I had a feeling a lot of that came less from not wanting to ask me to work extra hours and more about them not wanting to feel like they needed to rush in order to get back in time for me.
Fortunately, I left the office already knowing I wasn’t going to miss seeing Carter more that day. I was barely home for an hour when he sent me a message letting me know he was home. I immediately hopped in my car and headed to him.
We were curled up on the couch a while later, immersed in kissing while ignoring the Chinese food takeout spread on the coffee table in front of us, when I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.
“I think we should tell our friends about us at the bonfire. It will be perfect. Everyone will be there—it will already be a fun time. We’ll just enhance it,” I said.
“But I like our little secret,” he said, making my heart skip a beat. “I know it’s hard, but I’m getting used to it now.”
He was so sexy but cute at the same time, usually I couldn’t resist and would just melt away into whatever he wanted. This time, I needed to stay strong.
“I really want to talk to our friends about us. I don’t want them to find out that we’re together and get upset that we didn’t tell them sooner. It’ll ruin the summer.”
Carter almost looked like he was about to laugh the drink right out of his mouth.
“I really don’t think finding out that we’re dating is going to ruin everything about the summer for them.”
“I just really want to tell them,” I said.
“But all the teasing,” he said with a heavy, uncomfortable drag in his voice. “There will be so much teasing.”
I laughed. “We’re going to have to tell them at some point.”
“I know. But I don’t want to rush it. I’m really enjoying this and want you to myself for a little while longer. “
I thought about this for a second, then decided I was going to be okay with it. I leaned in for another kiss and was immediately swept up in it. He wrapped his arms around me, and we tumbled back onto the couch.
19
CARTER
Regular cologne or the stuff that Lauren commented on? I stood at the door of my bathroom closet, trying to decide which one for a lot longer than I felt like I should, still wearing a towel around my waist and dripping water onto the tile. Finally, I reached forward and grabbed the cologne she had made a passing comment on the day before.
The bottle was ancient, hiding in the back of my closet at the apartment I maintained in the States while I was in the military and then moving to a similar place of dishonor in the cabin. It was expensive stuff, given to me by a dear friend for my birthday when I was enlisting. The same friend ended up being involved in a deadly car wreck weeks after I left for basic, and I always kept it out of a feeling of responsibility, even though I hadn’t used it in seventeen years. I smiled at the memory of my friend as I put it back in the closet.
I was excited to see Lauren later. The bonfire was going to be a blast, as bonfires tended to be, and being able to hang out with Lauren in a setting like that was exciting for multiple reasons, not the least of which was our secret. The delicate dance of getting near her and flirting with her from across the room while no one knew that we were secretly going home together was delicious. It was something I had never experienced before, and I loved it.
Still, I knew how excited she was to tell her friends, and I felt a little bad about not wanting to go public yet. As much fun as it was to have our little secret, eventually people would find out. Then the jokes and serious conversations about dating an employee would come, and I just didn’t want to deal with it yet. Besides, the fun of us being a secret would also be gone. Not that I thought it was the only reason our relationship was so exciting, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it was currently something I greatly enjoyed.
I just wanted a little more time for us to be just for us.
Finishing getting ready, I checked the phone for the time and saw I was still a little early and shrugged. Maybe it would be good for me to get there visibly earlier than anyone else in our friend group. Especially Lauren. It might throw a wrench in any of the rumors that might be going around.