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I was only a virgin because the right guy had never come along. I wasn’t waiting for a Prince, but I wanted a guy who was at least nice to me, attractive, and interesting to be around. I’d dated a few guys in college but none had felt right, so I usually broke up with them right around the time they started pressuring me for sex, and I hadn’t really dated much in the years since. I had, however, gotten very familiar with my right hand and my favorite porn sites.
Frustrated with the app, I decided I’d give up torturing myself and go to bed, but I found I couldn’t stop. I kept swiping, almost mindlessly. It was like a compulsion. I swiped left again and again. Then a profile popped up, one that took me by surprise because of its familiarity. My eyes widened.
Parker Lowe. 29. Port Grandlin.
Immediately, I scrolled to look at the rest of his photos and his profile. I hadn’t seen Parker for years, not since we’d graduated high school and gone to different colleges. I looked through his pictures first, bracing myself for the same types I’d already seen from so many others—dick pics, faceless pics, and dead animals. The only thing he had even close to resembling those, though, was a shot of him on the beach, sun-kissed and wearing a pair of wet swim trunks that clung to his thighs and left little to the imagination.
Parker was hot, with a buzz cut, dark eyes, and a sculpted body, and he probably knew it, too, considering the cocky smirk on his face. Without thinking it through all the way, I swiped right, my cheeks heating instantly as I realized what I’d done.It’s just to reconnect with an old friend. Nothing more.
The next profile I saw wasn’t too terrible either, so I swiped right on that oneandthe next two for some balance, proud of myself as I finally closed the app and went to bed.
The next morning, the first thought I had was to check the app, and I hated myself for it. I had notifications from two matches, which felt like a good sign. Still in bed, I opened the first message.
Dick pic. Nothing else. I recoiled from my phone and immediately deleted the pic and blocked the guy. Ew. I needed a shower to wash off the grossness I felt from even having seen it. It definitely wasn’t that I minded looking at dicks, but not unsolicited. I didn’t want to open my phone andbamhave someone’s dick in my face, at least, not unless I consented to it first. With a sigh, I opened the other message waiting for me. Once again, it was nothing but a dick pic. Disgusted, I deleted and blocked again and tossed my phone aside. No response from Parker, the guy I’d been friends with for so long and had stumbled over on the app the night before. I was a little bummed he hadn’t responded, but it was probably for the best.
I stared at the ceiling for a while.Why me? Why do I have to go through all this just to get a decent guy to look my way?Since the ceiling wasn’t forthcoming with any answers, I got up, showered, and got ready for my day. I loved my job, though—I’d been Chief Park Ranger at Port Grandlin State Park for the past few years, and it was truly a dream, even if it didn’t quite pay enough.
My morning was pretty low-key because we were in the beginning of the off-season, early fall. Mostly I’d helped with visitors in the gift shop and gone over the inventory for the next order. It was a cool but sunny day, so for lunch I grabbed my sandwich and sat by the lake to eat and enjoy nature. In the back of my mind, though, was that stupid app, so as I sat to eat, I pulled my phone out and opened it.
To my surprise, a notification popped up when I tapped the app. “You have one new match.” My eyebrows shot up, my stomach fluttering with butterflies. I had only swiped right on maybe four people, and two of them had sent dick pics, but maybe this one would be a winner. I tapped again to view my match list and found Parker Lowe’s picture staring back at me.
I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Maybe this matchwasn’tgoing to be “the one.” I wondered if he even remembered me. We followed each other on social media, but I rarely posted anything on my personal profile, except for the occasional photo I took for the park’s official account that seemed nice enough to share on my own profile, too. There were hardly ever photos of me, even on my personal account. I didn’t really see the point.
While I was staring at Parker’s profile again, a notification popped up on my screen.Fyre. One new message.
I opened the message, bracing myself for a photo of his dick. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see actual words, not an anatomical picture in sight.
Parker: Hey! I’m not sure if you remember me, but we went to school together.
I remembered him. OfcourseI remembered him. We’d been best friends for years, from first grade when my family had moved until the end of eighth, when Parker started hanging out with the jocks and left me behind. How could I have forgotten him?
After staring at my phone for a long few seconds, I typed out a message and then quickly backspaced and deleted it. What was I supposed to say? Instead of replying, I shoved the phone in my jacket pocket and stood, gathering my lunch trash. I wanted to respond, I really did, but I was too nervous I’d say something stupid and screw up my chances. As I went back to work, I couldn’t stop thinking about Parker. He was attractive—veryattractive. Did I want todatehim, though? Well, maybe, but he was way out of my league. Besides, he was on a dating app. He was probably looking for a fast hookup. I definitely wasn’t going to do that.
I headed back inside and tried to distract myself with work. After mostly being in the way in the gift shop, I went to my office, ostensibly to work on planning a winter program for visitors. Instead, I stared at my phone for far too long, finally tapping out a return message to Parker and hitting send.
Chapter Three
Parker
Travis:Idoremember.How could I forget?
I stared at my phone in disbelief and excitement, my lunch all but forgotten on the table in front of me. I still couldn’t believe that I’d found Travis Weston on a dating app, of all places. I mean, I’d just been thinking about him and there he was. Ifthatwasn’t a fucking sign from the universe, I didn’t know what was.
I also didn’t know how to respond to his message. Part of me wasn’t surprised he hadn’t forgotten about me. We’d been close buddies for seven years. Of course, once we’d hit high school, everything had changed. I’d been sucked into the clique with the other jocks and Travis had kept a level head, not joining any particular group, fitting in with just about everyone. We’d drifted apart, and our once-inseparable friendship had broken up. Once I’d tapped out a quick response asking what he was up to these days, I made my way back to my desk.
I got distracted in my work for the rest of the day, working with Armand to come up with something, anything good for the Amante Bay campaign. Nothing much came to me, but I knew eventually I’d get the spark and something brilliant would present itself. By the end of the day, I was drained and ready to think about anything else. Lucky for me, I had kickball practice scheduled and was planning to go out drinking with the team after, so I hurried home to change.
While I was at home, I received another notification from Fyre, letting me know I had a new message.Play it cool,I told myself.You don’t need to respond right away.And then I realized I wasn’t trying to just hook up with Travis, so I had no need to play games. I just wanted to reconnect with an old friend, right? It wasn’t about getting laid. Instead of waiting, which is what I would’ve done in pretty much any other situation, I opened the message and sent one back.
Travis: I’m a park ranger for the state park. What do you do?
Parker: Ad agency. I design commercial ad campaigns. Right now, I’m working on a campaign for a resort on an island off the coast of Italy.
His response came right away. I imagined what adult Travis looked like, staring at his phone, all kinds of sexy park ranger, replying to me. Would he have surpassed me in height? Did he have cut abs and a firm body? An ass I could bounce a quarter off? What did his dick look like?
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Get it together, Park,” I muttered to my silent house. “You can’t fuck this guy. He’s a friend, not a one-night stand.” The devil on my shoulder whispered,There’s no reason he can’t be both.I rolled my eyes at the thought and tried to shake it off.
Travis: Sounds very important. I’m a little surprised you’re not a pro athlete or something. How are your parents? And your brother and sister?
