Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

wallet, handing it to Jane. “Count my money. Please.”
    â€œThis is very weird.”
    â€œYeah, but I’m drunker than I expected and…” He paused, shrugging. “I don’t know. I don’t remember what I was going to say.”
    She patted his shoulder and couldn’t stop smiling.
    â€œHow much money do I have?”
    â€œYou have seventeen dollars.”
    â€œI bet you seventeen dollars that you’re smart.”
    He took his wallet and put it back in his pocket and then shook Jane’s hand.
    â€œAll right,” she said.
    When they were done shaking hands, he leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at the ground. Jane poked his side, and he looked over at her.
    â€œHi,” he said.
    â€œHi.”
    â€œWhat are we going to do about you?” Teo asked.
    â€œMe?” Jane asked, putting her hand to her chest to feign shock. “What about you? You are one sorry drunk.”
    â€œI’m not sorry.”
    â€œFine. But you are drunk.”
    â€œHow are we going to settle this bet about how smart you are?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t know. It’s a tough one.”
    He put his hand out to her, and Jane took it, thinking he wanted to shake again, but instead he held on to it, twining their fingers together.
    â€œI like your nail polish,” he said, smoothing his thumb over it.
    â€œIt’s called Sweet Escape.”
    â€œIt’s the color of a Creamsicle.”
    â€œI’m sorry to say it doesn’t taste like a Creamsicle.” The whole moment was surreal to Jane. It was like she was talking from outside her body. It felt like something was happening around her instead of to her.
    â€œWhat are you escaping from?”
    She didn’t answer, instead drawing his hand closer to her and studying it in the light from the deck.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” he asked, his voice right in her ear, his breath raising the hairs on her neck.
    â€œI’m looking at your palm.”
    â€œAre you going read it?”
    â€œI was thinking about it.” She traced the lines on it lightly, and he shivered. Jane glanced over at him. He looked a little lost, but a lot less sleepy all of a sudden.
    â€œI think we’re a lot alike, Jane Connelly,” he said.
    â€œI think maybe we are, too,” she said after a while.
    He pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair, looking at the stars.
    â€œThere’s a lot of stuff people don’t know about,” he said.
    She watched his eyes dart back and forth, like he was searching for something up there besides the stars and the low-flying planes.
    â€œI don’t know a lot of stuff,” he continued. “But I want to learn everything.”
    Her heart constricted, and she felt tears rise in her eyes. Something about Teo in this moment was everything she loved and hated about life, all rolled into one.
    The next thing Jane knew, Teo leaned over in his chair, closed his eyes, and aimed for the approximate location of Jane’s lips. But his drunk brain misjudged the distance, and instead he fell out of his chair and flat on his face.
    â€œOuch,” he muttered, rolling over.
    Jane could hardly stop laughing. “Are you okay?”
    â€œThat was supposed to be romantic,” he said mournfully. “Like on the roof. I was going to be the right person.”
    Jane offered her hand to him. “Come on,” she said, helping him sit up.
    â€œThat hurt my arm and my pride.” He scrunched up his face. “I am really thirsty. I should have more beer.” He scrambled to his feet, but Jane pushed him back into his chair.
    â€œNo more beer. I’ll get you some water.”
    â€œOkay, fine,” he said, huffing out a breath.
    â€œStay here,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
    He nodded.
    Jane went in search of the cooler where she’d found water bottles earlier, but it was empty. She went into the house but