Page 16 of The Handoff

“Great, we’ll head to the Emporium. The food there’s reasonable and a great price. We’ll grab a towel and eat by the beach. What do you say?”

“Wow, you’re full of surprises. I didn’t think of you as a romantic kind of guy.”

“What did you think of me as?”

She looked up, as if she was thinking about what to say.

“I’m teasing. You have to get used to that with me. I’m always fooling around. I take the romantic gesture as a compliment. I don’t get many.”

She nodded. “Please, you must get them all the time. You’re popular. Good-looking. Hot. Funny.”

“If you keep describing me like that, I’ll get a big head. I’m just Dane, nothing more and nothing less.”

She held onto me tighter as we headed off campus and to the bus stop. She smiled as we walked; other students were looking, but I didn’t care and judging by the smile on her face, neither did she.

Today, I didn’t want to think about the consequences of going out on a date with her. I just wanted to be plain old Dane. Something I hadn’t been for the longest time.

***

We picked up a few dumplings, which were easier to eat by the beach. Nothing worse than not picking up finger food, getting to the beach, and figuring out they weren’t the best choices when it comes to eating take-out. David and I had done it a few times, and we’d learned our lesson the hard way.

“This is too much, right?” she said as she gave me the chicken satay. “I’ve overdone it.”

I shook my head. “Whatever you want to eat is fine. Don’t worry about it. You overthink.”

I loved the idea that she was a girl with a healthy appetite and didn’t worry too much about eating out with a guy. I picked up Pad Thai, I’d been told by the owners that it was a popular street food in Thailand. I’d never been, but I knew one day when I became a professional player, it’d be one of the first places I would visit. It was top of the list, but then again, so were so many other countries, and I seemed to add more to the list every day. At times, I wondered if in my head I was spending a lot more than I’d make in my first year. I had to be professional first, then things would fall into place—there was too much riding on me making it in the first place.

Within a short time, we hopped on the bus. She was taking in the sights like a typical tourist as we headed to the beach. Once we arrived, it was clear we weren’t the only ones with the same idea. There were a few couples, all sitting, drinking, and having a mini picnic.

“I’ve never done something like this,” she confessed as I tried to find a spot in the sand.

“Been to the beach?”

She shook her head.

“Gone out with a guy?”

Again, she shook her head. She wasn’t making conversing easy. If anything, the comment was opposite, and I wondered if maybe I read her all wrong and she wasn’t interested at all.

“I mean, had a picnic on the beach.”

“Ah, so I am your first in something.”

She laughed, I loved the way she did it as she flung back her head, and no more was she avoiding my stare, but returning it. “More than something…”

I didn’t ask her to elaborate, because I wanted us to sit down, then I found a quiet space. Somewhere we could sit and chill, to get to know each other better. I rushed over to it before anyone else took it. She caught up, trying to catch her breath.

“Take it easy, just I found a spot, a good one, and I want us to get it before someone snatches it,” I said as soon as she caught up with me.

“I thought there was a fire,” she said as she rushed up to me with one shoe in her hand. I didn’t even give her time to take them off properly.

I laughed. “No, just wanted a good spot, and as soon as I saw it, I rushed over here. Sorry, didn’t mean to leave you behind.”

“I thought you were going, as if you had enough of me already.”

She was insecure, that part was clear.

“I asked you on a date, I’m not going to ditch you at the beach. That would be wrong.”

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