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20
CARLEIGH
It doesn’t take too long for his friends to find out about us.
This is actually fine.Molly and Sawyer managed to learn about it while we were still in Lake Placid, and while they’re sworn to secrecy, I know nothing actually stays a secret forever.
Initially, we agreed not to make any announcements about our new relationship.This was at least in part because it was unclear what was specifically actually happening between us; at that point there’d been just a kiss - a great kiss, but just a kiss - and nothing about our situation loaned itself well to an obvious path forward.Accompanying that had been a let’s-go-slow agreement, which both of us are probably guilty of trying to violate at various points, but at least that would inevitably have its own natural resolution.I can’t wait very much longer, and know that Bryson is just waiting for my go-ahead.
Now, nearly a month in, I am certain that whatever it is exactly between us, it’s not casual, and it’s not going away.Which shouldn’t be a surprise; I’m a smart woman.I should’ve known that something between myself and Bryson could never be temporary.
We have our first official date on September first.True to his word, Bryson leaves the apartment while I get dressed.I pick a pretty green dress to go underneath my favorite jean jacket, curl my hair, and actually put on makeup.He shows up with flowers for the second time that day, since he’s developed a bit of a habit of bringing me tulips from the vendor by the subway, then we go to the Court Street Grocers near Washington Square Park and spend a couple of hours just sitting by the fountain, eating sandwiches and talking.
I don’t sleep with him that night, but he does give me a release on the couch when we get home, so - almost.Afterward, I tell him I want to call him my boyfriend; he gets a happy look on his face like a puppy with a treat, and god, I’m so in love.
A week after that, Quinn invites us to another opening, this time a soft launch of a new restaurant that his marketing firm is working on.He gets seats for four and manages to convince Sawyer to come along.The place is supposed to be sort of trendy, upscale-casual, but Bryson is told he has to wear a real shirt with actual buttons and a collar, and he’s annoyed.
“I don’t like it, Carleigh, it’s itchy.”
I watch him pace around the kitchen, fiddling with his cuffs.The shirt looks good on him - great, in fact.It’s a nice blue color that brings out his eyes.It’s not his fault that this kind of thing feels alien to him - he does seem to have been born with a fisherman’s wardrobe.
“You’ve dressed up before, Bryson,” I remind him.“You just came with me to my school thing like a month and a half ago!”
Bryson makes a face.“And it was uncomfortable then, too.”
I raise an eyebrow.“You didn’t say anything.”
“Well, Carleigh,” Bryson begins, walking over to me, “I would have, but I was busy trying to come up with excuses to hold your hand all night, and I figured you wouldn’t want to if I was just complaining all night.”
“But you’re not worried about that now,” I surmise.
Bryson places his hands on my ribcage and rubs his thumbs against the bottom curve of my breasts.“Well now you’re all acquainted with the nice things I can do with my hands, Half-Sour, not as worried, no.”
I laugh and push his hands to my waist.“If it helps, I was very into you that night and I’m already really into this.”I rub his bicep.“And I’ll hold your hand as much as you want.”
“Mm, that helps a lot, Carleigh,” he murmurs, dropping a kiss on my mouth.“Except Quinn and Sawyer will be there.”
“Sawyer already knows,” I confess, glancing sheepishly at him when he gives me an incredulous look.“She and Molly found out the day after we kissed at Lake Placid.They asked,” I add hurriedly.“We said we wouldn’t lie.”
Bryson’s jaw drops.“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
I wince.“I didn’t want - we also said we’d keep it between us for a while.I swore them both to secrecy, so that we could have time.”I give him an apologetic look.“I should’ve told you, I’m sorry, but you said Jackson had been bothering you about it, so I didn’t want you to have to tell anyone if it was going to be a problem.”
“Carleigh.”Bryson shakes his head at me.“Are you kidding me?Yeah then, sure - but if last week was - if what we said is happening, then I want everyone to know you’re my girl.The whole freaking world!I’ll rent a skywriting plane, right up there next to the clouds: ‘Bryson plus Carleigh equals’, then I’ll get ‘em to draw a squiggly little heart with the plane, though I bet that’s probably pretty tricky to pull off.But that’s what they’re paid for, I guess!I don’t know, I like to think if I was a pilot that did skywriting that I’d make sure I could do whatever the customer asked before -"
I kiss him to shut him up.He’s always been a big talker, always been loud, always had lots to say.
“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, Bryson?”I ask, breaking the kiss.
Bryson grins.“Er, yeah, only every single teacher I ever had, plus both of my parents, and all my grandparents, and my sister…”
“Yeah, I get it,” I laugh, holding a hand up to silence him.“You ready to go?We should probably go catch the train.”
Bryson offers me his hand.“You got it, boss.”
The subway to Lower Manhattan is fairly busy, but we’re on the line early enough to get seats, which is nice.I’m not wearing a dress today instead it’s my best black pants and an appropriately nice silk sleeveless top - but in an effort to be dressier I’m wearing a pair of what are not the world’s comfiest flats, so sitting is welcomed.I’m short and the have high arches and I really think that one day soon I’m going to end up exclusively wearing orthopedic shoes, so I’m really trying not to push it.
Somewhere around Greenwich Village, an elderly lady with a cane gets on the train, and Bryson immediately hops up to give her his seat.“Thank you,” she says, giving him a kind smile as she sits down next to me.
