Page 17 of Cruising with You

“Sweet dreams.”

7

Nora

“I’m sorry, what’s that?” Gem jumps right into the interrogation as soon as the room empties. Some of the speed dating participants left alone, while others left in pairs. Regardless, everyone was exhausted and has finally given Gem the privacy she was looking for to start her questioning.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I deflect.

“Sure, you don’t,” she mutters under her breath before jabbing me in the red pin attached to my dress. “This.”Jab.“Right.”Jab.“Here.”Jab.

“Oh, this ol’ thang?”

Crossing her arms, she gives me a look that tells me,I’ve got all night. Spill.

I cave in ten seconds flat. “Fiiine. Gage and I were chatting––”

“During the entire speed dating event. Yes, I saw that. Go on.”

“Aaand…we hit it off.” I shrug like it isn’t a big deal when I know she’s about to lose her shit if I don’t spill every tiny detail in the next three Mississippis.

Scowling, she threatens, “So help me, Nora, if you don’t spill every tiny detail in the next three seconds,”––Called it––“I will bribe the staff to leave your towels origami free, you hear me?”

I gasp. “But my seals and my cute puppy with sunglasses––”

“Yup. You can kiss them all goodbye.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

With a scowl that would make a mob boss cower, I give up the goods. “Fine. But there really isn’t much to tell. We started chatting. He touched my hand. I felt a spark.”

“Ooo, a spark! Really?” Her face lights up like the Fourth of July.

“Yes, a spark. Now, will you stop interrupting me?” I snap.

The girl has the decency to look bashful as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oops. Proceed.”

“I found out he’s a fellow Cancer and….”

Crap!

As soon as the sign slipped out of my mouth, I knew I’d made a mistake. Gage is the furthest thing from a Cancer. It’s like calling a lion a gazelle while expecting a zoologist not to recognize the differences.

“A Cancer? Really?” she questions, her head tilting to the side as she studies me like a damn detective.

Freaking Geminis and their joy of puzzles. I just placed a big whammy right in front of one.

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Crazy, right? But anyway, we got to talking about the eclipse and our aspirations for this upcoming year and…I guess we just fit. I like him. He likes me. We figured, why should we keep looking around when we really just want to see where this particular spark takes us?”

Her eyes narrow. “And you’re okay with that? Seeing where the spark takes you?”

“Yup. I mean…that’s what you wanted, right?”

“Well, yeah, but––”

“But, you didn’t expect me to actually listen?” I tease.

---