I hid my disappointment as I pulled some money out of my wallet and left it on the table. Sarai either hadn’t gotten my text or wasn’t able to meet me, and I had to get back to work. I’d kind of expected that it wouldn’t work out, but I was pretty bummed anyway.
I was standing on the sidewalk stuffing my wallet back into my pants when I spotted Sarai’s car pulling into the restaurant’s parking lot. I lifted my hand in greeting as she drove toward me like a bat out of hell.
“Hey, Speed Racer,” I called out as she parked next to my truck and climbed out of her car.
“Damn, you’re leaving,” she replied with a good-natured sigh. “I tried to make it in time, but all these people kept cutting in front of me!”
“They were probably trying to get out of your way. Not everyone drives twenty over the speed limit,” I joked, walking toward her.
“I don’t drive that fast.”
“You just were,” I argued.
“Well, shit.” She gave me a lopsided smile. “I just didn’t want you to leave before I got here.”
We locked eyes, and hers were bright with excitement. As I reached her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to lean forward and press my mouth to hers.
I’d meant the kiss to be a greeting, a small hello, but it turned into something different the moment our lips met. It probably wasn’t the right moment. We’d had two actual dates, and I knew that she was trying to keep things as casual as possible. I also hadn’t planned on our first kiss being on full display in front of a row of windows that looked into her surrogate family’s restaurant. But damn, the moment I pressed my lips to hers, she opened right up.
My hands found her hips, and I twisted us slightly so I was shielding us from any onlookers. She tasted like mint.
“You’re going to be late,” she said, pulling away.
“Worth it,” I replied, chasing her mouth with mine.
I’d barely made contact again when she pulled away with a small laugh.
“I’m so glad I caught you,” she said. “It’s been too long since I’ve gotten to see that pretty face of yours.”
“Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing.” My hands tightened on her hips. “Fuck work. Let’s run away.”
She laughed, and then we stood there grinning at each other for a long moment.
“Adulting is the worst, but I can’t run away today. Big test at school tonight. You’ll have to go back to work,” she said teasingly, making a shooing motion with her hands.
I nodded and leaned forward again, giving her a quick peck on the lips. I really was going to be late.
I took a couple of steps back, then spun on my heel and jogged around the hood of my truck.
“I’ll text you later!” I called out.
“Sounds good,” she replied, giving a little wave.
As I pulled away, I looked back to see her walking inside the restaurant.
I’d known that I liked her, and I’d been pretty excited to spend some time with her, but I was surprised at just how happy I’d been when she’d shown up today.
There was something about Sarai, some quality that was indefinable but present. She lit up a room. It wasn’t necessarily her looks, though she was gorgeous; it was something else, like an energy. Everyone gravitated toward her whenever she was around. I’d noticed it at Sean’s party, and I’d noticed it again when we’d had breakfast. People wanted to talk to her, and they went out of their way to say hello or introduce themselves. I loved it, and I wanted more of it. Before long, this whole quick-meetup thing wouldn’t be enough.
As soon as I parked my truck, I texted her.
Let me take you to dinner after class tonight.
I stuffed my phone into my pocket as I hurried to my meeting.
* * *
“When you offered to take me to dinner, this wasn’t what I expected,” Sarai said later that night as I tucked a blanket tighter around her hips.
“I didn’t expect you to agree,” I confessed with a laugh. “When you said yes, I had to think of something quick.”
Sarai laughed. We were sitting in the back of my truck in the middle of an open field with empty takeout containers spread out around us. It was cold as hell but the weather was clear, and I was pretty proud of our little picnic under the stars.
“You made the right decision,” she said with a sigh, leaning against me. “This is perfect.”
“Long day, huh?” I asked, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Test days suck even when I know the material.”
“Do you think you did well?”
“I always do well,” she said confidently. She pulled away from me so she could get to her feet. I tilted my head back to watch her as she threw her arms out and turned in a circle. When her eyes met mine, she grinned. “And now I’m one test closer to finishing.”