“Overwhelming?” he suggested.
“A little,” I admitted. Then, after a beat, I added, “But not in a bad way.”
He nodded. “I thought not.”
I looked around again, drinking in the movement, the noise, the life that seemed to throb through the street.
This doesn’t feel like something I have to get used to.
It felt like something I was already beginning to understand.
We walked on, until a man stepped into my path, close enough to make me stop, but not aggressively. He was around my age, maybe a little younger, broad-shouldered, dressed in leather that looked worn in rather than put on for the day. His gaze was direct.
“Hi,” he said.
I blinked, then found my voice. “Hi.”
Up close, there was a faint scent of leather and something sharper—aftershave, maybe. He didn’t crowd me, didn’t push into my space, but there was no mistaking the focus of his attention.
“Is this your first time at Folsom?”
I laughed. “Is it that obvious?”
He smiled. “Only because you’re looking at everything like it matters.”
I stilled. “That’s because it does.”
That seemed to please him. “I’m Lukas,” he said, offering his hand.
“Kieran.”
His grip was firm and brief, his gaze flicking to Stefan who didn’t move, but simply stood there, calm and composed.
Watching me.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Lukas asked me.
“Yes, I am.”
“That’s good.” He paused, then added with the same easy directness, “Can I buy you a drink later?”
For a moment, I didn’t know how to react. I hadn’t expected something like this to happen. I glanced at Stefan once more, to see no reaction at all. He didn’t exude any tension, just his usual steady presence.
He’s letting me deal with this.
That felt huge.
I turned back to Lukas. “I’m here with him,” I said, nodding towards Stefan.
Lukas followed the gesture, then looked back at me with a smile. “Yeah, I figured. Not a problem. Enjoy the rest of your day, Kieran.”
“You too.”
He stepped away as easily as he’d approached, disappearing back into the flow of the street.
I stood there for a moment before turning to Stefan. “You didn’t think to intervene?”
“No. Why would I have done? It wasn’t my place to answer for you.”