“It was the alternator,” he quickly said. “It needed tweaking. Ididfix that after returning your spark plugs, which is why your car probably started much smoother today. I also topped off the oil.”
“Alternators, spark plugs, engine oil,” I teased. “You sure know how to sweet-talk a girl.”
He shrugged modestly. “What can I say? I’m a romantic at heart.”
I chomped down on the remainder of my ice cream cone and squeezed his hand tighter. “I’ve really enjoyed this, Hunter.”
“Me too. I considered getting a hotel, but it would be suspicious ifbothof us were gone overnight, at the same time.”
“I don’t mind.” I lowered my voice as we passed an old couple on a bench. “We’ve had sex several times, but we haven’t gone on adate. I enjoyed tonight for what it was.”
He tossed the remainder of his cone in a trash can, then wrapped an arm around my shoulder while we walked. “I’ve loved every minute of this.”
“It is kind of funny,” I said.
“What is?”
“We’ve had sex a bunch already, andnowwe’re out on a real date. We’re doing it backwards. Like having dessert before dinner.”
“That’s the thing about being adults,” Hunter said, leaning over to kiss me on the temple. “Wecaneat dessert first if we want!”
The two of us giggled all the way back to our cars. We were having fun together. What Hunter and I had was soreal;it felt like we were falling in love.
Which is what led to us getting sloppy.
38
Hunter
Erica and I drove home from our Dayton date separately. She went straight to the house, while I took the long way home, then drove around the Columbus beltway a few times for good measure. By the time I pulled up to the house and walked inside, both Erica and her brother were asleep.
While I undressed and brushed my teeth, I thought about the girl on the other side of the bathroom door. I was sick of playing pretend whenever we were here. I wanted tobewith her, totally and completely, without any subterfuge. I wanted to crawl into bed with her, folding her against my body and spooning until we fell asleep in each other’s arms. I wanted to bury my face in her blonde hair, inhaling the smell of her shampoo and her deeper, more natural scent. I wantedeverythingwith Erica.
This girl is the one.
When I was younger, I didn’t believe in the concept ofthe one. There were over three billion women in the world, and I thought a guy could be compatible with any number of them. The idea that there was a single soul mate out there was ludicrous to me.
But now? I was a believer. It was Erica, and it always had been. I was more certain of that with every passing day.
I went to bed and dreamed of a time when we wouldn’t need to hide it anymore.
The next day, Erica had the lunch shift at the brewery. I spent my time working on the Mustang. There were still a lot of parts that needed cleaning or replacing, and then I would be finishing it up with a new coat of paint. She would look great in fire engine red, glossy and shining in the summer sun.
Brad came into the garage during his lunch break and shot the shit with me while I worked. His job was starting to go better—he was being given more responsibilities, and was being invited to outings with the other sales reps. There was a real smile on his face these days, not the forced one he’d worn when he returned from his trip. I was glad to see that. I wanted my old friend to be successful, and to move on from the death of his parents.
I was also glad because it meant Erica and I were one step closer to telling him about us.
“You mind if I ask you something?” he suddenly said.
The change of subject caught me off guard. “Shoot.”
He was leaning against the workbench, arms crossed over his chest. He frowned at the ground and said, “What do you think about my sister?”
I was grateful to be hunched down on the other side of the car, where he couldn’t see my alarmed reaction. I felt my pulse quicken as I calmly replied, “What do you mean?”
Was this it? Had Brad picked up on my chemistry with Erica, and now we were going to havethe talk?My fingers froze on the lug nut as I waited for his response.
“Well,” Brad began, “it’s just that… Her business.Yours Forever Gemstones. What do you think about it?”