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“Huge. They look like bobcats.” He releases his hold on my fingers and spreads his arms to show me their approximate size before promptly retaking my hand.
I squeal and tap my feet on the floor, excited to meet another cat lover and imagine long nights sharing anecdotes about our babies. Cat-loving men don’t come around as often as you think, and I need someone who understands cat love, or they won’t support me spending so much time and resources on my project.
“Are you ready, sugar?” A new waitress approaches and taps the pad in her hand, ready to take our orders. She doesn’t explain the switch, and we don’t bother asking.
Felix waits for me as I take another look at the menu, panicking to find something that will be easy to eat. Nothing with pasta or gooey cheese. “I’ll have a side Caesar salad and a cup of chicken noodle soup.” I’m not trying to pretend I don’t have an appetite. I’m just too nervous to chow down on a burger.
Apparently, Felix doesn’t share my anxiety.
“I’ll have a hamburger, well done, and an order of fries. Thanks.” He stacks our menus and slides them to the edge of the table.
The waitress departs, and his focus returns to me. “Do you want to see photos?”
“Hell, yes.”
8
“Do you miss New York?” Harlow kicks her bare feet in the sand, playfully strolling by my side as we make our way to a strip of jetties near my house. It’s my favorite place to watch the sunset over the water.
“Not as much anymore. Do you believe in fate?” I ask, keeping her steady as I help her onto the rock. She hands me her sandals, and I set them in a safe place with mine.
“No. I don’t think so,” Harlow answers honestly, shaking her head as she tiptoes onto a dry rock, then skips over a crack. I follow her closely, wrapping my arm around her waist and leading her down the walkway of flat stones. The sun is beginning to set, and I want to find a nice spot to sit before the main event. Fortunately, no one else is here. I’ve never watched the sunset with a woman, and I’d like us to enjoy it alone.
“You don’t believe everything happens for a reason?” I clarify as we walk, watching every step and sticking to the middle for safety.
She tenses and whips her head in my direction, her eyes wide with shock. “Did my mother put you up to this?”
“What?” My brow creases as I try to understand her words.
“That’s my mother’s go-to line. She repeats it multiple times every day,” Harlow stammers and wrings her hands with nervous energy.
“That might be every mother’s go-to line, sweetheart. No one put me up to anything. I believe I was meant to be here at this moment in time to meet you,” I rasp, emotions clogging my throat, making it difficult to speak. She’s lovely. A breath of fresh air. The first woman in ages who’s made my pulse kick and the only one who’s made my heart jackhammer in my chest.
“You do?” Harlow pouts then sinks her pearly white teeth into her bottom lip. “Are you sure you’ve never met Sue Ellen Jane of Sycamore Mountain, North Carolina?”
I nod once, moving forward to close the distance between us. “I’m sure we’ve never met. But I hope you introduce me soon.”
Her eyes meet mine, and a quiver of raw need passes between us. I lift my hands to her shoulders and let my fingers dance across her bare arms, exposed by the tiny garment she calls a sundress. Her skin prickles at my touch, and my pulse quickens with an urgent longing I’ve never known.
“Are you cold?” I smooth my palms along her biceps, hoping to warm her flesh and ignite a different kind of fire.
She shakes her head, and a nervous giggle escapes her lips. Seemingly surprised by the sound, she quickly changes the subject. “The sun is setting. Should we sit down?”
She’s not getting away that quickly.
“This is a perfect spot.” I point to a small patch of dry surface and remove the flannel blanket tucked under my arm, unfolding it wide enough for us to sit. Thankfully, I remembered to grab it from the trunk of my car before we made our way to the beach.
Harlow smooths her dress and then turns to the setting sun, admiring its beauty as I help her to her knees. “Wanna hear something silly?”
I squat low and unfold my long legs, stretching them out before me. “Of course, tell me something silly.”
I position her legs across mine, keeping her delectable ass to one side, her shapely legs tented over my thighs and her adorable, pedicured feet on the other. Lost in the moment, I try to commit every second of this night to memory. She stares at the horizon, and I gaze wistfully at the warm light reflecting in her amber eyes.
“When I was a kid, vacationing with my family at Myrtle Beach, I could have sworn I heard the water sizzle as the sun set on the ocean.” She chuckles softly and covers her pink cheeks with her hands. “I don’t know why I told you something so dumb. I didn’t tell a soul for years, and when I did, my father marched me over to the globe in his office and explained why that was impossible.”
I laugh out loud. It’s obnoxious, but I can’t help myself. Harlow slaps my arm and laughs with me, holding her belly as she cackles against my chest. “How old were you? Please tell me you weren’t a teenager,” I ask mockingly.
“I was five! For heaven’s sake, it wasn’t as bad as that!” Harlow giggles through tears, grasping the front of my shirt to keep from barreling over.
