I could have sworn Josie was going to kiss me.

No, not kiss me. Josie was the kind of woman who’d knock our drinks to the floor, step over the glittering shards of glass, and straddle me in front of everyone at this party.

But then she’d pulled back. “How do you… um, how do you take your coffee?”

“Coffee is my life,” I said slowly. “Might as well put it directly into my vein.”

She grinned at that, relaxing.

“Same.” She narrowed her eyes at me, tossing her hair. She had piercings up the entire right side of her earlobe, tiny pieces of metal that twinkled like starlight. “But how you take it is important.”

I paused, considering her. “Cream and sugar.”

Josie reached forward, topping off my glass. “Take that shot.”

“Why?”

“Because you have terrible taste in coffee,” she said, laughing and knocking hers back. I did too, almost choking on it again, which made me laugh more.

“And how do you take your coffee?”

“Black, like you’re supposed to.”

“Says who?” I asked.

“Everyone.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Before you leave Big Sur, I’m making you a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. And you’re going to love it.”

“Fuck, no,” she drawled, teasing tone back in her voice. “And I’m leaving soon.”

That reminder slammed into me harder than I was expecting. “When, exactly?”

“I go back to Los Angeles the day after tomorrow. Two more nights, then you’ll never see me again.”

She seemed to warm to this thought, and I wondered about the kind of relationships she’d had. “You miss the city that much? It’s only been a couple of days, right?” I asked.

“But I’ve lived there my entire life. Born and raised, same as you. All of this,” she said, waving her hand at the dark forest surrounding us, “is totally new to me. And kind of scary.”

“Scary?” I asked. “No way. There’s nothing scary about this place.”

“But it’s so secluded. Where are the people? The 24-hour diners and rowdy nightclubs and street-lights? There’s an endless… energy that thrums through Los Angeles.”

“There’s energy here; it’s just different. You don’t feel it?” I asked.

She tilted her head, thinking. “I do feel it. A little.”

“What does it feel like?”

Josie thought for a second, fingers tapping on her lip. There was a small bumblebee inked onto her middle finger and a moon and sun on her index and ring finger. “Big Sur feels… reckless.”

“Reckless?” I asked.

“Like… wild. Out of control.”

I nodded, starting to understand. “Absolutely. It’s not contained or polite. You either accept Big Sur for what it is or…”

“Or what?”

I smiled. “You get the fuck out.”

Josie laughed at that. “Sounds like some neighborhoods in L.A.”

We were suddenly interrupted by Kevin, who cleared his throat loudly until we looked his way.

“Hey, Kev,” I sighed, already knowing what this would be about.

“Oh, hey Gabe, I didn’t see you there,” he lied.

Josie flashed me a bemused expression.

“You heading home?” I purposefully didn’t introduce the two of them—not that it would change anything at all.

“Yep, yep,” Kevin said, shifting back and forth on his feet. “Yep.” He gawked openly at Josie, widening his eyes at me.

“Well… I’m stopping by the post office tomorrow to send out some packages. I’ll see you then?” I turned my attention back to Josie, indicating it was time for him to leave. Another awkward thirty seconds stretched out before he shuffled away.

“Let me guess,” Josie said. “Kevin is a scorned lover?”

I laughed so loudly every remaining person on the patio glared at me. But I didn’t care. “God, I wish I could say yes. But no. He runs the post office and is a true foot soldier for the Big Sur Channel.”

Josie arched an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“The very intricate network of busybodies that carry forth the town gossip.”

“Ah,” she smiled. “They’re curious about—” she pointed at the space between us.

“Absolutely.”

“Do you gossip too?”

I opened my mouth to lie but couldn’t. “Unfortunately… yes.”

Josie shoved me a little.

I laughed again. “Comes with the job, I’m afraid. It’s basically inherited. My grandfather was the Town Gossip. Then my dad and Cal’s grandfather, Robert. They knew every single thing that happened in this town.”

“People always talk too much to the bartender,” Josie mused. “You must hear a lot of secrets.”

“I do,” I said. “Will you tell me some of yours?”

Something dark and mysterious flashed through her eyes. “Maybe. I’m not sure yet.”

“That’s okay,” I said, wanting this night to go on forever, “I’ll tell you some of mine.”