Read Online Night Sky by Jolene Perry - Free Book Online

has set aside.
    “Sure, just a sec,” Sky says, dropping my
hand to sit on the edge of the pool. The dolphins know Mike means
food, and they swarm, waiting. “Can I touch them?” She turns toward
Mike.
    “Sure, but watch their teeth. They don’t
mean to bite, and they’re usually really gentle, but sometimes they
get overexcited.” He chuckles. They’re his children—these three
dolphins.
    “Okay.” She pulls her long hair to the side,
does a quick braid and ties it with one of the leather bracelets
from her wrist. I have no idea why I find this fascinating, but I
can’t take my eyes off her.
    She leans dangerously far over the pool
reaching her arm out. I sit on the edge and watch her face fill
with wonder and excitement, each time one of them presses their
nose to her fingers.
    “Here,” Mike says, handing her a dead
fish.
    “Thanks.” She grabs the slimy thing without
hesitation feeding it to the nearest dolphin.
    “That’s not gross?” I ask.
    She laughs. “I grew up around commercial
fishing. I’ve seen a few dead fish.”
    “Oh…” It makes me realize how much we have
to learn about each other.
    “This is amazing.” She only has eyes for the
dolphins. “Do you do this often?”
    “Not as often as he used to,” Mike answers
for me.
    She rubs one on the head. “I’d be here all
the time. They’re incredible, aren’t they?” She glances back at me.
Her eyes are bright, and a huge smile lights up her face.
    “They are.” And so are you—more incredible all the
time.
    ***
    “You’ve really outdone yourself, Jay.” Our
hands are laced together and we’re back to walking the Vegas strip.
Her hair is once again swinging behind her.
    “It’s your birthday.”
    “Still…” She leans her head against my
shoulder for a moment.
    “I’m glad you think so. One more big stop,
and then we can waste the rest of the night doing whatever we
like.”
    “Then it really wouldn’t be a waste, would
it?” She picks her head up off my shoulder and looks into my
eyes.
    “No, I guess not.” I smile down at the
expression of happiness on her face.
    We walk up the strip
together, hand in hand. I’m trying to figure out how to get closer
to her, but I have no idea going on in her head. Okay, honesty, right? “What are you thinking about?”
    “That I’m glad it’s my birthday and you
didn’t go through all this trouble just because it was our first
date.” She glances at me briefly before her eyes travel to the
lights that seem to come from all sides. I forget how much there is
to look at here. I’ve seen it all so many times.
    “Why?”
    “Because as much fun as this is, it probably
took a lot of preparation and planning.”
    “A little.” I’m supposed to downplay here, right?
    “A lot,” she insists. “I guess I want you to
know that just being with you…next to your pool…something that
wasn’t planned at all…was also awesome.”
    Wow. “I really, really want to kiss you right now.” I pull her to
a stop on the sidewalk, forcing people to walk around
us.
    “Now, you’re just trying to score points.”
She shakes her head.
    “Surely, I’ve earned enough.” I smile
wide.
    “Oh, you’ve earned enough, but now we have
to find a good moment—one that’s planned, but not planned. It needs
to be a moment when we both feel like we’ll go crazy if we can’t
kiss the other.”
    I lean closer and whisper. “I’m already
there, so I guess I’ll wait for you.”
    She laughs, dismissing me as I open the
doors of the Paris Hotel.
    “Jameson! Found a replacement for me
already?” Kim smiles wide, a drink tray in hand.
    “Nice.” I laugh and keep walking. I realize
there’s no way Sky didn’t hear or see the smile Kim had for me…but
I’m not sure how to explain her to Sky.
    “Who’s that?” Sky asks, glancing over her
shoulder at Kim.
    “My mom works here, and that’s her shameless
flirt of a co-worker.” Is that enough information to satisfy