He sighed then, flicking his blinker again and sliding into the exit lane at last. "I'm fine," he said quietly. "I'm just dealing with something right now. Working through it the only way I know how—through keepingbusy."
“If you need to keep busy,” I offered, “I canhelp.”
Tension seeped into the interior of the car as I realized the true depth of my words. A blush bloomed across my cheeks and I stuttered. “I-I mean, I can help you to get through it. You’re um—issues. I can try to…” A blathering idiot was what I was. I groaned and turned, letting the back of my head land on the seatback with athud.
He chuckled. “You are helping,” he admittedquietly.
I turned my face and looked at him. There were divots in his forehead, either from stress or concentration as he drove, I wasn't sure. But there was also a lightness about him tonight, as though the stress was seeping away. I hoped that was the case, even if it was only for a little while. "I'm glad you came with me tonight," Iadmitted.
"Yeah?" he asked, slowing the car to astop.
"Yeah." I reached for the hand he had dangling in the center of the front seat, taking it in mine. "I know things are complicated, but I want you to know that you can come to me if you needto."
Grayson stopped at a red light and turned, taking in my expression. "When we met, you thought I was an asshole," he remindedme.
I smiled. "You still kinda are," I replied, causing him to chuckle as the light turned green and he pressed on the gas. “I’ll actually feel a lot better when you go back to being that asshole.” He squeezed my hand back, sending fluttering butterflies through my stomach. "I think I realize why thatis."
"Why I'm an asshole?" he sounded confused. I nodded earnestly. "Okay, and why's that?" The way he asked it made the question achallenge.
I smirked, refusing to give in. "If I told you that," I replied, "you'd argue with me and tonight isn't about arguing. You're taking me on our first date. No fighting or arguingallowed."
That startled another chuckle out of him, and I grinned. This was the most Grayson had smiled or semi-laughed in several weeks. I wanted to do a fist pump. "You're one of a kind, Babydoll," he said lightly, making my grin grow, “and you're taking this dating several guys at once thing withgrace."
I grimaced but was secretly glad that he thought that. I had never thought of it before, but there weren't exactly a whole lot of models for this kind of relationship. Sure, there were TV shows that mimicked the idea, except with one guy dating or married to several women. Those TV shows were a joke, though. Society watched and laughed and judged. It was a little easier for people who loved one person. Even if that person was the same sex. There were same-sex couples all over television and in real life. There were models for them. But...for what we had? Not so much. And when there were models for our kind of relationship, from what I had researched on the web, it wasn't exactly accepted bysociety.
I was trying to take this relationship day by day, but honestly...I worried. I worried about how we would be received. I worried about what people would think—even if I shouldn't. I had already lost one friend, though not because of the relationship. Even though I had lost Erika and found Lizzie, sometimes, it still felt like all I had were the guys. My mom, much better now with her new medical care, was accepting, but I hardly ever saw her. Once a week, if that. What would I do if this relationship lasted? Would I be introduced to Marv's family as his girlfriend? Would any of them want to getmarried?
My thoughts had catapulted me into depths that I wasn’t quite ready to consider, and I was thankful when Grayson interrupted them—though I jumped when hespoke.
"We're here." Turning, I realized we had already pulled into the parking lot of a two-story brick building with an outer wooden rim at the top. The car was off, the engine quiet. "You okay?" he asked. "You were quiet for a hot minutethere."
"Yeah." I squeaked when I spoke too quickly and had to clear my throat. "Yeah," I repeated. "I'm fine. Where arewe?"
He tilted his head at me, cool eyes assessing. "Wait there," he ordered. "I'll come around to getyou."
"I can getthe—"
"This is a date, Harlow," he said. "Let me get your door." With that, he opened and shut his door sharply. I watched him stride around the front of the hood as I unclipped my seatbelt. Grayson popped open the passenger side door, holding his hand out for me totake.
Before, it hadn't yet felt like a real date, but with the way he was acting, it made me realize just how serious this was. We were alone for a change, and it wasn't for work and it wasn't because the others didn't know. A shiver raced up my spine as I took his offeredhand
"Thank you,” I said with a smallsmile.
Grayson smiled and released me to close the door before he took my hand once more, tugging me behind him as he headed for the building. An old, slightly rusted metal sign hung above the entrance. It read:Cozy CoconuttiesWelcome.
A tall, voluptuous woman with her blonde and green hair pulled into a ponytail greeted us at the hostess stand. "Welcome to the Coconut Hut." She smiled brightly, reminding me of Lizzie with her own crazy colored hair and bubbly personality. "Two?"
Grayson nodded. "Can we have a table on the roof?" heasked.
My hand squeezed his as I looked up. "Of course," the hostess replied brightly, leading theway.
Grayson's face remained passive. He didn't look particularly happy, but neither did he look angry or any other combination of upset. He simply looked content. He was becoming a very difficult person to read, which I hated, but at the same time, it still left a bit of mystery too. I was always wondering what he wasthinking.
The rooftop section of The Coconut Hut was nothing more than a few wooden tables scattered around, lit with tiki torches across the sides of the building as well as the lights from the outdoor bar to the side. The chairs were slightly damp from the earlier rain, but I didn't really mind. I was glad I had worn a longer dress for this. I smoothed down the back after wiping the seat as best I could and sat down. Grayson sat across from me and ordered drinks for usboth.
Only one other couple sat nearby at the bar, talking to the middle-aged bartender as he wiped down the counter. When we were left relatively alone, I turned my gaze back to Grayson, observing him under the dim lighting and in quiet seclusion. "So..." I started, trailing off as I looked around, "niceplace."
His lips lifted, curling on one side to give the impression of a half-smile. I liked it when he did that. I thought it made him look rather handsome in his dress-shirt and jeans. "It's not bad," he replied. "Believe it or not, I used to come here with my uncle. He'd come here with a few fishing buddies—bring me and let me run around while theydrank."