Page 62 of It Started at the Lake

She shoots an arm toward me. “Unnecessary. That image is burned into my retinas.”

“Why are you saying burn like it's a bad thing in this situation? As my fake girlfriend, you’re free to take a gander whenever you want.”

Millie swallows hard. “Yeah.” Her voice is strained. “It won’t be necessary, but thanks.”

I shrug. “Your loss.” Too bad. I like seeing her blush.

“Question,” she says, holding up a finger. “If we go hiking tomorrow, can I plan our next date after that?”

Am I brave enough to give her control? “Depends. What do you have in mind?”

“Nuh-uh.” She shakes her head. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

I fold my arms across my chest, leaning against the nearest tree. “I’m old. Surprises and I don’t get along well anymore. Makes me wet my adult diapers.”

She snorts out a quick laugh before her expression changes to one of empathy. “You’re not old, Bennett.”

Then why do I feel like I am? “You’re right, I’m seasoned in life.”

“That’s why you need me. To remind you of your youth.”

“You certainly do that.” Which is a nice change. Spending time with Mils keeps my mind off my grief. She makes me laugh and makes me feel wanted. “When you’re my age, where do you see yourself?”

She turns to face me. “You’re not that much older than me, Bennett. And what is this? A job interview?”

“Do you not like setting goals or picturing what your future might look like?” Not that I ever could have imagined the way my marriage ended.

“Oh, no, I do. You just made it sound like I’m being interviewed for some position I had no idea I’d applied for.”

“What if I am seeing if you're qualified?”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Do I get to know what for?”

I smirk. “Soon.”

She scrunches her nose at me in a playful way. “Well, Mr. Inquisitive, when I’m thirty, I hope to be established in my career, married, and starting a family soon.”

All things I imagined for myself as well. At least I have my career on the trajectory I want. “How big of a family do you want?” Jen and I talked about trying to get pregnant right before she died. We both wanted kids before we turned thirty. It’s too late for me, but Millie has time.

“At least two kids, but I’m open to more if my husband wants them.”

“Do you want to stay in Massachusetts after graduation?”

“I fell in love with Amherst when I looked at pictures when applying to colleges. After living there for five years, it’s hard to imagine going somewhere else. But it really depends on where I find a job after graduation. Amherst isn’t big like Boston or New York.”

True. Bigger cities provide more opportunities, but being a small fish at a big company isn’t always the best move. Mid-size or small firms might give her the chance to truly shine and get recognized for who she is rather than being a number in a pool. “But you’re not itching to leave?”

“No. Evie and I talked about staying there together after graduation. Dreams don’t always have a way of working out though. I’m trying not to get too attached to the idea.”

No kidding. My dreams blew up like a grenade dropped onto a crate full of TNT. “What dream of yours hasn't come true?”

“These seem like deep questions, which you told me to avoid on a first date.”

“Humor me.”

She checks the watch on her wrist. “How much time do you have?”

Pushing off the tree, I make my way to where Millie is standing. “For you? All day.”

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