Page 11 of Daddy's Little Drummer Boy
I took his hand again. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“Oh no, I’m fine,” he said. “I don’t want you to go out of your way.”
“I’m enjoying your company. Which way are you parked?”
He flushed, and I wondered what mistake I’d made. “I took the bus,” he said finally. “So, I’ll catch it right on the corner. I usually leave my car at home when I’m going places downtown.”
“Smart.” I suspected it was money again, as well. “Parking is a real pain down here. But since I did drive, why don’t I give you a lift home. It’s too late and there are too many partiers out there to have to put up with them on the bus.”
I watched his face as he considered then said, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
We walked hand in hand to a nearby parking lot, and it absolutely was no trouble to spend more time with him. I’d be glad to sit up all night talking and get to know him better. But I didn’t want to be pushy on our first date, so after he directed me to his home, I got out and escorted him to the door, never suggesting he invite me in.
But he did say, “Next time, I can make you dinner if you’d like that?”
“Home cooking? Count me in. I’d enjoy that.” After another long, sweet kiss, I watched him go inside and, after the door was safely closed, I headed back to my car, wondering how soon I could call and set up that next date.
Chapter Nine
Bobby
The beeping of my alarm ripped me from the most wonderful dream. Nick and I had been at the amusement park of all places. It wasn’t even the right time of year, but that didn’t seem to make a difference to my sleepy brain. We were on a Ferris wheel, the old-fashioned kind where you faced forward, not in a car, and we stopped at the very top as they let someone off. Nick held my hand and was pointing out all the rides he was going to take me on next.
As far as dreams went, it wasn’t overly exciting. Not really, but something about it had me all warm in the middle. Stupid alarm had to go and ruin it.
I reached to grab my phone to turn it off and saw a message notification I’d missed from the night before. I tapped it, and it was Nick. Did he have a dream about me too? If he did, I kinda hoped it was a dirty one. Whatever that said about me, so be it. It was true.
Hope you have a wonderful day.
It wasn’t the first message we’d exchanged in the few days since our date. We’d actually been talking and texting quite a bit. Between his work schedule and mine, that was all we had time for. He was actually in another city for two of those days. After Christmas, I’d be able to see him more often. And yes, I was already planning for after the holidays. Apparently, I was jumping in with both feet.
I was glad Nick wasn’t the playing-games kind of guy, like so many I dated when I was younger. They all did the thing where they didn’t call for a specific number of days, kept things short, or left me hanging. Whatever the logic was behind making people think you didn’t really like them, I never understood it.
With Nick, it was pretty clear he enjoyed our time together and wanted to get to know me. I scrolled up to read our messages. I’d probably reread them a thousand times. They weren’t anything too serious, but they still made me smile each and every time.
How was your day?
Martha brought in cupcakes to work for their birthday.
The snow was beautiful this morning.
I think my boss is going to make us do a Secret Santa this year.
They weren’t anything too personal or even that interesting, yet every single one was special.
“Rooney, I don’t want to get up. I just want to stay here and read the messages.”
But I did have to get up. Work waited.
I sent a message back, telling Nick I hoped his day was good, then got ready for my morning. After showering, dressing, making coffee, and packing my lunch—if throwing a package of ramen into my lunch sack counted—I was off.
Coffee in hand and backpack over my shoulders, I stepped out of my warm apartment building and into the cold. The wind was really ripping through the streets today. If I had PTO, I would’ve been back up in my apartment under my warm blankies, but I didn’t, so off to the bus stop I went.
At least I didn’t have to wait long for the bus. Not the first one, at least. My transfer stop though? I had the usual fifteen-minute wait there, and it was too cold for that.
I took out my phone to check the weather, crossing my fingers and toes that it would warm up as the day went on. It wasn’t going to, but I did see that Nick sent me another message, making the news less hard to take. I turned my notifications back on to make sure I wouldn’t miss any others and opened it up.
He’d sent me a picture of his car all covered in snow. From the looks of it, the wind had given him more than his share. Either that, or his side of the city had been slammed a lot harder than this one.
