“I’ve been helping out with some advice. But, um. . .”
Alia tucks a flyway strand of hair behind her ear as she nibbles on her lower lip. Hands clasped at her lower back, she wiggles the tip of her toe and stabs it into the ground, looking younger than her years. Anyone would think she was a skittish schoolgirl about to confess to a secret crush. My lips curve up automatically at her shyness.
“I’ve been looking into the sports club near our gym.”
Ourgym. Damn, that sounds good.
“Yeah?”
“They play cricket, and I was thinking of a coaching position with them. Do something with what I know.”
I take her hand and squeeze it gently.
“Tots, that’s fantastic. Do you need my help? I can find someone to talk to, and we can—”
“No, no,” she laughs, lacing her fingers with mine in a move that seems second nature now. “That’s really sweet of you to offer. I have an interview with the program director soon.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“Excited. Nervous,” she admits, already gnawing on her lip by force of habit. I pull her lower lip loose with my thumb.
“I’m proud of you, Tots. You’re so fucking cool.”
Her bashful smile and unmistakable pleasure make me sigh happily. Goddamn, this day turned around. I lean over and drop a soft kiss on her mouth, feeling the curve of her lips rise against mine.
“So,” she clears her throat as we break off, her cheeks delightfully pink. “I have something for you. I was going to give it to you the next time we saw each other. I didn’t expect that to be tonight but might as well do it now. Maybe it’ll turn your mood around and—”
Alia’s rambling dwindles when she catches me grinning excitedly at her.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
How can I not? Alia is planning to stay in Monterey. It opens up possibilities I’ve been too afraid to consider. I throw her my most roguish wink and smirk. “I’m excited. Haven’t gotten a surprise gift since I was a kid.”
“It’s not anything big.”
“Don’t care. Gimme.” I extend my palm out and curl my fingers, gesturing twice.
“It’s nothing. It’s silly,” she hedges.
“Tots,” I drawl. “Give it before I tickle it out of you.”
Hesitantly, Alia reaches into the passenger side door, pulls out a lumpy looking blob on a keychain and hands it to me. It takes me a moment to figure out what it is as I bring it closer to get a better look.
The beady eyes of a little crochet potato wearing a frown, and a shirt that reads ‘positive potato: I believe in you.’
I look from the hideously cute tater to the woman in front of me. I want to laugh, but the absolute perfection of this gift being a coincidence stuns me.
“It’s because we share a nickname. I’m Aloo, you’re Spuddy,” she explains, nodding in the hope that I’ll contribute something to this conversation. “But also because you brought a lot of positivity to my life. And I wanted to make you laugh,” she rambles, anxiety coloringher tone. “And considering what we talked about today, maybe it can be your reminder that it’s okay to not have a good day.”
I say nothing, still processing how Alia effortlessly fills a need I can’t put in words.
“I’m sorry, it’s too weird. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
She reaches for it just as I yank it away.
“It’s mine. You gave it to me, you can’t have it back.” I love it. I’m going to carry this with me all the fucking time. “You’re mine, aren’t you?” I coo at the ugly little thing, babbling gibberish at it like it’s a one-eyed, mutant pup about to come to life. “Yes, you are. Good girl!”
“What’re you doing?” she snorts.