Page 72 of Just Another Silly Love Song

The pirate crossed his arms. “Up on the poop deck!”

Lori erupted in laughter and I joined in.

“Aargh! Now, you’re both just being a couple of scallywags.” The pirate shook his head and walked away.

Lori squeezed my arm. “I feel a little juvenile laughing at poop jokes.”

“Me, too, but I also don’t have a problem with it.” I glanced down at her hand still clutching my arm.

She pulled it away.

I chuckled. “There you go, acting like I have cooties again.”

“And there you go using that ridiculous word again.”

I chuckled and pointed above us. “Care to head to thepoopdeck?”

Lori giggled. “I would love to see the poop deck. Thanks so much for asking.”

I gestured to the stairs. “After you.”

Lori stepped in front of me, and we both headed upstairs to the poop deck as I did my best not to stare at her bottom, although the urge was there.

My attraction to her was multiplying by the minute, which was crazy considering I hadn’t even noticed how attractive she was that day we met in the parking lot at Peet’s Coffee.

“My goodness, look at that.” Lori stepped toward the end of the ship and leaned against the rail, staring out into the horizon. She scanned the bay from Point Loma all the way to Coronado Island on the other side.

“Yeah.” I was enjoying the view and the company. “Beautiful.”

She inhaled and closed her eyes. “I never get tired of this.”

“Neither do I.”

I found it so interesting that all the employees of the radio station were scattered around the ship, including my best friend Dan, but all I wanted to do was spend time with Lori. I would have been perfectly fine if I hadn’t seen anyone else for the rest of the night.

“No waiting at the photo booth,” the female voice said behind us.

Lori and I both flipped around.

A younger woman, maybe college-aged, pointed to the photo booth. “Come on over.”

Lori hesitated. “Uh . . .”

The woman waved us closer. “You definitely need a photo together. A beautiful couple like yourselves.”

“We’re not a couple,” we both said together for the umpteenth time.

“It doesn’t matter.” The woman sighed. “I’m bored already. Please.”

I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“Really?” Lori creased her eyebrows together.

“Oh, is this the cootie thing again? You should be much more worried about standing on something called a poop deck.”

Lori laughed. “Fine. I guess we could share it on social media.”

“Now, you’re thinking.”