Page 33 of Shamrock Kisses

“Before or after dinner?”

“We could do a later dinner together?”

“That would work.” His eyes light up as he adds, “I’ll reserve a spot for you in my building to park.”

“Three nights together,” I whisper, smiling at him.

“I’m very excited.”

“I’m sure … you get to fuck me.”

He blushes again, and I like making him nervous.

“Two hours is a long drive for a booty call.”

“Patch can be sassy.” I smile, staring at him, and he pulls his wallet out of his sweatpants pocket.

“Here,” he says, taking out the fifty-dollar bill we got from our pull tab winnings. “For gas.”

“I can pay for my own gas.”

“Why not let the bar pay for the gas?”

Witty.“I think if the weekend goes well, you’re going to have a girlfriend.”

25

Staring into Rachel’s blue eyes through her glasses, I want her to be my girlfriend, to join me in Japan, to be by my side for all of it. I’ve traveled solo plenty, but this time, I want to experience everything with her.

Fate. I never gave it much thought before, but now … maybe there’s something to it. As I comb my fingers through her hair, I’m struck by how comfortable I am. How at ease I feel with someone I just met. I was so apprehensive this morning, my anxiety almost kept me at home. I almost didn’t leave. What if I hadn’t? I could’ve missed out on her.

“You’re perfect,” escapes my lips before I can stop it.

“You say that now.” She giggles. “But I think you’re perfect too.” Then she squints at me. “Why did you and your last girlfriend break up?”

I chuckle, suddenly self-conscious for a new reason. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in years.”

“Yeah?”

“We met a couple of months before the casino hack and …” I trail off, deciding if I’m really going to get into all of this. It’s definitely not a fun or flirty topic.

“What happened?” she asks, sitting up on the couch and grabbing my hands.

“I wasn’t in a good place during all of that. I was really depressed, thinking my life was over.”

“Oh,” she says softly and wraps her arms around me. Her hug surprises me, but I lean into it, feeling her hold me tight. I wasn’t expecting this to be her reaction, but it makes me smile as I hold her.

“Yeah,” I say, as we continue to hug. “I kinda shut down.”

Rachel squeezes me tighter. “I can relate, kinda. After I called off the wedding, I felt like I’d let everyone down, including myself. I was lost and had to figure out who I was.”

We hold each other for a while. There’s something about her presence that feels perfect, needed. I lean back and cup her jaw, my thumb running back and forth on her bottom lip.

“I think we should snuggle in bed,” Rachel softly says.

I nod and start closing up the leftovers.

“So,” Rachel’s voice carries from the kitchen as she grabs some of the containers, “did that time start your love of alternative music?”

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