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“I don’t know. I don’t want to get drunk.”

“You won’t get drunk,” I assure her.

“I promise, you’ll be safe. And we can do anything you want. Have dinner. Go to a movie, or a show, or dancing. Or you can let me surprise you. What do you like?”

“You mean, besides reading smut books?”

She makes a joke at her own expense and I love that about her. I’ve never cared for people who take themselves too seriously, and I’ve had a whole lot of that growing up among the richest families in New Canaan.

I laugh.

“Yes, besides that. Would you like to go out on a date with me and celebrate your birthday? I can arrange for a police escort,” I joke.

“On a date?”

Her voice is breathy, and it's doing things to me that are decidedly not PG.

There’s so much doubt in her tone, and it bothers me. I see disbelief and vulnerability. And then it hits me.The vulnerability.I’m drawn to it. I’m drawn to the doubt in her eyes and the timid way with which she carries herself. A small part of me, the part that sees some of my father in me, is repelled by it. But a much bigger part is fascinated by the openness I see in her.

There’s a tremendous amount of power in being vulnerable, in being open, in taking risks. Often, courage is measured against how brave one is, but now I wonder about a different kind of courage. The courage to expose oneself and the willingness to get hurt in the process. If I’m to measure myself by this yardstick, I’m a coward.

Before I can answer her, the chair next to Skye gets dragged back and River sits on it. The four-person table now sits three.

“Officer Hot Cop! I didn’t expect to see you this morning.”

And then she attacks Skye’s untouched muffin.

“Who’s going on a date?” River asks after a bite.

I relax into my chair, my forearm on the table holding the cookie I have yet to bite. I look at River and point at Skye and then back at myself with the cookie.

“We are.”

River narrows her eyes at me.

“Did my sister work out a deal so she wouldn’t get a ticket?”

“No! There are no deals,” Skye grumbles.

“I didn’t say I agree to going out with you yet. It’s both our birthdays, and I haven’t talked to River about what she wants to do.”

She saidyet. That’s not ano.

She looks at her sister.Is it a plea for help in her gaze?

“Well, I was thinking of going hang-gliding. Looked up a couple of places, but Becca organized this surprise party for me and a few friends pitched in, which is no longer a surprise since she had to tell me about it when I told her of my plans for our birthday.”

River takes another bite of the muffin.

“I would’ve told you before, but you got distracted by Hot Cop—”

“I got distracted? You were drunk! And then I didn’t see you all day.”

River ignores her.

“Anyway,” she continues, “they’re taking me to a male strip club. You’re invited too. Becca paid for our tickets.”

“You’re going to a strip club?” Skye asks.