Page 149

I kiss her again, then turn back to the otters. "I guess you'll get this view in real life soon enough then, huh?"

She sucks in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, squaring her shoulders toward the tank. "I don't know how much wildlife I'll see from the emergency room, but… I guess you never know."

A group of teenagers floods the once-open area beside us, one of them tapping on the glass until a worker swoops in and stops him.

"You know what would make it even better?" Lenny asks, drawing my attention back.

The high schoolers beside me take me back to that museum. "Narration?"

She laughs, slapping my arm before she grows serious again.

"You," she says, still looking at the water.

I inhale sharply, glancing over at her before honing in on the otter sleeping on the rock.

Her answer sits between us—simple and silent—until words bubble up my chest that I can't stop from rushing out.

"We could make that happen, ya know." I don't turn toward her when I feel her eyes trail toward mine. "Maybe not for real, like, in person. But..." I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. "We could try to make this work."

I finally face her. "Make us work."

"Yes," she blurts.

She stares at me, her eyes full of hope, her breath picking up second-by-second.

"Are you—"

"Yes."

I laugh softly. "Lenny, you—"

"Yes," she says again, eagerly. She takes my face in her hands and pulls me toward her. "I've been afraid to sign because I wasn't ready for the end of us. Not again. But if you want to try, then I'm in."

"Really?"

She nods. "You don't usually get a second swing at the same pitch, Jace. So… yes. Okay? The answer is yes."

My mouth drops open, my eyebrows shooting toward the ceiling. "That might have been the sexiest thing you've ever said."

"Oh, is that right?"

"Mhmm." My palms drop to her hips, sliding around to her lower back.

"Well…" Her hands settle against my chest. "What do you say we see if this aquarium has a supply closet somewhere?"

My cock hardens immediately.

"Oh, Lenny girl." I press our bodies together so she can feel it for herself. "You have no idea how long I've waited for that."

How long I've waited for all of this.

28

Lenny

The parking lot at Baxter's Pumpkin Palace is already packed when I pull in—trucks, minivans, Joey Baxter's rusted blue Jeep that's sat in the corner spot for as long as I can remember.

The gravel crunches beneath my boots when I step out of my car, laughter and the faint whir of the caramel machines coming from the tents off in the distance. The smell of fried dough hangs in the air—the cinnamon from the apple cider donuts mixing with the funnel cake powdered sugar in a way that's embarrassingly erotic.