Destination Reached

SOPHIA

I said yes.

Well, more like I took his hand, against all my better judgment. Next thing I know I'm being dragged through the Denver airport. I don't know why I took his hand. Under normal circumstances, I would never have. I was not the type of person who gallivants off with a stranger they met on a plane. But for some reason, I decided to say yes.

Maybe it was because I had nothing better to do. Maybe it was because I'd finished my book and I needed a distraction. Maybe it was because when he smiled at me two dimples appeared on each of his cheeks and it made me want to swoon. Maybe it was because he was a big, burly jock but he blushed and got all shy and it was sort of the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Maybe it was because when he'd squeezed my hand a warm pulse had traveled up my arm and for a moment I'd been calm. Maybe it was because when he grazed my thigh a thousand sparks had crackled to life along my skin, and I'd wanted it back when he took it away.

His hands were just so big. They dwarfed mine. He dwarfed me. Usually guys like that scared me. Tall and broad shouldered and muscly. I always felt silly standing next to them, always went for guys who were lankier, smaller. Not as intimidating. But— Jake didn't scare me.

Regardless, I was currently sitting cross legged on the grungy airport floor, and surprisingly enough, not thinking about all the germs that could attack my immune system at any given moment. Across from me was Jake, very busy shoveling mountains of food in his mouth. I had never seen a person inhale so much at once.

And to think, I was worried we'd have too much food. We were surrounded by a myriad of meals. Ramen, pizza slices, fries, orange slices, and a pile of stuff we'd swiped from the vending machine.

Jake swallowed a mouthful of noodles, pointing his chopsticks at me, "So, what are you, Sophia? Beth, Amy, Meg, or Jo?"

I thought about it for a moment, "Well, I wish I was a Jo. But, I'm a Meg."

"Really?"

"You surprised?" I asked, confused. I thought it was obvious. And for a guy who notices everything, I would've assumed he'd think I was a Meg too.

"I would've said you were Jo."

I nearly choked on my French fry, "Are you serious? Jo's are supposed to be adventurous. Spontaneous daredevils. That is definitely not me."

"You're eating dinner with a stranger," he pointed out. "That's adventurous."

"Trust me," I said, "this is not normal behavior." Abby was a Jo. She always had been. "I am very ordinary."

Jake's eyes met mine, "I don't think you're ordinary at all, Sophia Randall."

I'd noticed that he liked to do that. Call me by my full name. He ended most of his sentences with Sophia. It was odd, I wasn't used to being called Sophia. Every time he said my name, my stomach did a somersault. I didn't know why. I chalked it up to all the grease I'd just consumed. That was it, yes, I was just nauseous. These weren't butterflies. Not a chance.

He was awfully attractive.

Also, no guy had ever asked me what March sister I was. Hell, no guy I'd met had ever known what Little Women was, let alone what characters they were most like.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it. There were like twenty messages from Reagan, and one missed call from Tommy. Nothing from Abby. As I'd expected, she had been absolutely fine with me spending the night in an unfamiliar place. She had no qualms whatsoever. That was Abby. Nothing bothered her. I wished I could be that way. More free spirited.