Page 71 of Sunshine with You
Ice cream in March? Is this a snuggling ploy?
Trevor
Maybe
Me
That’s right by my job. I’ll meet you there.
Trevor
Can’t wait!
“Hey there, pretty lady.” Trevor’s smile lights up his face when he meets me in front of the permanent Melty King ice scream stand. The golden hour glow that illuminates the sky behind him adds to my growing affection.
“Hey!” I wave, turning away from the tiny blue and white structure. The familiar bear hug he wraps me in feels safe and warm as I breathe in the spicy citrus on his EdTechU polo. When we pull apart, his hand lingers on the small of my back. There’s next to no one in line, so he guides me right to the register.
“Banana?” Trevor asks, skeptical eyes scrutinizing the pale-yellow dessert in my cup. “You gave me a hard time about bubblegum when you’re over here eating banana ice cream?”
“Don’t knock it ’til you try it!” I smile around another spoonful.
“Mmm”—he turns up his nose—“I think I’ll just take your word for it.” The breeze prompts us to gravitate for warmth as we walk down the pier. When our arms graze, I’m positive the goosebumps under my jacket aren’t from the breeze.
“So how was work?” I ask.
He blows out a breath charged with the remnants of a long day. “Good. They’re trying to get a new junior sales team off the ground here. Since they like what we’re doing in San Francisco, I’ve stepped into a guest trainer role. Chase and I usually alternate, but I’ve been taking over so he can stay home and focus on wedding plans.”
“That’s really nice of you.” I shouldn’t be struck by the thoughtful actions of this guy. In my limited time spent with him, he’s always shown kindness and initiative. It’s refreshing, meeting someone who is exactly as they appear to be. Too many of the guys I’ve been with portray themselves as the knight in shining armor, only to reveal their tarnished tin a few months in. What you see is what you get with Trevor, and I’m liking what I see.
“Yeah. I mean, Chase is one of my besties, so it’s no big deal.”
“Bestie?”I laugh. “You’re so hip, Trev…”
“Besties for the resties, or whatever the kids are saying.”
“I’m confident no one is saying that except for you and Chase.” I bump him with my elbow, and laughter booms from his chest at my teasing.
He nods, digging his spoon into the blue ice cream for another bite. “Yeah, we’ve gotten pretty close…” At the end of the pier, he leans on the banister and takes a deep breath, staring out at the crashing waves below us. “Man, this makes me miss being on the water.”
“Tell me about the Coast Guard. You said you entered at seventeen?”
“Yep. Graduated high school early, and the recruiter convinced me to give it a shot. I was active for four years, then went into reserves for another four. Always loved the water, so serving while helping people out of distressing situations was rewarding.”
“Why’d you leave?”
He shrugs. “I just wanted a change, you know? Grew a lot over those eight years. Got my degrees. I realized I needed something different, started working for EdTechU shortly after leaving, and the rest is history.”
“Degrees?” My eyes flash. “As in, multiple?”
“Yep.” He nods with a sheepish grin. “They paid for it, so I took full advantage.”
“Impressive. One was enough to last a lifetime for me.”
“Kayla mentioned you used to teach…”
“Yeah. And burned out quickly. It wasn’t the kids. I love working with kids. But everything else was just too much pressure for me. My job now is a much better fit. Leggings don’t lecture you about test scores.”
“You gotta do what makes you happy. I get that.” He smiles with no judgment in his eyes, and my protective auto-response quickly dies in my throat. Defending my choice to leave the classroom is such a habit, I’m a little stunned I don’t have to with him.
