Page 125 of The Bridges I've Burned

“There are some beaches in the world where overwhelming humidity isn’t a thing.”

“I’ve heard of these kinds of beaches.” She nodded her head. “Sounds intriguing.”

“Yeah?” I could think of at least a dozen beaches I could take her to. “We’ll make a beach lover of you yet.”

So many possibilities hung in the air as we stared at each other.

But before either of us could say anything more, the waiter came by with our main courses, and as we began to eat, an amicable silence fell across the table.

It was oddly comforting how at ease I felt around her. Sometimes, maintaining comfortable silence with someone was infinitely harder than sharing empty words. Finding someone else who understood that was a rarity.

I was coming to find that Elena, as a whole, was a rarity—one I wasn’t sure I was ready to let go of.

“What’s your favorite part about being a lawyer?” I asked, realizing how little she actually talked about her career.

I’d practically bored her to death with my love of music and the life I’d made of it, but when it came to her day job…crickets.

She took a sip of wine before answering, “I like the financial freedom it gives me.”

“Anything else?”

She bit nervously at her bottom lip. “It keeps me busy.”

I studied her for a moment as she pushed a tomato around her mostly empty plate. “You don’t like your job, do you?”

She froze in place, staring at that freaking tomato like her life depended on it. It wasn’t until I reached out and touched her hand that she settled slightly, her shoulders sagging until her eyes finally met mine.

“No,” she finally said. “I hate it.”

“Have you ever said that out loud?”

“No,” she admitted. “I’m terrified to say it too loud in case my mother might be listening all the way from Texas.” She said it in jest, but there was an undertone of anxiety in her voice.

“You really think she would care if you did something else?” Before I realized how that came out, I found myself scrambling. “That’s not what I meant?—”

“No, I know you weren’t saying it to be mean.” She let out a sigh. “She wanted Daniel to be the lawyer, but he went into IT. So, I foolishly tried to fill that dream for her, thinking it would win her approval.” She looked down at the table. “Clearly, that was a wasted effort, and now, I’m stuck doing something I’m quite good at, but really hate.”

“So then, do something else,” I told her. “Do something for you.”

She snorted. “You make it sound easy.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s not,” I agreed. “I’m sure it’d be really fucking hard. But it beats continuing to do something you hate for someone who doesn’t even deserve it.”

“I once told Marin…” She stopped herself, her cheeks actually staining red.

“You once told Marin what?” I prodded. “It’s got to be good. I don’t remember the last time I saw you blush.”

“I’m going to regret this.” She pressed her lips together and took a breath. “I once told Marin—over a copious amount of alcohol, mind you—that I might want to write a book. Someday.”

God, she was cute when she was embarrassed.

But she really had no reason to be.

“Yeah?” I perked up, leaning forward on the table. “What kind? Kinky romance?”

She rolled her eyes. “You would love that.”

“I really would. Can you imagine the kind of research required for a book like that? I’d be so down with that.”

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