"There was a time when I thought I wanted to be signed to a label, but times have changed. I don't need to play to make a living. I play because it's my passion and I'd do it whether I had two listeners or two million."
"Okay, then what about the limited dating pool? Haven't you dated every eligible female on the island by now?"
"What makes you think I'm in the dating pool?" he asked.
Alexis grew flushed. She assumed that he was single. "Aren't you?"
He took a brief moment to enjoy her discomfort. "Between tending bar, playing music, and hanging out at the beach, meeting women isn't exactly a problem. Finding one I want to spend the rest of my life with, well, that's another story." A story that featured his eternal flame for her, although Tyler thought it best to keep that part to himself for now.
"I think it's great that you haven't settled," she said sincerely. "You've stayed true to yourself. Few people manage that."
"I guess you work such long hours, you probably don't have time to meet anyone."
"I definitely work long hours," she said, ignoring the latter part of his statement.
Her mood shifted and Tyler sensed that she was retreating. He desperately wanted to reel her back in. "So, in all your travels, have you been anywhere quite like here?" he asked.
"Ask me again in daylight," she said.
Alexis felt the light breeze tickle her neck and gazed up at the barely visible stars, blanketed by the dark sky. She had to admit, the island had a certain charm that she'd forgotten, or maybe never chose to acknowledge. She sighed deeply.
"Listen Ty, it's been great catching up, but I should get back. I'm staying with my parents and I feel like I have a curfew again."
Tyler didn't know what he'd said wrong, but he didn't dare object. "Okay. Well, I'm playing tomorrow night at a place called Gatsby's. I'd love it if you were there. Slap me with some of that urban truth and tell me how much I suck."
Alexis gave him a faint smile. "Maybe. I'll see."
They walked back in silence to where she'd parked her mother's golf cart.
"It's been a good night, despite my tips," he told her. "Thanks for catching up with me."
"It was fun," Alexis said with a note of mild surprise. She hadn't expected to actually enjoy her evening out. She figured she would sit at the bar and stare into a glass of whiskey until she was sure her parents were asleep. This was much better.