Page 42 of The Bro Date
Sadness tugs on my heart, imagining him home alone all the time. I know exactly how that feels. “My parents are always working, too, but now we have each other,” I tell him with a smile. “We can make our own fun. Come on.” I grab his hand and attempt to pull him up from the couch. It doesn’t really work since he’s so much bigger than me, but Shane stands up, nonetheless. “Roll up your jeans and take off your socks. We’re going to the beach.”
Shane came over for dinner and met my parents a couple weeks ago, and now my mom said I can have him over whenever I want on the weekend. I’m pretty sure she’s just happy I have someone to keep me busy so she doesn’t have to, but that’s okay because I feel the same. And I definitely didn’t tell her Shane was held back a year, or she probably wouldn’t be so welcoming. In fact, I know she wouldn’t. My parents expect nothing short of straight A’s, so they wouldn’t understand someone else’s struggles.
“Let’s go explore!” I shout, grabbing Shane’s hand again and tugging him across the porch and down the small boardwalk to the private beach in my backyard.
A sense of excitement fills me when I step onto the soft, fluffy sand that’s nice and warm beneath my bare feet. I feel a sense of peace out here with nature that I can’t really explain.
We find a dried sand dollar and a couple really cool intact whelks. I spread a towel down, sitting on it with Shane, and looking at our collection, when a flock of birds lands nearby.
“Look, pigeons!” I say excitedly, getting up slowly and tiptoeing over to them.
“Shhh. Walk very slowly or you’ll scare them,” I whisper to Shane, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a handful of birdseed I poured in there before we left the house.
I toss some on the ground, attracting the birds to me. I hold my hand out, keeping it still while they slowly peck their way over, eating right out of my hand until it’s all gone.
Looking up at Shane, I block the sun with my hand. “What?”
“I’ve never met anyone as nice as you. Even to pigeons.”
“Pigeons are really smart, actually. Humans domesticated them thousands of years ago, using them for communication until the telephone was invented. Then they were cast back into nature with no survival skills of their own. People give them a bad rap, but they’re just trying to adapt to their environment and live, just like the rest of us.”
“How do you know all that?”
I shrug. “I didn’t have any friends until I met you, and I like to learn. Want to feed them?”
Shane squats down next to me, and I pour some birdseed into his hand, giggling when he looks a little squeamish as a pigeon gently pecks at his hand. I dump the rest of the seed on the sand for them and stand up. “Come on. Let’s find some more shells. We can make friendship necklaces.”
We lose track of time exploring the beach, and my stomach growls loud enough to be heard over the waves, alerting us both to the fact that it’s already lunchtime.
“Guess I’m hungry again,” I laugh, pressing a hand to my belly.
“Good thing I packed a picnic.”
“Oh my God, no way. You did?!” That literally sounds so perfect right now.
“Yup.”
We start the mile-long trek back to the parking lot, and by the time we get there, I’m fucking famished, but I keep the urge to complain at bay.
Shane opens the tailgate and lays out a thick blanket before grabbing the cooler from the backseat. “We have chicken salad sandwiches, kiwi-pineapple fruit salad, and chips. Nothing fancy.”
“It’s absolutely perfect, Shane. This whole date has been.Thank you.”
Luckily, we’re in the shade, so we get comfortable in the bed of the truck and dig into our food, completely drained by the sun and the sea.
“Mmm,” I hum, devouring half my sandwich in just a few bites. “So good,” I murmur with my mouth full, washing it down with a swig of orange soda.
When I glance over at Shane, he quickly looks away, and I practically preen like a horny peacock. I don’t say anything, of course, enjoying the feeling of power it gives me. I try the tangy fruit salad next, and close my eyes at the cool, refreshing flavors.
I could eat Shane’s food for the rest of my life.
After we finish eating, we lounge in the back and rest our bellies. I’m so content and comfortable that I nearly drift off.
“Ready to hit the road?” Shane suddenly asks, hopping off the back of the truck and holding his arms out, offering me a hand.
I take the help and wrap my arms around his neck, sliding down his bare chest. Our sweat mingles, and my skin tingles where it touches his. My poor heart is beating so fast you’d think I was running for my life instead of being held in the arms of a beautifully strong man. Shane pauses for a second before he sets me down, staring deep into my eyes, then flicking his gaze down to my lips. The rest of the world melts away at this moment, and it’s just the two of us.
Kiss me!
