Page 49 of Ride With Me

“Yeah, yeah.” He waves a hand dismissively. “Now spill.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath and startagain.“I wanted to get a glass of water and was trying not to make any noise so I wouldn’t disturb you guys.” This is as far as I got the three times I’ve tried to get through telling him what happened, but something—mostly Hawk’s wandering thoughts—has always interrupted me. This time though, he stays silent as he sits onthe bed. He looks at me, fully engaged in the story, so I know he won’t interrupt.

“I just opened the door, took one step, and bumped into someone. I screamed so loud, I really wonder how you two didn’t wake up. But he got spooked too. He apologized then said he was going to turn on the lights, which was good ’cause it gave me time to close my eyes so I wouldn’t be blinded.”

“And then what?” Hawk asks, looking completely enthralled. I just roll my eyes at him but of course, I keep going.

“Well, I saw him.”

“Uh-huh,” he encourages me.

“His eyes...” I trail off. I don’t want to sound stupid.

“What about them?”

“They’re pretty,” I whisper and look away.

“Pretty?” he asks, frowning in confusion and looking at the wall like he’s trying to recall what Hugh’s eyes look like.

“Yeah, they’re kind.”

“Well, yeah. He’s a cool dude.”

“So then he told me his name is Hugh, and I told him my name was Ollie.” I know I’m skipping a lot of details here—like how I felt like someone was seeingmefor the first time as he stared at me, and how my heartbeat accelerated as if I were about to find a treasure—but it’s better that I do, or Hawk will think I’m as ridiculous as I fear I am. “Then he kissed me.” I just have to blurt it out. Like ripping off a band-aid.

My actions, throwing myself wholeheartedly into the kiss, and Hugh’s, kissing me after exchanging two words, are absolutely insane. Just as insane as how that one kiss made me feel. I’m scared that I’m losing my mind, that I imagined the awe I saw in his eyes. That he didn’t feel the same things I did even though I swear I could feel the attraction pulsing off of him in waves.

I know how impossible that is.

People can’t feel other people’s feelings. Especially strangers.

“Youkissed?!” Hawk snaps and stands, looking so fucking excited and surprised at the same time.

“Uh-huh,” I mumble and now I’m the one looking away. I start to look through the clothes Hawk brought to distract myself, and hopefully him again. I have a second of relief when Hawk starts looking through them with me, but then he speaks.

“This is like fate, then. You two are going to end up together, I just know it.”

“What? How?” I demand.

“I’ve known Hugh for a while and I’ve known you basically all my life. I trust both of you. You’re good guys, smart, funny. Though Hugh can be a lot more serious than you. I think you two will fit well together. So let’s make sure you don’t fuck up the universe’s plan for you, okay? We have to make sure you look like a million bucks tonight.”

“There’s no way Hugh wants me,” I snap at him. I have to be prepared for this, because the amount of hope I’m feeling can only ever lead me to one thing—heartbreak and rejection.

We arriveat the restaurant and I can tell Hawk and Derek are regulars here by the way everyone greets them, not only by name—because that can happen to famous people anywhere in this city—but with fondness and genuine care in their eyes.

It makes me long for a time in the future where I might have the same thing.

Maybe someday I’ll find my favorite restaurant and I’ll go there every week, and I’ll have a regular table and a regular waiter.Sounds like a beautiful part of my dream life, honestly.

Hugh’s waiting at the table for us, and I see he’s in a well-pressed suit, not wrinkled like last night. I stand back as he greets Derek with a warm hug, then Hawk the same way.

How will he greet me? What am I supposed to say?

“Can you kiss me again?”sound like a good idea?No, it fucking doesn’t.

I lose all the time I could’ve used to prepare, debating with the stupid, naïve part of my brain, and Hugh’s already standing in front of me. He leans in and I think he’s going to kiss me again. My belly goes crazy with butterflies, but they all die a horrible death when he just gives me a hug.

It’s warm, though. And does it last just a little bit longer than the ones he gave to Hawk and Derek, or is it my imagination?

---