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“See, nothing scary about heights.”
I bump his shoulder with mine as a grin forms on my face. We share a laugh as the crowds begin to die down. Soft thunder starts to roar across the sky and the rain begins to fall, making everyone run for cover.
“Does it ever not rain in this town?” Drew asks.
“It’s summertime in Florida, what do you expect?”
I laugh as we make our way to the empty park gazebo for shelter. He keeps close to me, staring up at the sky. As Drew watches the lightning dance across the sky, the look on his face mimics the look of wonder when a child sees something magnificent for the first time.
His eyes are enchanting and soft at the same time. His smile lights up his face and makes me wonder how someone who has been grumpy most of his life now looks so happy and magnificent.
“Let’s get you home,” he says, after the light rain ends, guiding me towards the main road.
Our walk home is quiet but it isn’t awkward. We simply enjoy each other’s company as fallen palm leaves crunch under our feet, the rain slowly dying down. The world around us looks truly beautiful.
The streetlights reflect off of the wet pavement and drops of rain shimmer on the leaves overhead that still cling to their branches. As we approach my cottage, I realize that I don’t want this night to be over just yet.
The front porch creaks as Drew walks me up to the door. I turn towards him, taking in his features again, finding myself trying to memorize them as best I can.
He smiles as he brushes my damp hair away from my face and kisses my cheek softly. The smell of the fresh rain fills my senses, making me feel safe and comforted.
Then the porch light turns on over our heads. My sister is signaling that it’s time for me to come in. Really?
“Goodnight, Meg,” Drew says, after another long, delicious kiss. And poof, he heads off.
Oh, how I love the way he says my name, I think to myself as I open the door.
The house feels warm and toasty. I notice that Mia has the heater going. I hear her footsteps down the hall in her bedroom, which tells me that she wanted me to come in but she also wants to go to sleep. I don’t blame her. She’s been working fifty to sixty hours a week lately.
“Care for a debrief?” I poke my head into Mia’s bedroom. She’s sitting up, book in hand, reading by her bedside lamp.
“You know if you keep smiling like that all the time, your face will stick,” she smirks.
“You’re hilarious,” I roll my eyes. “Would you like to hear about my night, or shall I get ready for bed?”
She smiles and pats the foot of her bed. “Spill it.”
“Well, after we enjoyed cotton candy and slushies over a very stimulating conversation about childhood memories and life philosophies, he convinced me to go on the ferris wheel with him,” I say.
Her eyes widen and her jaw nearly drops as she muffles her giggles with her hands.
“Is this guy Superman or something?” she asks. “Can he walk on water and turn water into wine too? Because I wouldn’t mind a nice dry red every once in a while.”
“Very funny,” I say, over her giggles.
“And I’m guessing by the wet hair that you two shared a kiss in the rain?” she asks, dramatically holding her hands to her heart.
“We actually shared two or three kisses in the rain,” I correct her, emphasizing the ‘two or three’ dramatically.
“Sounds like a pretty good date to me,” she says.
“He’s something special…I’m just not sure how to handle it.”
“I think you’re handling it just fine,” she offers. “I haven’t seen you this giddy over someone in a long time.”
“That’s the thing. I’m crazy about him but I’m so scared I’m going to somehow screw it up,” I confess. “Before we met tonight, I was terrified I would say something stupid or do something that pushed him away, you know?”
“Like this one date is going to make him wake up and realize I’m not as great as he thinks I am.” Not to mention that he lives in New York City, not here.
