Chasing Sin

37

Do guys ever think they're being subtle? Because they literally never are.

"Sorry, but you look really familiar," he suddenly says, pulling my eyes back to him. "Do I know you?"

I shake my head, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Um, no, I don't think so."

"Are you sure?" he asks, holding his hand out. "Jack Turner."

I shake his hand to be polite, finding him quite friendly. "Haven Walker."

"Do you live around here?" he asks, blowing on his marshmallow as it threatens to catch fire.

I take mine out of the fire, now that it's done, and grab another to make for Sin.

"No, actually I'm just here on vacation. My friends and I are staying at a place on Lake Tahoe," I reply.

He seems nice, despite the obvious gawking he displayed a moment ago. I smile as he asks if I've visited before, and I tell him I haven't.

I continue assembling my s'mores as we chat, and eventually Aubrey and Beckett see me. They wave, making their way over, and I try and wrap up my conversation with Jack.

"Hey guys," I greet them. I look back at Jack, who turns to them as well.

"Oh, are these your friends?" Jack asks me while looking at them. He hold his hand out to shake again. "Hi, I'm Jack."

Aubrey and Beckett introduce themselves, seeming a little confused, but friendly nonetheless. Beckett comments on the team Jack's jersey is representing, and they start talking about basketball or figure skating or something. I kind of tune them out once the word sports is used.

I finish the s'mores and interrupt, saying, "Well, we probably ought to go, but it nice meeting you, Jack."

"Oh! Yeah, well, if you guys are going to be around tomorrow night, me and my buddies are gonna have a party," Jack tells us, though looking directly at me. "You should come."

"We're actually leaving tomorrow afternoon," I tell him. "But thanks for the invite."

"Oh, well how about tonight? Are you busy?" he asks me. "Maybe I can get your number."

Aubrey and Beckett shift uncomfortably as Jack goes on, not giving up.

Suddenly I feel an arm around my shoulders, and I look up to see Sin, who is looking down at me with an expectant look.

"Yeah, we never decided what we were doing tonight, did we?" Sin asks me, handing me my lemonade. "Here you go."

"Thanks," I reply, handing him a s'more.

"Um, Sin, this is Jack. He lives around here," I introduce him. "Jack, this is my friend Sin."

"Sin?" Jack repeats. His eyes stick to the arm around me, and clearly gets the memo that I'm not interested. "What a... cool name."

"Thanks, man," Sin says, nodding at him.

"Well, again," I say, trying to get us out of here as politely as possible. "It was nice meeting you. Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah," Jack says, seeming deflated. "See you around."

Sin keeps his arm slung around my shoulders, walking with me away from the s'mores booth. We follow Aubrey and Beck back to the main downtown center, chatting a little along the way.

"I don't think your s'mores and lemonade combination is working," Sin tells me, taking his arm off my shoulders and throwing away his cup of lemonade.