We'll eat cake by the ocean

 

"So..so did you kiss her?" After Phil said it, he wished he'd kept his mouth shut. After all, he'd been left to his own devices with Lexi.

It still left him in shock that she liked him so much. How could that be? He'd spent nights awake, wondering how it all happened. Were they really dating now?

The day they met he was doing his laundry the usual way, but she stopped him. She thought he would have pink clothes if he left his red undies with the rest of the load.

"I don't think so," he'd looked at her as if he'd never heard of such a thing. He really didn't want her to touch his undies.

"Just put those in with mine," she'd said and took them right out of his hands. After all, she was doing a cold wash with colored clothes. 

"Um," he could only manage to shake his head. Although, it might have been yes when he thought about it now.

If that wasn't enough she took his hand and touched the palm of it as if she might be a fortune teller.

"You work in an office, don't you?" She'd asked. Phil's eyes lit. Who in the world was she?

Well, she worked at the Mutual of Omaha too. 

"I've seen you before," she let a smile slip then as she introduced herself. He let out a sigh. Oh, this couldn't be going anywhere.

But Lexi invited him over to dinner. She cooked for him now. She even darned the holes in his socks. She was so thrifty. How could he not fall in love with someone like her? Yes, this was a woman who liked to stay home and make her own blondies that could melt in your mouth.

"A WOMAN!" Boone had teased him first thing when he found out about Lexi. Of course, he gave Phil a slap on the back. "I'm so proud of you. man."

Oh, it gave Phil the shivers now. Wasn't Lexi going to come to her senses and realize he was the most boring person she'd ever met? Although, he could sit and watch her watch TV. Yes, it was that kind of thing. Maybe he really was smitten with her. Although, he didn't know if he deserved her or not.

She was five years older than him. And she had been engaged once upon a time. "That was during the pandemic," she said their wedding had been put off due to all the restrictions. "If that wasn't enough, he ended up marrying my bride's maid and she's gonna have his kid any day now."

However, Lexi didn't seem gloomy about it. She had to be the most optimistic person he'd ever met. "You make me laugh when you're not around," Lexi admitted.

This only made Phil wince as if that did not make sense.

"It's a good thing," she assured him as she grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye. Her smile said it all. Yes, she was the center of it all and sometimes, he could hardly breathe wondering what the future might hold.

"What?" Boone squinted and then laughed at Phil. Actually, he was tuckered out and he really did need a shower and sleep after the long camping trip. "You mean, Lily?" He tilted his head and looked a Phil. "Holding hands is as far as it's gotten."

"But..but you slept in the same tent," Phil protested as if that had to mean something.

"So." Boone blew a breath. He explained there were a lot of people in that tent and they'd stayed up most of the night chatting for the most part. "How's it going with Lexi?"

"Oh you know," Phil shrugged back.

"Did you kiss Lexi?" Boone asked as soon as Phil turned away. He didn't think it could be more than that, but he was pretty sure Lexi knew the 101 of relationships. 

"Well," Phil didn't look too optimistic about it.

"It couldn't have been that bad," Boone knew he needed to wait for an answer but it was as if his room was calling his name. He needed sleep. 

"I don't guess," but he knew Phil wouldn't know.

"Don't overthink it," Boone didn't have time for this.

"It's just..she..she told me she knows, Zoey..and well, what if that brother of yours got the big idea of getting Zoey to..to ask Lexi ..you know.."

"What?" Boone almost fretted because Phil looked to be in a tailspin. "Lexi found you in the laundry room..all on her own. Remember? Don't go making shit up that's gonna keep you up at night."

Phil looked stunned that Boone would say something like that. "She's sweet on you and I'm pretty sure you're sweet on her. So..so just leave it at that. See what's next." Boone went on to his room to unload his stuff. Boone smiled. Maybe Phil just needed him to be his cheerleader. Boone could at least do that much.