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Looking at this image, it’s easy to believe that Evan is a billionaire, which is funny since at the time of this event, I don’t believe he was.
Is it shallow that this picture makes me like Evan even more? Does it mean I like Evan being a billionaire? That would make me one of the gold-digging types he’s been avoiding—yet another reason for us not to be together, not that we need more.
Actually, I’ve got to give myself a break. I don’t really care about his money. I just find him hot in a suit, not to mention my perception of him is now colored by what happened in the shower. And during all the dates. And the?—
“Did the pictures reveal any clues?” Evan asks.
“Not really,” I say, snapping back to reality.
“Oh, well,” he says. “It was worth a shot.”
I close the album. “Can you tell me something about your grandfather?”
He concentrates. “I got my love of the ocean from him.”
“Did he surf too?”
Evan shakes his head. “He just liked to watch the waves. It calmed him.”
For the rest of the ride, he tells me about his grandfather, but nothing really gives me any clues. What I get instead is an aching in my chest. I’ve been estranged from my family for seven years, but even prior to that, I never had as good of a connection with them as Evan had with his grandfather. And his father. And his mother.
“We’re here.” Evan turns into a parking lot, and we take a stroll through the gorgeous gardens—one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the US.
As we scour the grounds, my enjoyment of the day fights with frustration because once again, there are no clues. Additionally, a double dose of guilt tugs at my insides. Firstly, Reagan would really enjoy this place. Secondly, I still haven’t told Evan about Reagan’s existence.
“Maybe we’ll find some in Miami?” Evan suggests when I voice my annoyance at the lack of clues.
“Maybe.”
He gestures at the nature around us. “Wasn’t this place worth visiting, even if there are no clues?”
Itake in the greens of the plants and the pinks of the flamingoes nearby. “It’s a nice place, but?—”
“No buts.” Evan grabs my hand. “Let’s go through it again, forgetting about clues altogether.”
At first, I walk to indulge him, but soon, I do forget about the treasure hunt and start to feel like I’m on one of the best dates of my life.
“Want to take a seat?” Evan gestures at a bench that seems lost in the greenery.
Take a seat? I guess we did walk a while. I glance at my tracker to see how many steps I already took, and it’s a whopping ten thousand.
My dear Precious, your majestic glutes are getting firmer as we speak, and your thighs are becoming adamantine. You’re also producing rich sweat and delectable lactic acid all over the sacred shrine that is your body.
I guess I could relax my feet for a second.
I plop on the bench, and Evan cozies up right next to me.
Wait. Is he?—
He wraps his hand around my shoulders, his nearness intoxicating.
“We seem to be alone,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my ear enticingly.
I scan the paved path in both directions. It’s true that at the moment, we’re alone. But why do I have a feeling that he has something very naughty in mind that?—
His lips clash with mine.
There it is.
