Page 36 of Glad You're Here

Thea’s icy wall wavered but remained in place. “You think I’m beautiful?” She nudged me with her bare leg beneath the table.

Before I could respond, the waiter showed up to take our orders. He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, tall and muscled. This dude was Thea’s type, and he left no room to wonder if he wanted her. Before he even asked what we’d like to drink, he eye-fucked her. “That dress is stunning. Seriously, you still have every eye in the restaurant on you.” The idiot let his gaze linger on her chest. Why did guys always think they could stare at her like that?

Anger flashed through me. “Hey, why don’t you take our orders instead of objectifying my friend?” I tried to keep my tone even, but it carried an apparent bite.

The waiter cleared his throat and glanced at me for the first time. I never looked like a threat to guys like this. They didn’t take me seriously. He pulled his notepad from his apron and politely asked what he could get for us.

After the waiter walked away, Thea smirked at me. “Did you defend my honor? Is that what I witnessed here?”

“I’m sorry. Maybe you wanted to hook up with him, but it bothered me that he stared at your—” I gestured awkwardly toward her chest.

Thea leaned forward to give me a clear view of her cleavage. “My what, Levi?” She twisted a lock of purple hair around her pointer finger, and her eyes twinkled with mischief.

I chose not to take her bait. Plus, saying tits out loud felt even more challenging than saying fuck. “Did you think that dude was hot, Thea?” I sipped my water and forced my eyes to meet hers.

“Would you care if I did?” she taunted with narrowed eyes.

“You can do better, that’s all.” I stared back with determination.

“Better like who?”

Idiot Waiter arrived with our drinks and a bread basket. This time, he kept his eyes off Thea’s chest. What a champ.

Did I honestly believe that I could be the guy Thea wanted? Not really. Not yet. I rode a rollercoaster of self-confidence at this point in my life. Some days, I climbed to the top, only to plummet back down the next day. Being confident a few days of the year was better than no days. Maybe this rollercoaster would eventually even out.

After Idiot Waiter left, I took a page from Thea’s rule book and changed the subject. “You’ll tell me if the hikes are too much, right? I don’t want you to be hurting.”

Thea groaned out loud and covered her face with both hands. She wore the same shimmery black nail polish that mesmerized me when we were high. “The hikes are fine,” she mumbled into her hands. “Levi, if I don’t want to go on the hikes, I won’t go on the hikes, okay?”

“Okay.” I smiled when she peeked at me through her fingers. I wanted to be enough for her, more than anything.

After our late lunch, we wandered into the gift shop, walking close enough that our hands brushed together multiple times. It sent lightning zapping through my fingers every time.

Thea picked up a plush ram and turned to smile at me. “Let’s split up and pick secret souvenirs for each other. I’ll meet you back at the entrance in fifteen minutes.” She set the ram back on its shelf and headed toward the opposite end of the store before I could ask for any ground rules.

As I tried to decide what to get her, I knew I wanted to make her laugh first. For that, I chose a hideous neon orange trucker hat with the words Utah Rocks! on the front. Then, to make her smile and soften her sharp edges, I chose an amethyst and lava rock bracelet. After I paid, I headed to the front of the store and found Thea already waiting, trying not to smile.

Why did she try so hard to hide that beautiful smile?

We stepped outside into the warm afternoon sun and wordlessly traded bags. Thea pulled the hat out first and gave me the head-back laugh I craved. “Wow! Wow, Levi. This is so cute!” She plopped the hat on her head, still laughing.

I grinned back at her and reached out to graze the ends of her hair with my fingers. “Orange honestly goes so well with purple. I knew this would complete your look.” I folded my arms, afraid I’d touch her too much if I didn’t stop at her hair. “There’s one more thing.” I nodded toward the bag she clutched tightly in her right hand. Was she suddenly tense because she wanted me to touch her or because she didn’t?

Thea nodded and reached into the bag. She pulled out the bracelet and rewarded me with her full smile. “Alright, this is really pretty. I love it.” She slid it onto her wrist. “Okay, your turn!”

My bag from Thea also contained two items. First, I pulled out a shot glass with the Salt Lake Temple etched into it. I grinned and held it up to the light. “That’s funny, Thea. That’s really funny.”

“Right?” she laughed. “Keep going!”

Next, I pulled out a Junior Ranger’s National Parks passport. I held it up and gave Thea an inquisitive glare.

She laughed and stepped forward, placing both hands on my chest. I forced myself to keep breathing. She said, “I’m not calling you a kid. I swear! You’re into hiking and exploring now, but I couldn’t find an adult version of this passport. But that’s okay because I actually kind of love your childlike excitement for experiencing the world. It’s refreshing and endearing, and…”

Thea trailed off like she’d said too much, and panic momentarily flashed through her eyes.

I pulled her in for a hug and hoped she couldn’t feel my racing heart. “Thank you,” I said, releasing her and putting my gifts back in the bag. “I saw some face cards in there.” I gestured toward the shop behind us. Thea needed this diversion. I could still see her panic, and I guessed it was over that L word she let slip. “I’ll grab a set, and you can teach me how to play poker or one of the other gambling games I was never allowed to play.”

Thea gave me a shaky smile and didn’t meet my gaze. “That sounds great. We can play in my room.”

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