Page 23 of A Shore Fling

NINA

P ushing open the door, I enter Laugh A Latte. Ginger is busy preparing a drink for a customer, so it takes a minute for her to notice me. When she does, she beams.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself,” I say.

She finishes up with the customer and points at me. “The usual?”

I nod. “You know it.” I stop in here almost every morning during my walk, and I always get the same thing.

“To go?” she asks.

“I think I’ll eat here.”

“Great. We can catch up.”

There’s a teenage girl behind the counter with Ginger who I’ve never seen before. She must be a new employee. Ginger talks her through the measurements, carefully watching as she makes my iced coffee.

My phone vibrates with a text. Tugging it from my pocket, I glance at the screen. It’s a number I don’t recognize.

Last night I meant to ask you on a date for Friday night, but then all the blood left my brain when we kissed.

I quietly giggle as I type.

Me: Is this Travis or the other man I kissed last night?

Travis: Hey! Who is he so I can beat his ass for kissing my girl?

My heart beats faster.

Me: Your girl?

Travis: That’s how I think of you. I hope that’s okay, and if not, it’s too late. You’re mine for the rest of the summer.

His message is so sweet it fills my chest with warmth. Instead of sending back a joking reply, I decide to lead with my heart.

Me: Promise?

Travis: One hundred percent. Now, how about that date?

Me: What are you thinking?

Travis: It’s a surprise.

Me: Is coordination required for whatever we’re doing?

Travis: No. I’ll pick you up at seven in my truck.

I smile at how he clarifies the mode of transportation for me.

Me: What should I wear?

Travis: Dress casually and bring a sweater or sweatshirt.

Me: I’m looking forward to it already.

Travis: Me too.

“What’s got you staring at your phone so goofily?” Ginger asks, startling me. She pushes my coffee and the plate with the blueberry muffin toward me.

“Sorry about that.” I was so focused on the text chain, I forgot where I was.

“Would it by chance have something to do with a formerly grumpy but now smitten harbormaster?”

“Maybe.” I try to hold back my smile, but it takes over, spreading across my face.

“Go sit down so we can talk,” she orders, shooing me away with a hand.

I slap cash down on the counter before I head toward a table. Ginger hurries over to join me, sliding into the chair across from mine.

“Tell me what’s going on with you and Travis.” She leans forward, eager for the details.

“We’ve spent the last two nights together.”

“What?” she squeals. “All night?”

“No! I meant out of bed. I’m not that kind of girl.”

“Oh, please. With a man that hot, everyone is that kind of girl.”

She’s not wrong. When I invited him in last night, I was hoping he’d accept and we’d get to know each other better.

“That’s true. He has a way of getting me to try things I normally wouldn’t. Last night we rode a tandem bike to Reed’s shop.”

“Why’d you go there?”

“I offered to help him with some marketing ideas for his shop, so last night we had a meeting.”

“How’d that go?”

“Great. He was extremely receptive to my feedback. I gave him a short-term plan, and we’re going to discuss a long-term one before I return to the city.”

“Would you be willing to do the same for me? I could use someone with your background to help me figure out how I can take this place to the next level.”

“Of course I will. I can think of some ideas off the top of my head. Have you considered doing customer reward cards?”

“I know some places offer those kinds of deals, but I haven’t thought about it.”

“You should. You could do something like buy ten coffees and get one free. You’d have to punch their card every time they make a purchase unless you have the capability to use an app.”

She nods. “I can look into that. What else?”

“Much like Reed’s shop, you’re not taking advantage of your brand.

Your logo is adorable. You should be slapping that on t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, coasters, coozies, water bottles, travel mugs, you get the picture.

You have space for shelves along this side wall.

” I point to my right. “Take advantage of it and place your branded merchandise there.”

“I don’t know if anyone would buy stuff with the logo.”

“Of course they would. When you go away on vacation, do you purchase anything to remember your trip by?”

She nods. “I always get a mug.”

“Then why wouldn’t tourists and town residents buy your merchandise?

If you’re concerned about wasting money, you can start with small-ticket items that won’t break the bank if you don’t see a return on your investment.

Things like stickers and keychains can be right on the counter near the register. Impulse buys always get people.”

“I like that idea. And my logo would look great on both of those things.”

“I can find the most economical sites to have them made if you want,” I offer.

“You’re on vacation. You’re supposed to be relaxing, not working for me.”

“It’ll be fun for me and give me something to do. I can only relax for so many hours. I’ve never spent so much time thinking and self-reflecting in my life. By the time I leave here, I might be without flaws,” I say, laughing.

“You already don’t have any,” Ginger tells me.

“Thanks, but I beg to differ.”

“So back to last night,” Ginger says, winking. “We got off the subject before you told me what happened after you left Reed’s shop.”

“We had dinner from the taco truck.”

Ginger’s eyes roll back into her head. “Oh my God, I love the queso so much.”

“It was to die for. I need to talk to Teddy and get him to take his recipe nationwide so I can have it when I go home.”

Ginger pouts her lips. “Boo. I don’t want you to leave.”

I shrug. “I’m not going yet.”

“I know, but time flies.”

“That’s why we need to go after what or who we want,” I tell her, staring knowingly at her.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” she asks.

“I don’t want to overstep, but I noticed a hint of something between you and Jordan.”

She snorts. “You imagined something. I can confidently say he has no interest in me. Hell, I’m not even his type.”

“Type has nothing to do with what the heart wants. Do you think I’m Travis’ type with his aversion to anything related to city living?”

“There are exceptions to every rule, but with me and Jordan, that’s not the case.”

“Okay.” I’m not going to push her on the Jordan issue. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I’m still learning to define and enforce my boundaries. I certainly don’t want to be guilty of crossing someone else’s. “Travis kissed me.”

“Yes!” she shrieks. “Last night?”

“And the night before.”

“Someone’s gonna get lucky soon,” she states, shimmying her shoulders.

I laugh. “I hope so. We have a date Friday night.”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Girl, you’re definitely getting fucked.”

“Shh, will you keep it down. I’m a little nervous. It’s been so long, I hope I remember how it works.”

Her lips sputter. “I hear ya. Knowing most of the people in town isn’t necessarily a good thing for finding a sexual partner.

And the gossip mill here can be brutal. More so for female residents than male ones.

It’s like men get a pass because they misbehave more often, and when a woman does, it’s made into a huge deal.

” A group of customers enter the shop, prompting Ginger to stand.

“I’ve got to get back to work. Let’s plan on Saturday being a beach day.

” She leans over the table and whispers, “That is if you can still walk.”

We park in the lot near a beach access point.

“So we’re going to the beach?” I ask.

He smirks. “Something like that.” He gets out and closes the driver’s side door before coming around to open mine. I climb down, and he shuts the door. We move to the back of the truck and he pulls down the tailgate. Inside is a large cooler, a folded-up blanket, and an electric lantern.

“Well, look at you,” I say, grinning. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you planned this.”

He gives me a smug little smile over his shoulder. “Maybe I’m deeper than you think.”

“You’ve got a blanket and a cooler. That’s not quite the same as being emotionally complex.”

“I’ve got extra napkins and bug spray too,” he adds, holding up a small spray bottle like it’s proof.

I cross my arms and laugh. “Okay, that’s impressive.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet. Let’s go.

” He lifts everything with practiced ease, the cooler in one hand, blanket tucked under his arm, and the electric lantern in the other, and leads the way down the path.

It’s not a long trek, but the soft sand makes walking more difficult.

There’s no one else nearby, and the crash of waves is the only sound, which makes it feel like the beach is all ours.

He stops just far enough from the shoreline to keep dry and unrolls the blanket with a dramatic flick of his wrists. “Ta da.”

I laugh and sink onto it, tucking my legs beneath me. “I’m starting to think you’ve done this before.”

“Only in my head,” he says with a grin. “Figured if I was gonna claim you for the summer, I should at least feed you and do a little stargazing.”

My stomach flips at his words. They’re deceivingly casual but heavy with meaning. And though him claiming me goes against every rule I set for myself this summer, it has my pulse racing faster than I’d like to admit.

“You brought a lantern,” I say the first thing that comes to mind.

He drops down beside me, one leg stretched out, the other bent loosely. “You say that like it’s weird.”

“It’s very Boy Scout-ish of you.”

He grins. “I was never a scout, but I do like to be prepared.” He opens the cooler and starts pulling out various items. Sandwiches wrapped in paper, a container full of sliced fruit, and because this man is out to ruin me forever, homemade chocolate chip cookies.

“You made these?” I ask.

“No, Ginger did. She took care of putting together the meal, and I didn’t even have to bribe her.”

“I’m still impressed.”

After Travis prepares a plate for each of us, we dig in. The sandwiches are a perfect mix of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on wheat bread, and the fruit is cold and sweet. We wash it all down with the wine Travis brought.

At some point, he stretches out beside me on his side, propping his head up with one hand. His gaze skims over me like he’s memorizing every detail. “You’ve got a little something here,” he says, pointing to the corner of my mouth.

I wipe it with the back of my hand, narrowing my eyes. “Are you sure you’re not just using that line again? You already got a kiss using it the first time.”

“Damn. You caught me,” he says.

“You’re going to have to come up with new material if you want to keep wooing me,” I say, popping a grape into my mouth.

He grins. “Is that what I’m doing?”

“You tell me.”

“I figure food will lower your defenses, and then I’ll make my move.”

“Spoiler, you didn’t need the food.”

“That’s okay,” he says, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from my face. “Feeding you gives me an excuse to keep watching your mouth.”

Plucking a grape from my plate, I hold it in front of his face. His lips part, allowing me to push the fruit between them. “There. Now I have a reason to watch yours,” I say as he chews slowly, his gaze lingering on mine.

“Maybe we can find a more productive use of our mouths,” he suggests.

“Careful,” I warn, smirking. “If you start talking like that, I might think you’re serious.”

“Oh, I’m dead serious.”

Even through all our playfulness, there’s an electric energy throbbing between us that won’t take much to ignite.

I lie back, folding my arms behind my head, and stare up at the deepening sky.

The stars are starting to peek through, one by one.

He follows suit, our shoulders brushing as we lie there.

I turn my head toward him. His face is lit only by the faint glow of moonlight, but his eyes find mine like it’s still daylight.

“What happens at the end of August?” I ask before I can stop myself.

He doesn’t flinch or pretend not to understand. “I don’t know,” he says honestly. “But I’m not worried about that tonight. Are you?”

“No. Not tonight.” And I mean it. Right now, I don’t want to worry about return flights, timelines, or logistics. I just want the beach, the stars, his dark gaze on me, and for this night to never end.

We stay until the cooler’s empty, the sky’s fully dark, and the tide creeps closer to our toes. He helps me pack up in silence, and then we load up his truck. The ride to my house is quick, and before I know it, we’re standing in the same place on the front porch as we were last night.

“Do you want to come in?” I ask, holding my breath that I’ll get the answer I’m hoping for.

“Yes.”