Page 34 of Kayak Girl
“Now that your van will be ready sooner than expected, will you still stay until the end of camp?” I ventured, fearing her answer.
“I’d like to stay if I am still needed.”
I wanted to ask her to stay for me. But the words remained unspoken. Instead, I said, “We definitely need you.”
Elle rewarded me with one of her killer smiles.
Our conversation continued to flow with ease, and soon enough, we were discussing matters of faith. Our beliefs were aligned, and she spoke with a genuine passion that inspired me.
As the hours passed, the café began to empty, the sounds of clattering dishes and laughter replaced by a soft, tranquil hush. Glancing around, I realized we were the last patrons. I didn’t want to leave.
Pushing my empty bowl to the side, I leaned forward. “You know, I never would have guessed that spending an evening with the female version of Simon Cowell could be this enjoyable,” I said with a playful grin.
“Wow, you know just what to say to a girl.”
I laughed. “What can I say? I’ve been blessed with charm. But in all honesty, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now than here with you.”
Elle smiled and glanced at her hands. “Tonight has been... wonderful,” she began, a twinkle in her eye. “It’s like being in a fairytale, except I’m stuck with a sarcastic frog instead of a prince.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hey, I’ll have you know sarcastic frogs are a rare find.”
She met my gaze, her eyes shimmering with something warm. “It’s nice to be around someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you implying I’m not a serious person, Elle?”
“Maybe just the right amount of serious,” she said, her smile widening.
My heart swelled.
Her eyes met mine with an intensity that gave me goosebumps. “I’m glad I met you,” she whispered, her voice oddly loud in the quiet space.
“I can’t help but feel like we were meant to cross paths, like there’s a reason we’re sitting here together,” I said.
She offered a small, tender smile and nodded. “Maybe there is,” she agreed.
Chapter 25
ELLE
For a “non-first date” tonight would rank as my favorite date of all time. Gray oozed confidence and warmth, and he was so easy to talk to. I was full after my first helping of ice-cream, but I ordered more just so we could stay longer. In the back of my mind, I questioned how all of this could work, but I would figure it out later. Like Gray said, we could take our time. I’d stop stressing about the crash and just enjoy our time together. In fact, I could probably wait until the summer camp finished, there was enough going on right now that I didn’t need to add my messy confessions to the mix.
We left Scoops when they closed. I wanted to hold Gray’s hand as we walked back. The thought of reaching out, of letting my fingers graze his, sent a giddy thrill through me. But I was too shy.
The wind had picked up while we were inside the restaurant. “You can get four seasons in one day here,” Gray said, pointing to the dark sky.
“The downside of living near the sea, I suppose,” I said.
As if the weather were a paid actor, it started to rain. Not a light pitter patter, but a heavy downpour. It was as if God had flipped a switch. We both started running, but it was useless. As we came alongside the closed beach café Gray pulled us under the skinny awning stretched over the door.
“Let’s wait here until it eases up,” he said as he pulled me closer to himself away from the water dripping off the awning. I smiled and turned to face him. He reached out, tenderly pulling the hood of my jacket over my head. His hands lingered, softly holding the fabric in place. I could feel the comforting weight of his arms resting on my shoulders, and his thumbs delicately cradled my chin. He shifted his left hand and ran his thumb over the top of my neck tattoo that peeked out of my sweatshirt. The motion sent shivers down my spine.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It’s a zebra finch. I got it before I left. It’s to celebrate my road trip. Zebra finches are known as nomadic migrators. I see myself as a zebra finch this year.”
“I like it. Do you have others?”
“I have two other types of birds. I get a tattoo each time I want to celebrate breaking free of something to do with my past.”
