Page 73 of The Accidental Honeymoon

It’s nice to be thought of.

We find our seats. I plop down with a squelch and survey the track below. The field is a lake of mud. The vehicles are already fishtailing and colliding in a glorious, slow-motion ballet of destruction. I can't help but smile.

"This is your thing, huh?" Jay asks.

I flush as I realize he's beenwatching me, not the carnage. "I can appreciate a good smash-up," I say, deflecting. "It's therapeutic."

He laughs. "Maybe I should take notes."

The tension between us is a live wire, sparking and dangerous. I know this can't last. This will-they-or-won’t-they, this tentative friendship, this whatever-it-is. But for now, I let the noise and the mud and the sheer ridiculousness of the moment wash over me and drown out the thoughts I’m not ready to face.

The first event is over pretty quickly, with a minimum of destruction. All the cars competing just kind of clanked to a stop, leaving only one that may ever drive anywhere ever again. The announcer declares the winner, and the crowd erupts.

Jay leans in close again. "Calla, I just want you to know?—"

I turn to him, our faces inches apart. "I know," I say, cutting him off. "Let's just enjoy the show."

“You know?” He sounds as if he isn’t sure.

Yeah, I’ve been given the ‘it’s not you it’s me’ line a few times. And the ‘I’m just not in the place for a relationship’ line? Heard that one, too. “I’m good,” I say.

He sits back. For a moment, I think he looks relieved. The film crew zooms in, capturing our silence, our unresolved everything.

Is this the worst or what?

Twenty minutes later, we’re walking around, scoping out booths selling “You Might Be a Redneck If” T-shirts and camo belt buckles, and I find myself wishing for that awkwardness again.

"Calla, look!” Jay’s pointing to a banner flapping in the breeze. It reads 'Couples Mud Run' in big, drippy letters. "We should totally do that."

“A mud run in February? Who thought that was a brilliant idea?”

“It’ll be fun! It’s nice enough outside. Cool, not cold.” He looks over my shoulder at the track on the far end of the field.

I follow his gaze and my stomach does a little somersault. The track is a quagmire of obstacles: tire walls, balance beams, and pits that look like they could swallow a person whole. I’d paid no attention to it when we arrived but now I wonder if it was just self-preservation that made me miss it. "You're serious?"

“As a heart attack.” He grins, the kind of smile that could melt glaciers. "Come on, Calla. I need to live out my redneck dreams. Think of it as team building. Plus, the cameras will love it."

Of course. The cameras. I glance over my shoulder at the film crew, who are busy capturing B-roll of the crowd. Jay notices, and his expression softens. “We can skip it if you really don't want to do the run. I just thought…"

He trails off, and I know he’s trying. Trying to make this less weird, trying to make me less resistant.

I sigh. "Fine. But if I break an ankle, you're paying my medical bills."

Jay’s face lights up. "You won't regret it," he says, taking my hand and pulling me toward the signup tent.

“Famous last words,” I deadpan, but inside I feel a tiny spark of excitement.

That spark is snuffed out the second we hit the starting line. We’re surrounded by couples who look far too enthusiastic about this whole endeavor. Jay strips off his shirt, casually revealing a torso that could be the centerpiece of a fitness magazine.

I try not to stare, but come on. Theman is a Greek god.

"You might want to take off your top," he says casually. "It'll just get ruined."

I cross my arms over my chest. "I'm not wearing a sexy bra."

“Every bra you own is a sexy bra. Plus, I have an extra shirt in the car if you need it. It’s going to weigh you down when we run through all that mud."

I uncross my arms, feeling petulant and ridiculous. With a sigh, I pull off my hoodie and top. The cool air hits my skin, but when I shiver it’s not just from the cold. I fold the clothes and stack them atop my purse, handing it over to the camera crew for safekeeping.

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