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The driver jumped out, taking me by surprise as he rounded the vehicle. He was tall, probably a foot taller than me, with dark blond hair, green eyes, and the prettiest smile I’d ever seen. His whole being oozed happiness like he was filled with pure sunshine. I caught a few tattoos peeking out of the cuff on his right hand as he reached out to take my bag. His whole persona disarmed me.
“Sorry, I was a bit late,” he rushed out. “I got stuck listening to my brother go on and on about his favorite show. Apparently, one of the characters finally kissed the guy she’s been pining over for several seasons. You’d think he knew them personally with how he talked about them.” The golden guy laughed as he loaded my bag into the trunk and opened the door for me.
My feet froze to the spot, his voice was musical and light, and I didn’t want him to stop talking. His voice felt like carbonation, bubbling up in me and leaving my head fuzzy if I drank too much. I blinked when he stared at me, trying to remember what he asked.
“Shit. You’re Robyn, right? Robyn Banks?” he asked, his arm flexing as he combed his fingers through his messy hair. His face looked odd without his smile, and I immediately wanted it back. This guy could cure depression with a smile like that.
“Um, yes, that’s me,” I squeaked, finally convincing my tongue to unstick itself. I even pointed my thumb back at myself, just in case my words hadn’t been clear. He exhaled, his smile returning; it felt like I’d won something significant. My shoulders dropped, and I wanted to match his smile, his energy.
“Your parents have a funny sense of humor,” he teased, his eyes twinkling at me. The green was so vivid I wanted to run through them like a meadow. We stared at one another for a few seconds, both lost in each other’s eyes. Something shifted in me, my heart thumping louder in my chest.
Remembering his mission to get me into the car, the golden guy jolted into action and walked over to me, his steps practically a bounce as he took my hand, sending electricity through my entire body. He froze, glancing down at our joined fingers, his eyes wide.
“Wow.” He swallowed, looking into my eyes. “Did you feel that, or was it just me?”
I nodded, words failing me. He didn’t drop my hand; his thumb rubbing patterns back and forth sent jolts of heat through my body.
“I’m Porter.” He smiled again, this one different. It was a little softer around the edges, one side lifting slightly higher, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“I’m…” I stopped, suddenly remembering who I was and why I was here. For the first time since I became a Belladonna, I hated my life. I didn’t want to lie to him. He deserved honesty. My face fell, my eyes dropping down to our hands.
“Robyn,” he finished for me.
“Yes. Robyn.” I licked my lips, my smile dimming as I nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Porter.”
“Likewise.” We stared at one another some more, neither of us in a hurry to move. A phone buzzed, jolting us both back to the present. Porter’s smile dipped, breaking the spell fully.
“I guess I should get you to your hotel. I’m sure you have important things to do.”
I blinked, nodding as he pulled me to the car and helped me into the seat, even latching my seatbelt. When his hand left mine, it felt like I’d lost a piece of myself all over again. For one second, the hole in my heart hadn’t felt as empty.
Porter climbed into the driver’s side, his long legs barely fitting beneath the wheel. How did he drive this all the time? His energy seemed more subdued, and I wondered if he felt the same as I had at the loss of our touch.
The drive was quiet, something I’d usually fill with talking since I rarely got to talk to strangers and enjoyed learning new things. But everything I thought to say felt dumb or like a lie, and I didn’t want to create any more lies between us than what was already there.
“You here for business or pleasure?” he asked, startling me.
“Oh, um, both, I guess. You?” I asked, then realized how idiotic that sounded. “Yikes, sorry. Obviously, you live here and are currently working. Don’t mind me. I don’t get out much.” My face heated, and I rubbed my hands on my skirt.
He chuckled, the sound soothing away some of the anxiety. “Actually, I’m just visiting and was bored, so I thought I’d see if there were any job requests. Yours was the first one I’ve seen all day, so I jumped on it.” His green eyes met mine in the rearview.
“I did think it was odd this place had a ride-share app. Do you like your… job?” I cringed internally. Gah, I sounded so lame. I had a cute guy in front of me and no clue how to talk to him. Was he flirting?
“I don’t mind driving, and I can do it anywhere. We move around a lot for my brother’s job, so it’s nice to meet new people this way.” His hands gripped the steering wheel as he moved them. Something about his statement felt off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
“That’s cool. I’d be terrible at your job. I’m not the greatest with people and tend to talk about things that bore them, and I don’t know how to drive.”
His jaw dropped, his head turning to peer over the seat at me. “You don’t know how to drive? How? Why?”
I shrugged, smiling. It hadn’t been a necessary skill to learn, and a driver was always present. Besides, I often get lost in my own mind, so the thought of driving felt too dangerous. Once I got my plane, I really didn’t need to learn.
“Just never wanted to.”
“I couldn’t wait until I could drive. It was the first taste of freedom I had. Now, I’m always the one driving my brothers around.” Porter smiled, but his words sounded almost sad.
“That must be nice to have your family with you.”
He nodded, turning his signal on. “Yeah. It is.” He slowed to a stop in front of a hotel, and I realized our time was up. Regret filled me, knowing I’d never see him again. I gave a wobbly smile as I touched the handle.
