All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(27)

We passed a few cool looking little cafes and restaurants and a shop called the Chocolate Tree. There was a gathering of people outside. “Stop!” I yelped as I saw the sign.

“What?”

“Farmer’s strawberries are in. I’ve heard about this. Turn around!” I added when he didn’t seem to be obeying my command.

“I’m just looking for a safe place to turn.” He chuckled. “Hold your hormones.”

I stuck my fingers under my bare thighs and bounced in my seat as he turned the truck around and found a parking spot next to a law building across the street. He got out and came round to my side, but I’d already opened the door.

“Okay, spill. What are we doing here?” he asked as he helped me down. “You look like a kid on Christmas morning.”

“So they get a delivery of fresh strawberries from a local farm and dip them in fresh chocolate.” He looked unimpressed. I went on, “And when they’ve run out, they’re out.”

“Chocolate covered strawberries? That’s it?”

I smacked Joey’s bicep. “Trust me. They’re not just chocolate covered strawberries.” I made quote marks with my fingers in the air. “Do you think there’d be such a fuss if they were just chocolate covered strawberries?”

He exhaled patiently, his lips curved up, and waved his hand out. “Lead on, then.”

We waited in line, but it moved quickly. “So are you excited about next year?” Joey asked as we shuffled forward closer to the prize.

“Of course,” I said. “I’m excited to learn something again. We’ve been going over and over stuff at school for the exit exams. It’s been mindless.”

“Most people are excited for college life, not learning.” He laughed.

“Well, I’m looking forward to that too obviously. Making new friends and stuff. But it’ll be different for me not living near campus.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” He frowned.

“So you’re done, right? Your undergrad?”

He nodded. “I start the med program in September.”

“I can’t believe you did undergrad in three years. I’m planning on doing that too.”

“Really?” He looked impressed. “I had a bunch of credits from senior year. I didn’t realize you did too.”

I folded my arms. “I’ll try not to be offended at your surprise. I probably don’t have as many as you, but enough that if I work hard I can probably get it done.”

“So you know your major already?”

We shuffled forward again. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the lady behind the counter bring another tray of strawberries through from the kitchen. “I do. Hospitality. I mean I’d like to do photojournalism too. And I really want to travel. But for my major, for sure hospitality.”

“So Keri Ann wasn’t kidding when she said you wanted to work in the hotel industry.”

“I want to own an inn or small boutique hotel one day.”

“That’s cool.”

We finally got to the front. I’d insisted on paying, but only had a few dollars on me, so I ordered us one strawberry each. I handed Joey his.

“All that, and you only ordered one?” he asked.

I raised my shoulders as we moved back outside and stood in the dappled sunlight. “You may hate them.”

“Unlikely. And you obviously don’t.”

“Bad for my figure,” I quipped and bit down, the cool chocolate cracking softly and sweet strawberry juice flooding my mouth. I moaned and closed my eyes.

Joey made a sound like a groan.

I opened my eyes as he dropped his gaze from my face to his own strawberry. “You were right,” he said. “Spectacular.”

“Told ya.” I grinned. We finished up and I leaned on him as we headed back to the truck. “Let’s ride down to Bay Street and drive along the water, it joins back up with Ribault Road and then we can head home.”

“You want to get something to eat first?” he asked as we got to the truck. Seriously, this wanting to spend time with me thing … I wasn’t sure what to do with it.

I was starving, that strawberry had barely hit the spot, but also poor. “Sounds good, but I don’t have any cash. Can we just grab a snack bar or something from a gas station?”

“No way. I need a burger. It’s on me.”

I hesitated. Joey had bought me breakfast last week, had just done me the hugest favor by driving me to Beaufort, and now was offering me dinner.

“Why are you being so nice?”

His eyebrows snapped together. “What do you mean? Am I usually not?”

“No, not always.”

His frown deepened. “Why do you say that?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, you’ve always acted … superior. I don’t know how else to describe it. Like I’m dumber than you or not good at making decisions or something. Case in point your lecture the other night on my decision to lose my virginity.”

“I still think it was dumb. Dumb and dangerous.” We got to the truck, and he opened my door.

“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes and climbed up into the seat.

“You don’t even know him,” Joey said, still standing with the truck door open.