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"That is so gross. You're ruining the sandwich."
"No, it's actually quite delicious. You want to try it?" I ask, holding my sandwich out for him to take a bite. He looks dubiously at me and wrinkles his nose. "I promise it's not as gross as it seems." I grin.
"I am so going to regret this." Cooper sighs as he leans in to take a bite. I watch as he closes his mouth around the sandwich and then pulls back. His jaw starts working around the bite, and he swallows. I think it's the most erotic thing I've ever seen. Am I drooling?Get ahold of yourself, he's just eating like a normal human being.
"Well?" I ask him, realizing Cooper had his sexy mouth on my sandwich, and now I'm going to have my mouth on it too.
I think that may be the most juvenile thought I've ever had.
Willing myself to settle down, I take a bite. Yep, chips on a sandwich, just as good as I remember and completely worth the look of horror.
"That was fucking disgusting." I can tell he’s trying to hide his smile because his lips twitch, and his eyes shine with humor.
"You're such a liar! You loved it and just don't want to say I'm right." I grin, pointing my sandwich at him to offer another bite. "Want some more?"
"No way, you'd have to force-feed me to take another bite of that abomination." Cooper teases, winking at me. I feel my smile widen as I watch him take a bite of his own sandwich.
Despite the fact that he's made fun of how I eat, I've never felt more comfortable around another person. I usually feel slightly off balance when I'm with new people, like I'm on the edge of the group, never fully belonging. I haven't even remotely felt like an outsider with Cooper. It’s like he's always been in my life, like we've been friends for years instead of a few hours.
It’s refreshing, and at a minimum, I know I’ve made a close friend in Cooper. I hope we can become more, but even if we don’t, it’s nice to know that I’ve officially found a good friend in Sonoma.
11
COOPER
She's beautiful. Fucking breathtaking, and I can’t stop staring at her. When she opened her front door, it took every effort I had to keep my mouth closed and my eyes from bugging.
Okay, they might've bugged a little.
Her long legs shown off in those cutoff shorts just about brought me to my knees. I knew I needed to focus on something else besides her legs if I was going to make it through the evening without embarrassing myself.
I thought I might've ruined everything before it even began when I realized I didn't tell her about getting on the boat. I could tell she was nervous when I helped her in, but she was amazing and pushed past her fears without saying a word. I could see the determination in her eyes and the set of her shoulders as she sat down in the co-captain's chair. When we got out in the middle of the lake and I opened up the motor, her smile was radiant, and I knew she was going to be okay.
This whole evening has been incredible because Quinn is so easy to be around. She's quick to laugh and mesmerizing when she does; I've never met a girl like her. I feel like I should be freaking out over how comfortable we are with each other, but I’m not.
It's like she's always been in my life, and I can't wait to learn everything about her. I want to know what she dreams about, what her fears are, even things as small as how she takes her coffee, and what's more, I want her to know everything about me, which is a novel feeling.
We finished up our dinner right as the sun started to go down, so Quinn is taking pictures of the lake again. Watching her work is fascinating. She's so sure of herself. I have no clue what she's doing as she presses different buttons or flips switches on her camera, but the confidence she exudes is the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I can't wait to see what she does with the pictures.
"Hey, Quinn, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we should start to head back. It's going to be dark soon, which will make getting back to the marina a little more difficult." Quinn looks up at me from behind her camera, and I watch as she switches gears from creative mode to normal mode. She smiles and nods her head as she starts packing up her camera, carefully placing everything in her bag and tucking it underneath the co-captain's seat.
As Quinn packs her stuff, I pull the anchor up and go to sit down in the captain's chair to start the boat. The roar of the motor interrupts the peacefulness of the evening and seems to burst the little bubble we've been surrounded by since we got here.
I'm not ready for our night to be over, but I also know we shouldn't be on the water for too much longer. I don't want to risk our safety or the safety of others since my boat isn't large. Smaller boats are much more difficult to see when it's dark, which could easily lead to an accident.
I maneuver us back out into the main arm of the lake and open up the throttle. I don't go quite as fast going back as I did coming out since dusk is settling in and my visibility is lower. Luckily, we make it back to the marina before it's completely dark out.
The lights are on at the dock, and they help guide me into the slip. We both jump out of the boat once we are stopped, and Quinn helps me get the cover on, already comfortable with navigating the dock and being around the boat. It's a big difference from how she was when we got out here.
We don't say much as we get everything packed up, and instead of being awkward, it's more of a companionable silence making me feel connected with her. The motors of other boats echo across the dock, and the chatter of people from the beach packing up their belongings fills the silence.
Quinn looks up at me, and it’s only then I realize I've been staring at her as she's been getting things organized.
"Everything okay over there?" Quinn asks, a little smirk pulling at her lips as she puts her hands in her back pockets. It's like she can see all the way through me, and I’m not sure if I feel vulnerable or reassured by that.
"Yeah, I was just thinking I've had a really great time tonight."
"Even though I barely talked to you and only focused on my camera?"
