Page 78 of Love in the Stacks
“Thank you. I could tell you liked the outfit from the way your eyes turned into hearts, and your tongue was hanging out.”
“My tongue was not hanging out,” I protest. “And I likeyou, not just the outfit.”
She laughs. “I know.”
She steps forward and wraps her arms around my neck. I run my hands up her arms and, oh my God, this dress is so soft. Seriously, is it made from bunnies? I’ll be hard-pressed not to have my hands all over her all night. I move my arms to encircle her waist.
“You look really handsome,” she says into my ear.
I think again about the plans I’ve made for the evening and consider chucking them all to stay here on the couch with her. But no. Tonight is special.
We walk to the rooftop restaurant where we ate on our first date. The host leads us to a reserved table right on the edge, where we have a perfect view of the lights along the water. Even better, we’re right under a patio heater so we can enjoy the night air without freezing to death.
“Do you remember the last time we came here?” I ask.
Nicole beams. “Our first date.”
I nod. “You changed my life forever that night,” I say. “You were everything I wanted, but I never thought I could have you.”
Nicole’s eyes fill with tears as she leans forward to take my hand over the table. “And you were everything I didn’t know I needed.” She shakes her head. “How were you so patient with me?”
I chuckle. “Relentless optimism.”
We eat our dinner, chatting and laughing. As we finish up, I ask her, “Ready for some more walking?”
She smiles, and we head toward Cannon Street. We pass the candy shop where we got ice cream on our first date. I see her peek inside,so I say, “I figured it’s too cold for ice cream tonight, so how about hot chocolate?”
She grins. “It’s never too cold for ice cream, but hot chocolate works, too.”
Next door to the candy shop is a little café that sells gelato, sandwiches, and some of the best hot chocolate you can have. They call it double truffle hot chocolate and it’s rich, creamy, and delicious.
I buy two cups, and we sit outside on our bench. “Do you remember what happened here?” I ask Nicole.
“Adam, sweetie, you know our first date wasn't even a year ago. How bad do you think my memory is?”
I sigh. “Can you please just humor me?” I sweep my hand to punctuate the question and knock Nicole’s cup of hot chocolate to the ground. The lid pops off when it hits the concrete and the drink spills into a splotchy brown puddle. I drop my head into my palm and groan.
“Hold that thought,” I say. “I’ll be right back.” I duck into the café to get Nicole a new cup of hot chocolate.
When I sit back down next to her, I ask, “Now, where were we?”
Her mouth forms a cheeky smile. “I was humoring you.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Right,” I say. “Then can you, please?”
She smiles at me sweetly. “Yes, of course I remember this bench. This is where we had our first kiss.”
“That was the most amazing kiss of my life,” I start, holding up a hand when she opens her mouth to protest. “Of my life up to that point,” I clarify. “Every time I see you, you are more beautiful. Andevery time I kiss you, I know I’ll never be able to stop kissing you for the rest of my life. Kissing you is like coming alive.”
She rests her head against my shoulder. “I never realized how safe I could feel being vulnerable with someone else until you,” Nicole says. “Kissing you feels like security and freedom all at once.”
I kiss her forehead, then trail down to her lips. We share a long, sweet kiss. When we break apart, I nuzzle the side of her face with my nose, and, in a low voice, say “I love you,” in her ear.
Then, I stand and pull Nicole to her feet. “More walking,” I say. “Grab your cup.”
She chuckles. “You really do have a plan, don’t you? You are a man on a mission tonight.”
I take her hand, and we walk south on Cannon Street to the town square, which is a small green space with tall oak trees decked out in white, twinkling lights. In the center is a giant Christmas tree, ringed at the base with “presents” made of plywood and paint. We stand for a while, sipping our hot chocolate and admiring the lights. At Nicole’s insistence, we take a picture in front of the Christmas tree, smiling and holding up our hot chocolate cups.
