AllFreeNovel
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We arrive at a clearing where the water shimmers, a swell of dirt at one end proving it’s man-made, not natural. We’re not alone. Other people walk their dogs, throw sticks, or just sit and talk.
Light filtering through the trees leaves bright patterns on Drew’s face as we circle the space. We greet others with a hand wave as we pass. We’re just another couple to them.
The earth shifts beneath my feet as reality starts to slide. We could be anybody. A longtime couple. Married. Nothing feels complicated here. Just a man and a woman on a walk like everybody else. No shed angst, no weird miscommunications, nobody with a secret job.
This is real life. Ordinary life.
And I’m spending it with Drew.
“You any good at rock skipping?” he asks.
“Rubbish.”
“I’m pretty good.”
“Skip it ten times, then.”
He lets out a low whistle. “Challenge accepted.”
“And we’ll make it a bet.” I’m feeling bold.
“All right. What are the stakes?” His cheeks have pinked up from the chill, his hair flying in the wind. He looks more handsome in a fitted black athletic shirt and jeans than I’ve ever seen him. I’m knocked off-center and reach out to hold on to a low branch of a nearby tree to steady myself.
“If you don’t make it, I get a fourth date,” I say, then hold my breath to watch his reaction.
But he doesn’t flinch. “Done. And if I get all ten skips?” His head tilts, a small smile playing on his lips.
“You can pick your prize.”
He nods. “It will involve you being naked.”
Now we’re getting somewhere.
“I accept.” Then I hesitate. “Unless you mean right here.”
“Nope.” But he doesn’t elaborate, instead searching through the crumbling rock for the right stone.
I watch him, knowing I’m in a win-win situation. Still, my heart thunders as he compares two choices of rock, then discards one.
We approach the water. Drew swings his arms a few times, warming up.
“One shot,” I tell him.
“One shot,” he confirms.
A few others standing around watch us curiously. A puffy Pomeranian runs to the end of his leash to sniff my shoes.
“Is he going to skip it?” asks the pup’s owner, a man in a brown knit hat.
I’m always game for talking to strangers. “He is. And we made a bet on it,” I say. “He has to skip it ten times.”
This piques the interest of everyone in earshot, and soon we have a small crowd coming to watch.
“They put a wager on it,” Brown Hat tells the others.
A woman in a green turtleneck says, “I bet it involves getting naked.”
When my mouth falls open, she shrugs. “You two look like the type.”
