No, I wasn’t going to be like Dawsonside the Conclusion Jumper. Sheridan would tell me when she was ready. “If you decide to commit, I’ll help you with your speech,” I offered. “I’ve spoken at a few continuing medical education conferences.”
“Dude!” Dawsonside rolled up with a plate of fried okra. “Next time you’re doing that, I totally want to go. Sign me up. I go to the continuing legal ed classes and what a snore-fest. Give me the medical stuff! So interesting!”
“Thanks for the offer, Luke,” she said, releasing my ankle now that her date had returned.
I finished my burger just as Dawsonside’s arrived. Sheridan’s was all gone, too. Every french fry on her plate, gone.
Dawsonside poured ketchup on his burger, slathering it an inch thick. “Aw, sorry. I got to talking over there. You’re both done already, and they’re closing up everything but the bar soon. You two should head on out.”
But he’d brought Sheridan as his date.
She looked at me apologetically. “I’ll wait with Dusty.”
“Naw,” Dawsonside said. “I can see the writing on the wall here. I’m not exactly the guy to steal my hero’s best girl.” He wrapped an arm around Sheridan’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Thanks for the date. You’re special, you know that? No wonder the world wants you to be the keynote speaker at the Quake Commemoration.” He kissed the back of her hand, dropped a pile of bills on the table, and picked up his plate. Then he trooped off to the bar again, where a blonde in a tight-fitting outfit flipped her hair when he walked up.
“I’ve officially been dumped during a date now.” Sheridan frowned and then looked up at me. “You’re stuck with Dusty Dawsonside’s reject.”
“Come on.” I took her hand and led her out of the restaurant into the fresh summer night air. A sea breeze ruffled her hair, lifting it off her shoulders. Her hand squeezed mine, and we walked to the bluff’s overlook.
As we walked, her shoulder bumped against my bicep. The breeze lifted a hint of Sheridan’s scent, and I inhaled deeply. This Saturday night was working out so much better than it had started—getting railed on by my health-nut sister.
Under the power of the view, I might even manage to kiss her. I’d seen the one from the dream hundreds of times over the past few weeks, but this one would eclipse it.
I could almost taste it already. “Come check out this view.”