Eddie’s eyes flick to meet mine. “Can he drive this thing?”
“Not really. I suggest the helmet.”
Eddie chuckles and puts the helmet on over the top of his cap. He sits on top of Christopher’s handlebars. His skinny legs are bunched up.
Christopher pushes off and wobbles at the extra weight, and Eddie laughs. “Faster,” he cries.
“I’m not a fucking donkey,” Christopher calls.
“I beg to differ,” I call.
Christopher’s eyes flick over to me at the double meaning.
“You’re a weak donkey,” Eddie cries into the wind. “Faster. Go faster.”
“I’ll give you a weak donkey.” Christopher stands and starts to power pedal. Eddie laughs out loud, and I pedal hard and try to keep up.
This is the most fun I’ve had in forever.
We stagger down the street arm in arm. It’s past midnight, and we are on our way to our hotel. We’ve had the best day. We went to the beach with Eddie this afternoon, and Christopher threw us around in the sea for hours.
We went back to our hotel and then went out to dinner and had another night of drinking fancy drinks in exotic bars.
“Oh my god, we have spent so much money,” I say as we walk.
“Who cares,” Christopher replies. “Stop worrying about fucking money.”
“You’ll be worrying about money in the morning,” I remind him.
“I’m doing this bar course, and then I’m going to get a great job, and then we can afford somewhere better to stay.” He frowns and then mouths the word we.
I hold him in my arm just that little bit tighter. He’s done so well since he came back.
Not one freak-out. He’s ready for this . . . for us.
It’s obvious.
We turn the corner, and there’s a bunch of buskers on the street. There’s a band with drums and a saxophone. Such a cool vibe. People are gathering around, and as we walk up, Christopher takes me into his arms and begins to dance. He twirls me around, and I hold my arm up in a dramatic fashion. He tips his head back and laughs out loud.
The band gets excited that we are dancing and begins to play louder dance music, and a few other couples begin to dance. Christopher is throwing me around, and we are laughing and having the best time. He pushes me out and pulls me back to him with a thud. He spins me and spins me and then holds me close. I look up at his beautiful face, so handsome and carefree.
“Today was the best day I’ve ever had,” he says softly.
My eyes search his, and I kiss his big perfect lips. I want to blurt out that it was my best day, and that every day in his arms is like a dream come true.
That . . . I love him.
But I won’t, because then . . . he will freak out.
“Can we go home now?” I whisper. I want to show him what he means to me, even if I can’t say it out loud.
“And miss out on this amazing dance floor?” He gasps as he tips me back. I laugh as I see the upside-down road come dangerously close to my face. “No way.” He keeps dancing, having the time of his life.
“No way?” I laugh.
“Grumps, this is the only entertainment we can actually afford. Tomorrow it’s back to stale bread and water. We have to live it up while we can.” He spins me out and snaps me back.
I smile goofily up at my man. “I love being broke with you.”
He laughs out loud. “Don’t get used to it.”