CHLOE BAKER'S LOST DATE

Chapter Twenty-Five: Are You Sacred of Dinosaurs?

"What do you want to do today?" I ask Ben the next morning.

He stayed over at my place last night without any drama or discussion, which was, to be frank, a nice change of pace. The few guys I dated in Cincinnati before I left were those kinds of guys. You know the ones. Where every normal boyfriend-like thing they do is a negotiation. Like they're keeping score on how much they compromise for you. Like they think they don't see you checking their texts twenty-million times a day, but they take two days to answer yours.

Those kinds of guys.

I hate those guys.

Anyway, Ben's not like that. He actually asked me if he could stay over. Like there was a chance that when we were post-coital and tangled up together in my bed that I might want him to go.

No, obvi.

He smiled and pulled me close and we fell asleep like that, and now he's in my bed looking crumpled and adorable and there is zero chance that his ex-girlfriend can walk in on us.

Big win.

"I'm supposed to hang out with Tyler," Ben says.

I feel a flutter of disappointment. "Oh, okay."

"You don't want to come?"

He wants me to come! Phew.

"No, I do."

He smiles. "Good. He liked you."

"He's sweet."

"He is."

"What's on the agenda? More boats?"

He nuzzles his lips into my neck. "Nope. I thought I'd take him to the natural history museum."

It's a bit hard to concentrate with him doing that. "You do love your museums."

"Yep. And Tyler loves dinosaurs."

"Just Tyler?"

"Maybe Tyler's uncle does too."

"That's cute."

He kisses a tender spot. Even harder now. I mean, it's harder for me to concentrate. Maybe he is hard too.

"Adorkable?" he says.

"That too."

"That's what you called me when we were at the Met."

"Did I?"

"Yep."

"You remember?"

He tilts my chin down so we're looking into each other's eyes. "I remember everything."

I think I just melted a little. "That's good. Though, wait. That part where I fell in the lake. Can you delete that?"

"Why?"

"Because I looked like a bozo."

"You were saving the day."

"Saving our boat."

He laughs. "From that kid!"

"Yeah, Kevin. His dad gave me the photo of you."

"I must thank him."

I kiss him quickly. "I think I've had enough Kevin and Jim in my life, thank you very much."

He kisses me back. "Jim, hmm. She knows his name."

"He introduced himself."

"Cool, cool."

"Are you jealous?"