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“Creative writing.” She waits until she’s swallowed her bite before answering.

“Creative writing?” I arch a brow, a little surprised by this. Charlotte does not seem like the kind of person who would enjoy a class like that.

“I loved my creative writing class in high school. Besides, I’m going to need the credit hours for my major.”

“You declared a major?”

She nods slowly.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense here.”

“English.”

“English?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I’ve decided I think I’d like to work in publishing.”

“Are there a lot of publishing houses in Virginia?”

“Some. But I have no plans of staying in Virginia.”

“Ah, that’s right. The New York dream.” I tear off a bite of eggroll between my teeth.

During one of our many conversations we’ve had over the last few months, Charlotte confided in me that she has every intention of moving to New York after she graduates. She wanted to attend school there, but her parents refused to pay her tuition if she attended school out of state.

“That’s right.” She twists another bite of noodles onto her fork. “This place is incredible, by the way.” She gestures around the dimly lit restaurant.

“I told you it was good.”

“It’s not just good. This is like the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten.”

“Perks of living in a touristy area. You get some of the best restaurants.”

“I bet it gets old, though, always having so many vacationers around.”

“I didn’t think so when I was younger.” A smile plays on my lips.

“Oh God, don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who hooks up with the girls here on vacation with their families.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.”

“Oh no.” She sets her fork back onto her plate. “You are. You’re one of those local guys who prey on young women looking to make the most of their summer vacation.”

“To be fair, I never preyed on anyone. But yes, when I was younger, me and some of my buddies spent a lot of time at the beach, and as such, we met a lot of girls from out of town.”

“And you hooked up with them.” She crosses her arms in front of herself, leaning back in her chair slightly.

“Some of them, sure.” I shrug. “But that was a long time ago. I haven’t hooked up with an out-of-towner in years.”

“Untrue,” she tells me flatly.

It takes me a second to realize she’s referring to herself.

“I was here on a vacation of sorts, visiting my best friend... And well, you know what happened next.”

“Fair. But different.” I grab my water from the table, taking a quick drink. “What about you? Ever gone on vacation and hooked up with a local?”

“Besides you, you mean?” She tries to hide her smile as I nod. “Once.”