it was. A yearning for home. But she’d never yearned for home, not even at college. She frowned. This didn’t make sense. Well, it didn’t have to, because it wasn’t going to be anything. Like a mantra she repeated to herself: Be cool. Be distant. Nothing personal.
Bryant leaned over to Chalise and Brittany, then turned back to her. She tensed.
“So, heard anything about the movie?”
“Yes, it has subtitles, so you should be okay,” she said. The sarcasm hung in the air. Megan swallowed. She was not handling this well. Couldn’t the movie start already? Couldn’t he smell like something other than ocean surf? Couldn’t he be ugly?
Bryant stared steadily at her, eyes crinkling at the corners. He moved the soda straw toward himself, briefly touching her fingers in the exchange, then obviously wiped the top and sipped. It was a mimicking gesture. She got it and couldn’t help a small grin. His laughing eyes knew she got it, which only irritated her more. They’d barely talked and now they were sharing private silent jokes?
Not going to happen, she reminded herself. Refusing to give him any other satisfaction, she stared defiantly at the blank movie screen.
Chad leaned forward in his seat. “I think it’s a movie about these two people who like each other but can’t get along, so they move farther and farther away, only to end up at the same place.”
“It’s a knock-off,” said Megan. “Sounds like The Great Divorce .”
“The what?” said Chad. “I haven’t seen that one.”
“It’s not a movie,” said Bryant, “it’s a book. C.S. Lewis. The bus scene, right?” He turned to Megan.
She tried not to look impressed. “Did you read that on SparkNotes?”
“Actually, I read it all the way through, sounding out the big words.”
A laugh escaped her, she couldn’t help it. He just smiled as she took a few kernels of popcorn to cover her momentary lapse.
Leaning in closely, he half-whispered, “So, what’s with the hostilities?”
His breath tickled her neck. She fought to ignore it. “Hostilities? I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is basic conversation.”
He shook his head. “No, this is enemy territory. It’s like talking with the Berlin Wall.”
“The Berlin Wall? You do know it came down a few years ago?”
“Yeah, somehow you didn’t get the memo.” He offered the popcorn bag.
Yes, definitely like Sam. Pressing her lips to stifle another laugh, she reached over and scooped more kernels as a distraction. Their fingers touched momentarily again and she instinctively moved them away.
Be cool. He’s just a cast member, Megan told herself. Talk normally. “Okay, I have a non-hostile question for you,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“Why the letter ‘t’ at the end?”
“Of what?”
“Your name. Why not stick with Bryan?” She seriously wanted to know.
He paused, chewing and thinking. “Actually, in all my 27 years, no one has ever asked me that.”
Twenty-seven? He was 27 years old ? What was he still doing singing on a cruise ship? Loud warning sounds blared in the back of her mind. Not your type. Be distant. Run .
“And exactly who do you hang out with?” she said.
“College jocks. Community Ed rejects. Power tripping construction workers.”
“Well, that explains it. What did you major in, He-Man Welding?”
“No, Berlin—Mechanical Engineering. With a minor in Rec Management.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, that’s not a real minor. That’s for people who can’t do fractions, who live to river run until they die—I mean literally raft until they keel over into the river.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard it described that way.” He settled farther down into the seat, his round muscular shoulder pressing against her smaller one. “So, Madame Curie, what’s your major—Nuclear Physics?”
“Psychology,” she said. What was she doing ? Way too personal. Keep it distant. Rude. Sarcastic. Fight!
“And that is a
Bryant leaned over to Chalise and Brittany, then turned back to her. She tensed.
“So, heard anything about the movie?”
“Yes, it has subtitles, so you should be okay,” she said. The sarcasm hung in the air. Megan swallowed. She was not handling this well. Couldn’t the movie start already? Couldn’t he smell like something other than ocean surf? Couldn’t he be ugly?
Bryant stared steadily at her, eyes crinkling at the corners. He moved the soda straw toward himself, briefly touching her fingers in the exchange, then obviously wiped the top and sipped. It was a mimicking gesture. She got it and couldn’t help a small grin. His laughing eyes knew she got it, which only irritated her more. They’d barely talked and now they were sharing private silent jokes?
Not going to happen, she reminded herself. Refusing to give him any other satisfaction, she stared defiantly at the blank movie screen.
Chad leaned forward in his seat. “I think it’s a movie about these two people who like each other but can’t get along, so they move farther and farther away, only to end up at the same place.”
“It’s a knock-off,” said Megan. “Sounds like The Great Divorce .”
“The what?” said Chad. “I haven’t seen that one.”
“It’s not a movie,” said Bryant, “it’s a book. C.S. Lewis. The bus scene, right?” He turned to Megan.
She tried not to look impressed. “Did you read that on SparkNotes?”
“Actually, I read it all the way through, sounding out the big words.”
A laugh escaped her, she couldn’t help it. He just smiled as she took a few kernels of popcorn to cover her momentary lapse.
Leaning in closely, he half-whispered, “So, what’s with the hostilities?”
His breath tickled her neck. She fought to ignore it. “Hostilities? I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is basic conversation.”
He shook his head. “No, this is enemy territory. It’s like talking with the Berlin Wall.”
“The Berlin Wall? You do know it came down a few years ago?”
“Yeah, somehow you didn’t get the memo.” He offered the popcorn bag.
Yes, definitely like Sam. Pressing her lips to stifle another laugh, she reached over and scooped more kernels as a distraction. Their fingers touched momentarily again and she instinctively moved them away.
Be cool. He’s just a cast member, Megan told herself. Talk normally. “Okay, I have a non-hostile question for you,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“Why the letter ‘t’ at the end?”
“Of what?”
“Your name. Why not stick with Bryan?” She seriously wanted to know.
He paused, chewing and thinking. “Actually, in all my 27 years, no one has ever asked me that.”
Twenty-seven? He was 27 years old ? What was he still doing singing on a cruise ship? Loud warning sounds blared in the back of her mind. Not your type. Be distant. Run .
“And exactly who do you hang out with?” she said.
“College jocks. Community Ed rejects. Power tripping construction workers.”
“Well, that explains it. What did you major in, He-Man Welding?”
“No, Berlin—Mechanical Engineering. With a minor in Rec Management.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, that’s not a real minor. That’s for people who can’t do fractions, who live to river run until they die—I mean literally raft until they keel over into the river.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard it described that way.” He settled farther down into the seat, his round muscular shoulder pressing against her smaller one. “So, Madame Curie, what’s your major—Nuclear Physics?”
“Psychology,” she said. What was she doing ? Way too personal. Keep it distant. Rude. Sarcastic. Fight!
“And that is a
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