Page 13 of Falling

“Do you?” he asks.

“Absolutely. It occupies several volumes.”

“Such as?”

“To start, he has to be taller than I am. It’s not fair, but there it is. I also don’t like bro guys that still act like they’re at an endless frat party even though they’re in their forties. But I don’t want an asshole billionaire who believes the world revolves around him. No sports fanatics. I can do an occasional Sunday football game, but I’m not doing every date night eating wings in a bar.”

“That’s quite the list.” He smiles at me.

“There’s more. He can’t live with his mom unless she’s elderly and infirm. No fast food or movies on the first date. He has to own a vehicle, pay for the first date, and no farting during sex.”

“Damn. What if it just sneaks out?”

“Deal-breaker. I’m not fooling myself; I know he’s going to fart all the time when we get married. There’s no reason to start early in the relationship.”

He laughs. I have to join in. It is kind of a ridiculous list.

“What about must-haves?”

“I’ve already said he has to be taller,” I say. “He has to have manners. Chewing with his mouth open is also a deal-breaker. Open doors, shit like that. Absolutely has to be employed in a career that requires some ambition. Oh, and he also has to worship the ground I walk on.”

Peter laughs again. He pulls into the parking lot of a diner. Stopping in a parking place near the door, he turns off the SUV.

“How about some lunch, your grace?”

“Now you’re getting the hang of it.”

Lunch turns out to be better than the exterior of the building would suggest. I order a vegan wrap that includes ample avocado. Peter gets a burger with everything. We continue our discussion from the car at length until our food arrives. The conclusion we come to is this: Peter has no type, and I like, well, men like Peter. I didn’t really need a quiz to tell me that.

“How much farther do we have to drive?” I ask, stretching beside the car. My body is starting to protest missing my daily workout.

“We’re not even to Bakersfield yet. It’ll be dark by the time we make it to Vegas.”

“Did you say Vegas?” Did my ears deceive me? I could swear he mentioned the most sinfully awesome playground in the western United States. I’ve gotten into so much trouble in Las Vegas in the past it’s a wonder I’m still alive. But I’ll never tell. What happens there stays there, as did the bendy circus acrobat I hooked up with once.

“I thought we’d stay a couple of nights. Recoup from our climb.”

“What a brilliant idea.” It’s all I can do to stop myself from rubbing my hands together in glee. My mind starts spinning with all the possibilities of things we can do. “Do you want me to drive for a while?”

“I’m good, but thanks.”

He climbs into the SUV, and I join him, placing my foot in his lap once again.

I wonder how good Peter is at gambling. He has a brilliant mind for numbers, so there’s a chance we could leave Vegas richer than when we arrived. Our best bet is in the high rollers area. It costs more to buy in, but the profits are also much larger.

“Do you mind if I close my eyes for a little while?” I’m going to need to rest up if I’m going to make it tonight. There will be no time once we hit town.

I’ve got to secure us appropriate clothes, apply for the high roller area, and convince Peter to play. The latter shouldn’t be hard to do. I have just the cut of dress in mind to convince him.

“Of course not. Here.” He reaches behind him and pulls a pillow and blanket from somewhere. The man really does think of everything. Ten bucks says he was a Boy Scout. I search my mind for any memory of him in a khaki uniform when we were young. All I remember is the private school uniform he looked delicious in.

Curling up on the seat, I pull the blanket up to my chin. Soft music starts on the radio as I drift off. Tonight is going to be epic.

* * *

PETER

Geneva really is beautiful when she sleeps. I know that sounds creepy. The first time I watched her sleep, we were fifteen and fourteen. Her father had flown into a rage over something Rand had supposedly done. I was visiting over break at the time. We fled into the boathouse to hide and wound up staying all night.

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