Page 103 of More For Me

“Good point,” I say thoughtfully. “I still don’t know if I would pick boring ass Chex Mix though. What about white cheddar popcorn?”

“Makes your fingers too messy,” he says immediately. “Also not great for driving.”

“You just have this all figured out, don’t you?”

He gives me a “duh” look before turning back to the road. “Road trip snacks are serious business, Lele. Maybe we need to make a chart for this.”

I’m grinning so hard my face hurts. This is the kind of conversation my cousins would roll their eyes at. They’d tell me I’m being ridiculous, the way they so often do. That I’m channeling my mom with my silliness and the world can only handle one Paige Brennen.

But Bodhi gets it. He getsme. That’s why being with him has always been so fun.

And now? Combining that fun vibe with romantic swan boat rides and flirty foot rubs? I can’t believe I never realized how amazing this would be.

We debate our road trip snack choices all the way to Venice. Our debate over the practicality of any kind of ice cream-based treat gets pretty heated. I’m having such a good time that I don’t even notice where he parks until I’m looking up at the building. Then my eyebrows fly into my hairline.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Bodhi says quickly.

“Really? Cause it sure looks like you took me to a hotel, Bodhi Lakra. On the first date. What kind of a girl do you think I am?”

“I have zero ulterior motives.” He holds up his fingers in the scouts’ pledge—which actually means something to him, since Bodhi stayed a scout well into his teens and now leads his nephew’s troop. Did I mention he’s adorable?

“Then why are we parking at a hotel?”

He points up to the top of the building, where I can just make out colored lights flashing. “Because of that. There’s a rooftop bar up there. The views are great and they have live music tonight. I thought you might like to dance.”

He looks a little nervous, like he’s not sure how I’m going to react. So I throw my arms around his neck. “Bodhi! Dancing is basically my favorite thing in life. That and food. You fed me and now you’re taking me dancing? This is the best first date ever.”

“Don’t forget the swan boats.”

I laugh into his neck. “How could I ever forget the swan boats?”

I’m giddy as we take the elevator up to the roof. I wasn’t joking about loving to dance. It’s one of the first things Bodhi and I bonded over, actually. So many guys—including several of my cousins—refuse to dance, preferring to sit on the sidelines with their drinks. Apparently, they think acting grumpy and lame makes them more manly or something.

But not Bodhi. He loves dancing maybe as much as I do. And those guys who think dancing isn’t masculine? They have no idea what they’re talking about. Few things in this world are sexier than the way Bodhi Lakra moves on the dance floor.

Thoughts of dancing leave my head once we step out onto the roof. The space itself is cool, all sleek modern minimalism with flashing lights and funky furniture. But even better than that is the view beyond the edge. We’re only nine or ten stories high but this is a relatively flat part of Los Angeles and we can see for blocks and blocks. The cityscape is lit up on one side and to the other the moon reflects off the waves of the Pacific.

“How have we never been here before?” I ask, staring around with wide eyes. “This is amazing.”

“It’s pretty great, right?” His hand finds my lower back and he guides me around the dance floor to a table on the ocean side of the building. As he pulls out a chair for me, I notice the small reserved placard on the table.

“Oh, we can’t sit here,” I say, starting to pull back.

“It’s our table,” he explains nonchalantly. “I reserved it.”

I gape at him. “Bodhi, how long have you been planning this date?”

The tips of his ears turn red, and he looks away. I should probably drop this, but it feels important, so I press ahead. “Because this is all pretty elaborate. And we just decided to go out last night. So I’m wondering if maybe this is something you might have thought of before.”

He releases a long breath. “You know the answer to that question, Everly.”

“Do I?”

He finally turns to face me but his expression is shadowed by the blanket of city lights behind him. “Come on. It hasn’t been any secret to anyone that I’ve been crazy about you.”

“For how long?”

He throws up his hands. “Does it matter?”