Summer Love at the Beach (Summer Instalove)

Staring up at the neon sign above us, I sighed heavily. “When it comes to talking to guys, I

have no idea what sort of energy I have.”

“It might depend on the guy,” Kate said, “and your energy might change over the years, as

well. All you can do is give it a try. But I promise you, nobody will think you’re a loser.” She flashed me a grin. “I don’t hang out with losers,” she said, waving her finger under my nose.

“So be careful how you talk about my friend.”

“Thanks,” I giggled.

When the streetcar came, it was nearly empty, so we were able to sit right in the middle

where the ride was smoothest. “Tell me about this cabin you’re going to hide in,” I asked.

“Songwriting in the forest should be fun.”

“Yes,” Kate said, her green eyes lighting up. “It’s not so deep in the woods that there are

bears or anything scary. Just trees and trails and a notebook. It’s going to be a great

break.”

“Good. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be wrangling musicians,” I laughed, leaning into her shoulder more than I needed to as the streetcar turned slowly around a wide corner.

Kate shook her head. “Yeah. I swear, you can tell by the way they book their rehearsal time

whether or not a band is going to make it. I know they’re creative types, but if they can’t get their crap together to rehearse, they’re never going to get it together to book great gigs.”

I laughed. Kate was the on-site manager of a huge music rehearsal space, and also did

band photography. Although she was a great singer-songwriter, she hadn’t created enough

songs yet that worked together as a real collection, claiming that’s what she needed before

she could start performing.

“You’re tapping your lucky necklace again,” Kate said gently. “That means you’re nervous,

distracted, or both.”

“Both, I think,” I admitted. “I think I’m mostly worried about being humiliated.”

“Why on earth would that happen to you?”

“If I don’t know how to navigate dating situations, I might end up in some sort of

predicament where people are staring at me.” I could not stifle my shudder. “Having people

watching while I am already feeling low is just…one of my biggest fears.”

Kate nodded. “I get that. But our shy little girl is going to have to put herself out there

someday,” she smiled, patting my shoulder as she stood up to ring the bell for the next

stop. “You’re going to have a great time.”

“You will too,” I said. “Lumberjacks and axe murderers. Both very sexy sorts of men.”