Page 59 of The Boyfriend Material Novellas

I turn it around and show her.

Her expression shifts. A lone tear streaks down one cheek, then another.

But she seems to collect herself, because she straightens her shoulders and says ever so softly, “I believe in that someday.”

10

MARLEY

I look at my watch.

He looks at his.

There is no more time.

But I want to squeeze every last second out of this fantastic afternoon. I walk with him to his hotel, where he hands the porter a few euros and the man brings him his bag from bell check.

Reid turns to me. We stand in the tiny lobby with music playing softly in a romantic language. I can’t make out a word, but I know it’s a sad song, a story of lovers torn apart.

“Come here,” he whispers.

“I’m already here.”

“I want to give you my last name. I want to know yours too. But if I do, I worry I’ll spend all my time googling you.”

“I know that’s all I’d do, so we probably shouldn’t.” I swallow down the stone in my throat. “This is crazy. How is this possible?”

With a smile, he shrugs, then says wistfully, “French kisses?”

I smile back, full of melancholy too. “Your French kisses.”

“Our French kisses.” He cups the back of my head, then lowers his voice. “You have to know I want to say screw responsibilities. I want to say I’ll see you tomorrow. But I’m not going to say that.”

I shake my head, my throat tight. “You can’t say that. I can’t either.”

“And you shouldn’t. But today is making me believe in something else.”

My heart speeds up. “What’s that?”

“That if we both believe in happiness, we’ll find it. We’ll remember this day fondly. And if it’s meant to be, we’ll find each other again.”

I love the thought, but how can that happen? “How? If I try to find you, I won’t be able to do the things I need to do.”

“Don’t try now. Go to grad school. Somehow we’ll meet again.” He whispers in my ear, “And when I see you again, I won’t get on a plane. I’ll take you home with me.”

I bury my face in the crook of his neck, wondering how I went from being afraid of heights to being afraid of falling in an entirely different way.

I let another tear fall, then I pull back, fasten on a smile, and tell him the full truth. “And when you ask, I’ll say yes.”

We leave the hotel. He hails a taxi, and it’s here far too soon.

Everything is ending far too soon.

But somewhere deep inside, I keep hoping it’s only the beginning.

Especially when he gives me one last kiss.

Then we say goodbye.

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