Page 150 of Things I Read About
I stop walking. “Nate?”
He stops and turns around, “Hm?”
“Why don’t you hold my hand? And you didn’t kiss me before my audition.”
He frowns and steps closer to me, towering over me, even in my heels. We’re on a college campus but it’s a Saturday. The only people milling around are musicians waiting to audition.
He answers me softly. “You said you don’t like PDA.”
I did say that.
I didfeelthat. With Joe. And Nate listened to me. He remembered. I close the couple steps between us and leap up into his arms. I kiss him all over.
He smiles. “You little liar.”
“Wasn’t a lie,” I say kissing him hard. “Just don’t like PDA unless it’s with you.”
“It betteronlybe with me.” He kisses me back.
I laugh and keep kissing, my legs locked around his waist. “Carry me to the car?”
“I’ll carry you anywhere, anytime. You can never walk again, baby.”
I laugh, and he grins.
We get side eyes and snickers as he walks us the rest of the way through the campus, basically making out.
No one dares approach us, though. Because my boyfriend is big and scary.
I love it.
He takes me to his car, a fancy sporty thing that matches Shep’s, only a little bigger, tucks me inside and hands me my things. I check my phone. My sisters' group thread is busy, as usual, but without Susan. She's still off having herEat Pray Lovemoment, Skye says. There's another group thread with multiple messages.
Kat: 911!
Kat: Mayday! Mayday!
Mayday, typically repeated three times. 1920s London. Derived from the French word “m’aider" that means “help me."
Janie: She's still at her audition, what's going on?
Kat: We need a group facetime STAT
Kat: I repeat, 911!
I frown. I'll have to call as soon as we get home. Once he’s settled and has started driving, Nate looks over, concerned.
“So, what happened? In the audition.”
Oh.
I’d forgotten about it already.
“I don’t want that.” I shrug. “It was clear right away. I want to play for fun. That was not fun.”
“Okay?” He’s still not convinced.
“There are people who can do it, I guess. Take their hobby and make it their work. Skye did, she painted as an outlet and then turned it into a career. But I think she might be rare. In fact, I think people online should quit sayingmake money from your hobby!Just because one excels at something, or loves it, doesn’t mean it can’t stay a hobby. I mean, think about the mental health implications of that, right?”
