Together they worked to attach the third tarp, leaving the fourth side open. “Since this is your first music festival experience, I’ll make sure it’s a good one so you’ll want to come back.”
Butterflies danced in Taylor’s belly. “Oh?”
“Since neither of us are on duty tonight, you want to watch the shows with me?”
Ha. Was this a trick question or what? Wander around by herself or sit next to a charismatic man who had awakened her dormant hormones? Hmm...hard decision.
It should have been a harder decision given his profession.
Still, she was smiling when she said, “I’d love to.”
* * *
Taylor could get into music festivals. Or maybe it was the man beside her she was into. Glancing over at him, she couldn’t help but think how fortunate she was to have him there this week since Amy hadn’t been able to attend. Otherwise she might really have packed up and gone to Amy’s.
Amy had texted earlier to make sure she’d arrived, and everything was okay. She’d not mentioned her unexpected reaction to Jack but had said everything was great.
Maybe if Jack were anything other than a doctor, she’d give in to the heat, let herself have a free pass life experience.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked back toward the stage where a band with a current chart-topping song had kicked off the festival an hour before and was still jamming out.
Around them others on blankets were watching the show and others danced along to the tunes, some dressed similar to Taylor’s shorts and T-shirt, some in costumes, some in not much of anything at all.
“Having fun?”
She smiled at Jack and nodded.
“The band is awesome, isn’t it?”
Again, she nodded. She didn’t really follow any particular band, but did enjoy singing along with the radio from time to time. The band playing really was good.
When the group on the main stage finished, Jack turned to her. “You want to stay here until the next band, move to a different stage, or go find something to eat?”
Her stomach growled. “Eat?”
He packed up the blanket they’d been sitting on into a backpack that he slung over his right shoulder. “What are you hungry for?”
“What are my options?”
“Anything from burgers to a meat and three. There seems to be vendors who offer just about anything you can think of. Why don’t we walk around for a while and see if anything catches your eye?”
“Or my nose,” she added, taking a sniff of the air. Something sure smelled good.
He laughed. “Or that.”
They ended up getting bowls of jambalaya from a Cajun food booth and standing at one of the chest-high tables set up near the row of vendors.
“This is good,” she enthused, hoping she didn’t have food on her face or between her teeth.
He’d already finished his. “Yep.”
Feeling self-conscious under his watchful eye, she asked, “Are there any particular bands you’re hoping to catch tonight?”
He named one she’d heard of but couldn’t recall the names of any of their songs. Sadly, she felt as if she’d been living under a rock since graduation. Before that, even.
She had been. She’d gone from toeing the line for her strict parents to toeing the line for Neil. She’d spent the last year learning to make decisions for herself, learning she didn’t need to have anyone’s directions or approval for the choices she made. If she messed up, so what? It was her life to live.
“That okay with you?”