Page 41 of Finding Jack
“There’s a solution,” I said, thinking about a tool we used at work. “We could share screens so we’re both looking at the same thing.”
“I don’t know what to say. That feels so…forward of you.”
My cheeks went hot, and I was grateful he couldn’t see it. “Right, I guess it sounded that way. It’s not what I meant.”
A warm laugh came over the line. “Sorry, I was teasing. I used to screenshare at work all the time. It’s a good idea, but I don’t have the app.”
“I’ll send you a link if you’re okay with me driving.”
“I have less than zero problem with you taking control.”
My cheeks heated again because I was giving his words a subtext that his tone didn’t seem to imply, but I sent him a link, and a minute later we were sharing my screen.
“You ready for a walk?” I asked.
“I’m done with my pizza, so yeah. Good to go.”
“Want to go anywhere in particular?”
“Nah. Let’s wander through the park and work off some of this dinner.”
I laughed and navigated along the path that ran down the middle of the park. It was quiet and green. “There’s not much to see here,” I said.
“Sorry. I picked a boring park.”
“I didn’t mean it as a criticism, I promise.” I rotated the view completely but that only gave us a view of the street parking. “But now I feel the pressure to come up with something to say because these trees are exactly alike, so if you comment on one, you’ve commented on them all.”
“Sort of like castles and cathedrals.” He pauses, then laughs. “That sounded fancy. It’s just that I did a study abroad in England, and the castles and cathedrals all look like each other after a while. I had the exact same thought.”
“England,” I said on a sigh. “I loved London. My mom and I went there for my college graduation trip.”
“Let’s go back,” he said. “Let’s skip this park and go hang out in Hyde Park.”
“I did really like Hyde Park. Okay. You talked me into it.” And within a minute we were in the middle of Hyde Park.
“Kind of chilly all of a sudden,” Jack said as the Google Earth photos filled the screen. They’d been taken during autumn, obviously, as several of the towering trees were turning colors and the ground was half green lawn, half fallen yellow leaves.
“I hardly noticed. It’s pretty much that temperature here in San Francisco most of the year.” I slowly rotated the view to show an empty paved path stretching in both directions. “Sorry I dragged you out into a deserted wood on our first date. I hope you’re not too nervous.”
“I’m carrying pepper spray, but I’ll be honest: you don’t really give off a scary vibe.”
“I resent that,” I said, sending us down the path toward more trees. “I’m super intimidating and fierce.”
“I don’t believe you for a second. I’ve seen your smile.”
Oh. Oh, swoon again. This was getting ridiculous.
“Still, you’re in the woods with a relative stranger,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame you for feeling nervous. I’m going to distract you by smoothly asking you some conversational questions to put you more at ease.”
I smiled. “Go ahead. I already made awkward small talk about the weather as promised.”
He cleared his throat. “Would you rather live without the internet or give up heating and air conditioning?”
“Whoa. You’re starting with trick questions right out of the gate?”
“I am?”
I knew he hadn’t meant to, but the truth in that moment would put me in a very awkward position. “Pass.”
