Till Summer Do Us Part(23)

I glance at it and then back at her. “Well, everyone needs a vehicle,” I say. “And I would hardly say a lime-green Jeep Wrangler is forking out the big bucks. Now, if I had something fancier, like…I don’t know, a useless Ferrari, then sure, but this is an everyday utility vehicle.” I study her. “Is this mode of transportation going to be okay?”

“Yeah, and I guess you’re right, other than the fact that not everyone needs a car when you live in the city.”

“True, but my family is from New Rochelle, and when I visit, I like to control my own transportation. I’d rather just drive, because then that gives me freedom, and I’m not held down by train times.”

She nods. “That checks.”

I chuckle. “Are you testing me before you get in my car?”

“And if I was?” She crosses her arms.

“Then I approve.” I move around to her side and lean against the car.

“I wasn’t looking for your approval.”

“How dare I even hand it out then. Shame on me.”

The smallest of twitches tugs on the corner of her lip, but she hides it well.

“Listen,” I say. “I understand this situation is weird, and going to a camp with a stranger might be a little more adventurous than what you’re used to, so if there is anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable, let me know.” When she doesn’t say anything, just stands there and stares, looking very unsure, I continue, “Do you have questions? Concerns? Do you want me to grab you an AirTag to keep on your person and have Mika hook up to it so he knows where you are at all times?”

Her brows raise up to the sky. “Am I going to need an AirTag?”

“No, I’m just trying to figure out how to make you more comfortable.”

“None of this is comfortable,” she says on a sigh and leans to one side. “But…maybe you can answer a few questions.”

“Okay, have at it.”

She purses her lips for a moment and then asks, “Where did you go to college?”

“NYU.”

“What did you study?”

“Art,” I answer.

“Really?” Her nose scrunches. “Oh wait…the expensive charcoal set. Is that the medium you like to work with?”

“Yeah, charcoal is my favorite. I’m pretty good at watercolor, but it’s not as messy. I like getting my fingers dirty.” I almost wiggle my eyebrows but then realize I don’t have that kind of relationship with her…at least not yet.

“What do you draw mainly?”

“Birds,” I answer with a shrug. “I like bird-watching. I take pictures and then I draw them.”

“That’s…not what I was expecting you to say.”

“No?” I ask with a smirk. “What did you think I drew?”

“Honestly, not sure, but birds weren’t on my radar.”

“Here to surprise you,” I reply.

“Yeah, maybe a little too many surprises.”

That makes me chuckle.

“Um, what did you think you were going to be when you were going through school?”

“Wasn’t really sure.” I shrug. “Was kind of just trying to figure things out. Didn’t quite have a clear direction.”

“Then how did you come up with your app thingy?”

“Soda Tracker,” I correct her.

“Wait.” She shifts on her feet. “You came up with Soda Tracker? That’s like…Yelp for Soda. That’s…that’s a huge app.”

I scratch my neck. “Uh, yeah.”

“How did you come up with that?”

“It was my freshman year, and I was tired as shit most of the time from staying up too late and waking up early for class. I wasn’t a big coffee drinker but loved any type of Coke. Diet Coke, regular, Coke Zero. But I found out pretty quickly that not all Cokes are the same, especially around the city. I’d get irritated when I thought I’d be getting a crispy Coke straight from the fountain, only to find out that it was flat. So one late night, I was bouncing ideas around in my head and came up with Soda Tracker. It allows users to see who serves what brand of soda—which is important—and then it also allows the user to rate the soda, therefore not having to deal with disappointment. It started small, but now it has millions of users constantly rating, offering suggestions.”

“I can’t believe Mika never said anything.”

“He doesn’t say much about me in that aspect. Tend to keep it private.”

She thinks on it and then says, “That’s why you said you don’t date much, because if people find out who you are.”

I nod. “Yeah, people tend to get weird when they find out you have money.”

“I mean, when you casually drop fifteen thousand for a life experience, I can see why.”

“But a fun life experience.” I point at her, making her smile ever so slightly.

She nods at me, arms still crossed. “Why did you sell it?”

“Got bigger than I could handle. I hold stock in it though, and I go to investment meetings often. Now they’re introducing paid services for companies who want to offer the users a unique drinking experience. Influencers are getting on board, and a recipe section is being updated as we speak. Kind of cool seeing a small idea turn into something so large.”