Page 15 of Strike A Chord

Shit, Reagan. Take it down a notch. Remember, literally everything outside of music was new to him, family included. “Sorry. Defense mechanism. My dating life goes down in flames when guys find out I live with my mother and by choice, I might add.”

“She seems really cool. Like, the kind of mom you get hugs from.” He whispered the last part. This man was more than attention and touch deprived. The list of firsts for Josh grew exponentially with every conversation we had.

“She is. She’s literally my best friend and we talk about everything. Mom is a completely judgment free zone and she loves to give hugs.” I reached over and squeezed his hand. “Anytime.” Again, with the blush, I was hitting all Josh’s buttons today and at least they hadn’t been ones that triggered his dick.

“What are we doing at the ferry terminal?” He glanced around and I wondered if he’d been on a ferry yet.

“Have you been on a ferry before?”

“Yes, but it’s been forever. I was born here, didn’t leave until I signed the contract with Maiden.” Okay, that explained a lot and this whole time he let me believe he was from Arizona.

“Not from Arizona then?” I side-eyed him.

“No. Sorry for letting you believe that, but I didn’t want you to find out about my past, so I just went along with it.” Ah, that made sense. “But I was born in Tacoma.”

“Come on, let’s go up on deck.” Not having the PDA discussion yet, I avoided holding his hand, though I wanted to.

“Amazing.” Josh closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. “What’s the plan?”

“I want to share some of my favorite spots with you today. I’d like to drive across Whidbey Island, have lunch in Oak Harbor, and watch the sunset at Deception Pass.” Many days I’d spent doing just that. Just me, my thoughts, and a park bench. Helped clear my head and who knows, maybe it’d do the same for Josh.

We stood off to the side against the railing, the wind battered Josh’s hair. His face, a perfect mix of serene and childish exuberance. I wasn’t sure if he was about to throw his arms out and reference an all too familiar movie scene or burst into a fit of giggles. Personally, I was up for both. It was odd, how hard it hit me that I could literally watch him for hours no matter what he did. This other side of Josh, the real version I finally got a glimpse of was nothing short of beautiful. “So, how long have you lived in your apartment?”

He huffed. “The shithole? A couple months after I came back. So, far too long. I stayed in a hotel at first, thinking it’d be easy to get a gig with a local band. After it became clear that wasn’t happening, I figured it was time to face reality and get a place. Funds depleted and that’s how I ended up where I am. It came fully furnished so none of that old ass crap is mine.”

The captain’s announcement that it was time to get back in our vehicles in preparation to dock soon ended the fairy tale, though in all honestly, our story was just beginning. “Come on, lone wolf, let’s get back to the car.” He smiled, cute and cocky, like the Josh the world knew. No wonder he got laid as much as he did, that shit-eating smirk was alluring. The two sides of Josh completed him and while I knew hard times lay ahead, I had a good feeling we were both up for the challenge. Together.

Josh rolled the window down and hung his head out, howling as we drove through Whidbey along the five-twenty-five. The air was crisp, clean, and the slight chill felt fantastic. Days such as this were few and far between and it was a blessing when we got a dry one, and I fully intended to enjoy it with Josh by my side. No need for unnecessary chatter as we drove along. Just two men out enjoying the rare sunny day, smiling, and singing along with the radio. Surprisingly, Josh’s voice was pretty good. He’d be a great backup vocalist for Jason, their tenors would offset the other’s perfectly. When we reached Oak Harbor, I stopped at my usual haunt for burgers and a beer.

“Perfect!” Josh clapped his hands as we got out of the car. “Meat and beer, brings out the inner carnivore.”

“Come on, carnivore, let’s get you fed. Table for two, outside if you’ve got one.” The hostess nodded, grabbed a couple of menus, and led the way. I was surprised to see that we were the only ones who chose the patio area given what a gorgeous day it was. By the time the waitress got to us, we were ready to order our food and with that out of the way, the Q&A portion of our date kicked off.

“You like sports?” Josh asked.

“Meh, I can take or leave them. I don’t mind going to games if I don’t have to pay for the ticket,” he laughed. “But ask me any rules and you might as well escort me from the building. I don’t know jack about sports.”

“Never been to a game but same goes for me on the rules. Never got into it.” Josh paused and finished off his beer. “What’s your favorite part of taking this drive?”

“Today or in general?”

“Both.”

“Clarity. When my head is in a fog or I’ve got heavy decisions to make, the non-stressful drive and amazing scenery filter it. Instead of my mind going in a million directions, the drive adds focus and by the time I get home I’ve made my choices. For today, you were the reason for the drive. I wanted to share this part of my life with you, something I’ve never shared with another before.”

“Not even Mom?”

“Not even Mom, though she knows about it and always asks if I found what I’m looking for when I get home.” Was I searching for something this time? Quite possibly. Did I find it? Maybe. “Come on, lunch is on me. You don’t want to miss the sunset where I’m taking you, trust me.”

“I do.”

“You do what?”

“Trust you.”

Those two little words stopped me dead in my tracks. Josh trusted no one and with good reason, yet he trusted me. “Thank you. That means more than you know.” We arrived at Deception Pass just as the sun began its descent and took a seat on the tabletop of a nearby picnic bench. The park was deserted, the families here earlier in the day long since left. Quiet, empty, the ideal setting for the majestic show the Earth was about to perform for me and my guy.

Josh leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around him. “I don’t think I’ve ever watched a sunset, or sunrise for that matter.”

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