I stepped in and turned around to wave to Brody.
“Who drove you?” Colin asked with interest.
“Brody.” I said it casually, but I knew how it probably seemed from the outside. Macon helping me out made sense, but Brody didn’t have the childhood friend excuse. I think he legitimately cared.
“You guys are close, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Close probably isn’t the word, but we have fun. He’s a good friend.”
“He seems nice.” Colin took my hand and led me into the kitchen. “What about Macon? He’s the one you know better?”
I tried not to let his questions annoy me. They were normal questions for a guy to ask a girl he was dating. “Macon and I have been friends forever.”
“That’s cool. I have a few friends like that.”
“That’s nice.”
He gestured to two French doors. “I’m grilling steak.”
“Oh cool.” He hadn’t checked with me to see my food preferences. Lucky for him, I loved red meat. “Who is this?” I gestured up to the speakers.
“It’s Lost in the Trees.”
“Cool. Never heard of them.”
“My little sister is really into finding less-known and indie music. She makes it her job to introduce me to new bands all the time.”
“How old is she?”
“Carly is twenty-one.”
“Is she your only sibling?”
“No. I have an older sister named Kim.” He pushed a pile of mail over to the corner of the island. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah. I have an older brother.”
“So you’re the baby of your family?”
“Yup. Are you the typical middle child?”
“Yes and no.”
“Any explanation for that?” I leaned a hand on the back of one of the stools at the island.
“I’ll let you tell me what you think.”
“I don’t actually know what ‘typical middle child’ means. I keep picturing Jan from The Brady Bunch.”
“That’s the second ‘old person’ thing you’ve said lately.”
“What? You don’t know what I’m talking about?” I put my hands into the back pockets of my short dark-wash jean skirt.
“I do, but I’m picturing you watching Brady Bunch reruns.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing. What else is there to do on a Friday night?”
“Go out with me.” He put his hand right next to mine, and I wondered if he was going to move it to hold mine.
“Usually you wait until the end of the date before asking for another one.”
“Yeah, well, I’m very determined to get you to agree.” He smiled. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Oh, only if you’re having something.”
“I was going to have a beer, but I have wine too.”
“Beer is fine.”
“I have some Coronas. Otherwise, it’s IPAs.”
“That’s right. You’re that kind of beer drinker.”
“That kind of beer drinker?” He covered my hand with his. His large hand was warm and instantly comforting. Any lingering awkwardness slipped away.
“You can tell a lot about a person by what they drink.”
“And what does my taste say about me?”
I hadn’t spent any time figuring out his liquor preferences, but his preference for IPAs said enough. “You’re sturdy and reliable.”
“Oh?” He looked at me with interest. “I’m reliable even after going weeks without calling?”
“Maybe. Time will tell.”
“So what’s your drink?” He took a step toward me.
“I like things strong.”
“And what does that say about you?”
“I don’t know. What does it say?” I moved toward the French doors, pushing off his hand in the process. “Wow, what a view.”
“It’s great, isn’t it?”
“Your place is amazing.” My eyes remained fixed on the crashing waves of the ocean, but I was thinking about the inside too.
“Thanks, but it isn’t mine.”
“What?” I turned around. He’d come to stand right behind me.
“You don’t think I own this place, do you?”
“What else would I think?” A couple different thoughts ran through my head. None were things I wanted to share. My last date had left me skeptical.
He laughed. “Not a chance. This is a corporate place. I get to use it while I’m here.”
“Really?” His answer was far better than what I expected. “You get to live in a place like this for work?”
“Yeah, it’s one of the perks.”
Maybe the car was a perk too. “Can I go outside?”
“Oh yeah, sure.” He held open a door. “I need to check on the steak anyway.”
I walked out onto the huge wraparound deck. I walked right over to the railing to look out at the ocean more closely. “Gorgeous.”
“I wish I had more time to enjoy the view.”
“You work a lot, huh? You weren’t making that up?”
“Making that up? Is that what you think?” He sounded slightly offended.
“I don’t know.”
“It’s not always like this, but I’m coming up for a huge promotion.”
Being with someone so part of the real world was new for me. I was used to college partiers, and more recently, beach bums. “That’s great.”
“It will be if it happens.” He didn’t sound as confident as I expected. Had I found the weak spot in Colin’s seemingly unwavering confidence?
“Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.” He smiled. “Oh wait, I never got our beers.” He walked back inside, and I leaned over the railing slightly. I loved the ocean. I loved its power and its endlessness. I’d grown up near the mountains, but if I had a choice, I’d stay on the coast.
“Sorry about that.” He handed me a Highland Kashmir. “I guessed you’d want what I was drinking.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t a huge fan of IPAs, but for beer, they were good.
“Thank you for giving me another shot.” He clinked his bottle against mine.
I took a sip. “Refreshing.”
He laughed. “The offer of wine is still on the table if you want.”
“No thanks. I’m not a big drinker anyway.”