Page 7 of Colin

I had the valet bring my car around. After handing him the ticket, I turned to Colin. “It’s close. We could really walk there, but why do that when I have such a sexy car.”

“Oh, what do you drive?”

Before I could answer, it pulled around to the front of the drive, and I pointed at it. My black and orange Bugatti Veyron rumbled its way over to stop in front of us. I opened the passenger door and handed Colin into the seat. He glanced up at me, his hesitancy written across his face. I shut the door with a little tap, then circled around to take the driver’s seat from the valet. “Thank you.” I tipped him, then stuffed my wallet back into the small pocket of my shorts. “Let’s go.”

The car roared as I gassed it out of the drive. Yes. Showing off wasn’t attractive. Most of the time. But I thought Colin would like it. Until he grabbed the door and the sleek center console. “This is nothing. Someday, I’ll have to take you out where we can really open her up. I’ve been on the autobahn in Germany with her and oh my. She is a beast.”

“She? Why are all cars considered female?”

“Maybe not all, but this one is.” I shifted gears and headed down the street and around the corner. My place was only a few blocks over.

“Well, it is incredible.”

“Thanks. I was hoping you’d be impressed.”

He stared out the window. Maybe I was the one trying too hard now.

A moment later, I pulled into my driveway and let him get a look at the house with massive renovations slowly coming together. It was two stories in the front, and most of it had been blocked and framed, though the outside was not finished. Scaffolding climbed over its face like bad acne on a teenager.

“Woah. This is yours?”

“Yes, but it’s still under construction, obviously.”

“Yeah...” He slowly closed his mouth, but his eyes were still wide. “This is what you want to show me? Why?”

“No, not the house. Behind it. Come on.” Taking his hand, I led him around the side of the house. Going inside with the construction going on wasn’t safe.

“What’s that? A hole?” he asked as we walked along the back patio. A long rectangular concrete pit took up the majority of my backyard.

“Pool. They’re supposed to be tiling next week.”

“You’re living here while they do all this work?”

“I’m in the pool house.” I nodded to the small cottage angled out from the house. I’d had them build it first so I could be around to keep my eye on progress. “But this is also not what I want to show you.” I led him to the side of the mini-house and the patio there. Two chairs and a table faced the beach.

“This is really close to the water.”

“We can go for a walk later, if you like. Sit, please. Want something to drink?”

He shook his head.

“Water?”

“Okay.”

I stored all sorts of drinks in the wet bar along the side of the patio. I handed him a cold bottle and sat beside him. “This is what I want you to see.” I swept my arm in the air, as if displaying the entire beach like a work of art. “But wait.” I checked my watch. “The sun will be setting in a minute, and then the real show begins.”

We sat quietly, talking about everything and nothing as the sun slowly started its descent. Eventually, we held hands, though I couldn’t remember who had reached out first. His fingers rubbed over the back of my hand as we stared out at the water. A riot of color smeared across the sky, changing from blue to purple to pink and a dusty orange.

“Wow. That’s really beautiful.”

“That view is why I bought this spot on the west side.” I pointed at the sky, but I definitely didn’t need to. The darkening blue stretched above us. It would be spectacular from almost anywhere on the island.

“I see.”

I looked down at him, but Colin wasn’t looking at the view. “What do you see?”

“You. You’re a gentleman. Not outlandish. Sweet even. Why would you hang out at a party like that?”

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