The Other Guy Read Online Free PDF Page B

wide stretch of shore, though for the most part the beach was ours.
Finding a spot that met criteria he didn't explain, Nate plopped himself onto the white sand and lay down, his hands cradling the back of his head. I sat a respectful distance next to him.
"See right there?" he said, stretching a finger toward the sky. "Where those three big ones make a triangle?"
"Yeah?"
He drew a line in the air between two of them. "Those ones are Altair and Vega. There's a cool Chinese story about them that I could bore you with if you'd like," he offered, grinning up at me.
I leaned backwards onto my elbows. "Hit me."
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess," he said.
"Sorry, wait," I interrupted, waving a hand in his direction. "Did you mistake me for a seven-year-old girl? I mean, I know I'm not that tall, but--"
"Shut up," he laughed, and kicked sand over my foot. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess from the heavens who weaved all the clouds in the sky."
She came down to earth one day and met a handsome young cowherd. They fell deeply and madly in love, and married, forging a simple but happy life together. Her parents were furious that she was consorting with a mere mortal and marched her back home; the cowherd tried to follow, but her mother carved out a river in the sky to keep them apart forever.
They live on as Altair and Vega, separated by the Milky Way, yearning for each other across the great divide. But once a year, their sad love story moves the magpies of the world to flock up to the stars and form a bridge so that the princess and cowherd may reunite.
"Well, that's romantic," I said grudgingly, thinking of how certain people formerly in my life could have learned something about the promise of commitment from these guys. "And also pretty depressing."
"All great love stories are," he said. "You know, your standard Romeo and Juliets--"
" That ," I interrupted, "is a story about a couple of infatuated kids with poor communication skills."
Nate raised an amused eyebrow at me. "I didn't peg you for such a cynic, Chicago. Not a fan of love at first sight, huh?"
"I don't think it exists," I said, shrugging. "You do?"
He nodded solemnly. "Yup. To my great detriment," he said, a wry smile forming on his lips.
He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. I mean, I'm just some dude he just met. Eating street food together isn't exactly a life-altering event that forges the kind of emotional bond necessary for kick-starting heart-to-hearts.
I wasn't sure I really wanted to know anyway. I mean, he's just some dude I just met.
We continued stargazing for a few minutes, the gentle lap of the ocean waves a backdrop to our silence.
I sat up with a grunt and brushed sand off my elbows. "Almost my bedtime," I said, by way of explanation.
It wasn't actually very late, and I had jet lag anyway, which probably meant I'd be staring up at the canopy of my four-poster until the wee hours, but if I didn't move now there was a good chance I'd stay out here until sunrise with Nate, if he didn't move either.
The idea of us, side by side, watching the stars glide across the sky wasn't unpleasant, but its very lack of unpleasantness was slightly discomfiting. I didn't know him, and there was no logical reason I should feel that comfortable with somebody I didn't know. And I didn't particularly want to contemplate it any further, so I got to my feet.
Nate made no move to follow suit, merely looked up at me from where he lay in the sand.
"Um," I said, feeling awkward, "goodnight."
He smiled. "See you around, Chicago."

Chapter Three
    'Around' turned out to be the next morning at breakfast. Nate was already sitting out on the patio with an empty plate by the time I moseyed in. He waved when he saw me but gave no real indication that he expected me to follow in his footsteps from the day before and go and sit at his table to chat.
    I dithered for a second. I suppose we were at least acquaintances now, and it would probably be rude to just