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“I wonder if we can see it tonight,” she says, coming toa stop and looking up. I watch her. Her ponytail cascades down her back, the ends of it brushing my hand, which I have firmly around her waist, her eyes wide as she looks at the night sky.
“See what?” I ask, looking up, wondering what she is talking about.
“The Heart Nebula.”
I grin, knowing she’s looking for something amazing.
“Do you see that?” She points upward, and my eyes follow her hand.
“I see a bunch of stars…” I murmur, wishing I could see what she obviously does.
“Those stars there, they’re called the Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear. It’s the third largest constellation in the sky and the largest in the northern hemisphere.”
I can’t see shit, but watching her take it all in with glee is worth it.
“A great bear, huh?” I say, looking back up, trying to see it. I can just make it out, but it takes a lot of creativity, and that is something I lack. “Tell me your favorite animal?” I ask her, wanting to know the small things and the big things, everything about this woman.
“Butterflies,” she says, and now I’m intrigued.
“Really? Why?” I ask her as we start to walk back to the truck again. Our steps are slow, and I move my hand from her back and grab her hand, entwining her fingers with my own. The streets are deserted. The town is asleep. There is no one around at this time of night, so I take my time. Her dainty fingers wrap with mine just astight, and again, the stupid grin I’ve had all night doesn’t waver.
“Because they start slow, like a caterpillar, and then they take flight. I feel like I was a caterpillar coming back after college, and now I feel like I’m in the cocoon, ready to take flight but still waiting.” She’s right. I feel like the more she lets me in, the more I get to see the real Lacy. From her quick wit, her little flirtatious moments, her complete honesty. I can see her blooming more and more right in front of me.
“How did you find college?” I ask her, waiting to hear all the juicy details of parties and maybe sorority gossip. But as I look over at her, her face falls before she masks it.
“It was fine. I just put my head down. Studied. Then came home early to be with Mom.”
I don’t know how I know, but I have a feeling college wasn’t the experience that she was expecting it to be. For a student on a full scholarship, it can be hard, especially at an Ivy League. But there’s something in what she isn’t saying that has my senses on alert. I’m about to ask her some more about which college she went to and her experience, but she shifts the conversation.
“What about you? What animal is your favorite?” She turns to look at me, giving me her full attention, and I bask in it.
“Giraffe,” I tell her, smiling, and she giggles. The sound zips around my body like an electrical current.
“Why?” Her eyes glisten. We are only talking about animals, but this is the most fun I have had in a long time.
“They have a unique long neck so they are super talland also very handsome,” I say in my most distinguished English accent voice as I stretch my neck up tall, and she stops walking to laugh harder. Her head flies back, her mouth wide, her eyes closed, and it’s the sweetest sight. My heart thuds, looking at her exposed neck, wanting to run my lips up and down her bare skin.
“You are so beautiful, Lacy.” The words leave me before I even realize what I’ve said, and her laughter fades. She looks a little unsure, and I notice her chest rising and falling more quickly.
“Hudson…” The way she says my name, I’m not sure if it’s in warning or wanting, but either way, I like my name on her lips.
“You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met,” I tell her, stepping closer, and I hear her sharp intake of breath. Our toes are touching as I gaze down at her, my hands finding either side of her waist. I watch her swallow before I feel her hands coast up my forearms and rest near my elbows, staying close.
“They sleep standing up, you know,” she says quietly, and my brow crumples, confused.
“What does?” I ask. I lost concentration when my eyes landed on her lips, the perfect pout, the pretty pink.
“Giraffes.” The small grin on her face is playful, and I smile because, of course, she knows. Her intelligence is one of the things I’m learning more about.
“They do.” I nod, thinking I read something like that.
“They also have a big heart,” she adds, looking into my eyes.
“One of the biggest,” I agree. And for a moment, we stand there, only looking at each other in silence. Herwith curiosity and me with a longing I’ve never experienced.
“Are you going to kiss me?” she whispers, almost teasingly, as the cool night air clouds from her lips. My heart stutters at that sweet question.
“Would that be alright with you?” I ask, trying to take things slow when all I want to do is the complete opposite.