That’s it. I’m going to do it.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her cellphone from the coffee table, and dialed Jack’s number.
It rang.
And rang.
“Hello, Kim.” That deep, rich, black coffee voice of his poured all over her, from the top of her head down to her toes, leaving her hot and bothered.
“Hi…” She couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear upon hearing the sound of his voice. “We haven’t spoken since you helped me with my car that morning and sent me on my way.”
“Yeah… How are you?”
“I’m good. Hey, I know you’re busy, so I won’t keep you too long. You know Martha from the restaurant, right? Never mind. Stupid question. Of course you do. Hey, look, so… she’s having a party next week, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me?”
“I don’t like parties.”
“… Oh. Well, okay. I guess then—”
“But I’ll go. With you.”
Her heart grew wings and soared.
“Okay, great. It’s a date.”
A long silence ensued. She hated when he did that, leaving so much hanging between them.
“Fine. I’ve got to go.”
“Oh, okay. Well… Talk to you later, Jack. Have a good night.”
“Mmm hmmm. Goodnight.”
He hung up.
She kept staring at the phone, then burst out laughing and poured herself another glass of wine…
Chapter Eight
“I’d like to see more of the Northern lights,” Kim chirped as she clicked her seatbelt into place. “It seems the few times I’ve gotten a good look at the aurora, I’m always told, ‘Oh, this is nothing. It looks better than this on other days.’ I’ve seen pictures and videos, but I’m sure nothing beats the real thing. Is it true that the lights appear all year round?”
Jack rolled the peppermint candy in his mouth as he pulled out of the parking space right in front of her apartment building to the tune of ‘Die A Happy Man’ by Thomas Rhett on Sirius XM. He’d been smoking a cigar on the way over, and figured he’d freshen his breath up a bit. Slow and easy, he put the truck in reverse until the path was clear. Then, he kicked it into drive.
“Each season, you can see the aurora, but it looks different. It’s all year round, but the best time to see it is between August and April twenty-first. Now, depending on where you are, it determines how good it looks.”
“Ohhh, okay, so it’s proximity, too. What are the best places in Fairbanks to view it? Or is Anchorage better?”
“Here in Fairbanks is better, in my opinion, but you can get some good shots of it in Anchorage, too.”
He leaned forward and turned the radio down. Kim was fidgeting quite a bit as she looked out of the window. She was wearing her hair in one long braid, versus her typical two. The top of her head was full of dull black waves, and tight curls sat at her nape. A simple thin gold chain hung around her neck, and she had on a long, oversized denim shirt, a black blouse beneath it, and a pair of snug jeans. A couple of rings adorned her hands. One looked to be an opal.
His gaze wandered further, resting on her hips, then he stole little peeks all the way down to her white Nikes.
“Martha said there’s a lot of food and that she hopes we bring our appetite.” She gave him a modest glance before turning to look back out the window. “And she said there’d be plenty of alcohol, too.”
“I don’t drink as much as I used to. Especially in mixed company.”
“So.” She turned towards him, bewilderment on her face. “You don’t go out much,” she held up a finger, “you don’t party,” she held up a second finger, then a third, “and you don’t drink much, either, unless you’re alone. What’s your vice, then? Everyone has at least one.” She flopped against the car seat.
He liked the way she pressed her head against the headrest and brought her knee up and held it. She looked comfortable, as if she were waiting for him to tell her a great tale.
“Yeah… we all have at least one.” He kept on driving, knowing she was going to press the matter. He didn’t mind, but he was in the mood to toy with her a bit. Maybe that was one of his vices? Playing with people for sport.
“You want to know one of mine?”
“Not really.”
At this, she burst out laughing, but the sound betrayed in frustration. She shook her head, then covered her mouth with her hand.
“It’s like pulling teeth with you sometimes, Jack. Talk to me, damn it!” She giggled, tossing her head back. Yeah, she was definitely frustrated.
“You want to know my vices?” He smirked as they approached a red light. “Cigars. Walks in the dark. Fishing. Hunting. People watching.”
“I can smell the cigar on you…” She inhaled, slowly closing her eyes as if it were the scent of heaven, then exhaled. “Walking in the dark is a vice? How so?”