Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Brooke chuckled, immediately realizing what his play was. He wanted to pretend they were strangers? She could do that.
“Oh, this old place? It’s okay, I guess.” She kept her tone flippant, even though the Sterling estate was opulent and beyond most people’s means. “I just hope my luxurious way of living doesn’t intimidate you. It can be a lot for a first date with someone I barely know.”
Aiden grinned. “I can handle your lifestyle. I’ll just try extra hard to impress you.” He winked and butterflies took flight in her stomach.
After leaving the house, Aiden drove up Route 684 and pulled off an exit where she immediately saw a Ferris wheel in the background.
“We’re going to a carnival?” she asked, hearing her excitement bleed through.
“What makes you think that?” he asked, laughing.
She lightly shoved his shoulder, enjoying their banter and excited about the destination. “I love that you chose this for us,” she told him.
He reached over and squeezed her leg just above the knee. “Just want you to be happy,” he said, and her heart swelled in her chest.
She sighed. “I am.” She spoke softly but truly meant the words.
Aiden and his siblings were wealthy. They all had trust funds set up before they were born and owned shares in Sterling Investments. Aiden could afford to take a date anywhere he wanted, and he’d chosen a local carnival because it was much more her style than some expensive restaurant where she might not feel comfortable. In truth, she knew this was more his speed, too.
They parked and walked a long way to the entrance, where Aiden bought tickets for the rides and games. The place was full of people, couples, families, and friends out for a fun evening. And there were trucks selling just about every kind of fried food available, and their first stop was for footlong corn dog, which they quickly devoured.
“Oh my God,” she moaned. “That was so good.”
He glanced at her, eyes twinkling. “I bet you left room for fried dough and cotton candy, though.”
“You know it,” she said, letting out a laugh.
Aiden stopped by a tent filled with craftsmen selling art, jewelry, and hand-stitched clothing. They walked through, checking out each booth, chatting about everything and nothing. Then, they wandered over to a stage where a local rock band was performing original songs.
Brooke watched, tapping her foot to the easy beat as Aiden stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They stood like that for a while, listening and swaying to the music. It was easy to be with Aiden like this, to connect in a way that only old friends could. He left her for a few minutes and returned with cotton candy, just as the band took a break between sets.
While they waited, he told her some more about his travels, and it was fascinating to hear about the things he’d seen. From swimming in the Aegean to visiting monasteries in Tibet and hiking in Iceland, he’d really done it all.
“I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous,” she said, looking up at him. “I haven’t traveled much.”
He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I’m not going to lie, there were times when it was amazing, but I also missed having a place to call home.”
She sighed, understanding the sentiment. Brooke was a homebody and the thought of traveling such far lengths to see various sites gave her a touch of anxiety.
After they finished the cotton candy, they found an empty picnic table where they sat down so they could rest and talk more. The sun had set, and string lights hanging from the tree branches above lit the area.
“I knew journalism was your second major, but I never knew you had the desire to travel.” As his close friend, she was surprised the subject had never come up.
Even if he’d made the decision to go because of misplaced guilt, there had to be a part of him drawn to that lifestyle. She’d been aware he hadn’t wanted to work for the family business, and he’d spoken about the possibility of applying to magazines and newspapers in the city. If traveling was in his thoughts, why hadn’t he shared that with her?
“The truth? I don’t think I knew until I saw the notice for the job opening. By then, I thought it made sense to keep things to myself in case I didn’t get it. Then nobody had to worry about me leaving.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” They were having such a nice night, she didn’t want to rehash the past.
As he spoke, he made circles on her hand with his fingers. “It wasn’t a bad way to live, at least in the beginning. And I grew up a lot while I was out in the world. I learned that there are some things in life that I can’t control, and that was a healthy thing for me to process and accept.”