along the top line. “This is the gate code. And this is my cell if you need me.”
I instantly go into my bobblehead doll routine, nodding that I’ll be there even though I haven’t checked my calendar or my emails to see if I have any interviews. It’s not likely I will on a weekend, but I’d have to cancel if I did. Two days ago, I’d have driven cross-country for an interview on a Sunday, but now I suddenly find myself hoping no one wants me. Well, no one but Connor Rose, that is.
“See you tomorrow, Lainey Bird,” Connor says and disappears into the enveloping sounds of laughter, drinking and celebration inside theJourney’s End.
