Page 75 of Meet Cute Reboot

“Whose idea was this?” I said, finally settled down, but still gasping for air.

“I think the flip was your idea,” Luke said smiling. He had one arm on either side of me, his broad chest shading me from the sun.

“I need to file a complaint with Isaac Newton.”

“He didn’t create gravity, he just discovered it.”

“That jerk.”

Luke smiled again, and then gravity pulled his body toward mine. Our lips met and passion weighted his kiss. I relished the moment as water lapped against our bodies. My body melted and I became one with the ocean, my essence mingling with the salt water.

When he pulled away, I grinned. “We’re in public.”

“Not for long,” he said mischievously. He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet, gathered me up in an embrace. “Let’s go home and take a shower to get that sand out of your hair.”

The throaty call of a passing seagull awakens me from my reverie. I realize I’ve been staring at Luke. For how long? I glance at Sarah to find the camera’s lens trained on me. She’s smiling broadly and gives me a thumbs up. The heat of embarrassment spreads into my cheeks.

I hastily walk over to Luke and pretend to be fascinated by a tide pool while I wait for the heat to subside.

“No way,” Luke says.

I don’t think he noticed my wistful staring. Maybe we can edit it out of the video later.

“What did you find?” I ask as I peek over his shoulder.

“I’m not sure, but I think...”

He uses both his hand and his dip net to reach far into a crevice between two large boulders. What he pulls out astonishes us both. The creature is small, multi-tentacled, with a bulbous body that flattens against his net.

“It’s a freakin’ octopus,” he says.

I press my hand to my mouth. “Oh my gosh. Get it to the touch tank, quick!”

We jog over to Alice and show her our find.

She’s just as astonished as we are. Luke carefully lowers the octopus into the salt water, and we watch in fascination as its tentacles undulate through the water. He wiggles his fingers in front of what looks like the creature’s eyes. It wraps two tentacles around his index finger and suctions on.

“That feels so strange,” he says. “Try it, Cassie.”

I eye the octopus warily. “I don’t know.”

“It’s not slimy.”

“Octopuses are intelligent creatures,” Alice says. “It’s studying you.”

The red worm slithers in a separate pan. In this pan are the octopus and a few small fish. No pinching crabs or stinging jellyfish.

“Fine,” I concede.

I dip my finger into the water near the octopus, near Luke’s hand. The octopus notices my presence and wraps a tentacle around my finger. I can feel the individual suction cups as they grab hold. They feel soft and reassuring. A moment later, my hand drifts into Luke’s as the small, but mighty octopus pulls the two of us together. We sit in amazement for a few solitary moments until other tour members crowd around to view the spectacle.

I gently remove my hand and give someone else a go at it. Taking my lead, Luke stands, and we retreat to the rear of the group.

“I’m not sure anything can top that,” he says.

I nod. “He was actually a cute little guy.”

“Better than the worm?”