Adam catches my expression. “Yeah, I know. It’s all I have.”
“I think it’s sweet that you kept it all these years,” I insist, trying not to laugh. “Really.”
When he looks down to straighten the blanket on the ground, his cheeks grow red.
He sits with his legs crossed and opens a paper bag filled with plastic silverware and paper plates. I sit across from him, most of the view safely obscured behind me.
“Would you rather go somewhere else?” Adam asks, handing me a plate filled with gooey goodness. He plucks bottled water from the paper bag and hands it to me.
“Thanks. I’m fine, I swear.” My stomach growls eagerly, so I waste no time in taking my first bite. “Omigod, this stuff is amazing. It’s like there’s a little Mariachi band playing on my taste buds.”
Adam chuckles, watching me thoughtfully with one of his knee-weakening grins. I’m glad when the little kids from the picnic table begin running around us, screaming, because this is feeling way too much like a date, and I’m still feeling pretty raw from my unplanned breakup with Levi.
Adam watches the little boys, laughing, even reaching out to play with them a little when they dare to get close. After finishing his first piece he offers me another, even though I’m only halfway done. We both finish our second pieces, then begin dumping everything back into the empty paper bag.
Wiping his hands on a napkin, he reaches into his pocket. “I brought you something.”
He hands me a piece of folded up notebook paper. I wipe my hands before taking it from him, and laugh. “Oooh, are we going to play m.a.s.h.?” But I unfold it to see
“Adam’s
Underneath he’s written:
(1) fly
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
”You act like you’re taking this seriously,” I say, looking up at him. When he nods, my mouth hangs open. “I thought we were just goofing around. You can’t be serious. You’re really going to do these things? No bullshit?”
He flashes me one of those amazing smiles that I’m sure could cure all diseases if properly channeled. “I’ve been thinking about what you said at the party, and decided it could be fun. I could turn my free time into something productive and join the Peace Corps or go on some kind of mission trip, but those things take too much time to set up.”
He wraps his arms around his knees, looking past me to the Mississippi in the distance.
“If I’m going to do something, I have to do it now. You know, while I’m unattached to any real responsibilities.”
“Wow,” I say quietly, glancing back down at the list. “It’s definitely not my business, but are you planning on washing windshields along the way? Flying to Hawaii isn’t exactly cheap.”
He hums a quiet laugh under his breath, his gaze swinging back to catch mine.
“Ever heard of Ausgez beer? My grandfather was the founder. Money isn’t a problem.”
“That explains the car,” I say, trying to imagine just how wealthy his family must be.
Everyone’s heard of Ausgez beer. I stare at him, my eyes narrowed. “You haven’t told me anything about yourself. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“One younger brother. You?”
I feign surprise. “You mean I don’t scream only child? Tell me more about this brother.”
“Erik is... Erik. He’s the golden child in the family, and he knows it. I do everything I can to avoid being in the same room with him.”
“Sounds charming. How old is he?”
“Nineteen.” He rubs the back of his neck while scowling at the ground, signaling that there won’t be any more talk of his brother. “What side of town do your parents live?”
“Would you quit? I’m trying to get to know you, but you keep throwing it back on me.
You already know what my parents do, and that I travel a lot. I want to know more about you. Where did you grow up? Tell me more about your childhood.”
“I was raised in Milwaukee. My parents still live there. It’s like I said, I lived a pretty sheltered life. I spent a lot of time in my room, to myself, usually with a stack of Legos.”
I recline back on my arms, letting the remaining sun soak into me. In another month it’ll be time to break out my bikini, and work on a real tan. “You’d think with all that money your parents would’ve taken you on vacations.”
“They were always busy. My life story is pretty boring.” He raises one of his eyebrows. “I brought that list because I was hoping you’d help me add to it.”
“You’re seriously planning to do whatever I suggest? Like, you’re literally going to buy a plane ticket and just take off? Are you certifiable by chance?”