She smiles up at me, and I vow then and there to make her smile at me like that every day if she'll let me.
“And later that night, after that kiss, you still said no?” It's a question I knew she would ask, and I've been waiting to tell her why for a long time.
“I meant what I said. You're worth taking it slow with. I can't think of anything better than waiting out your three date rule. Hell, you could make me wait ten dates, and it would be worth it just to have a chance at taking it slow with you.”
After a moment of comfortable silence between us where I see her mind turning over everything I've just said, she smiles at me and changes the subject.
“So, Mr. Date Expert. Where to next?”
I look around and spot a games arcade on the other side of the road.
“Games,” I announce, taking her hand again as I make to cross the road.
“What do you mean, games?” she asks, walking quickly beside me.
We stop outside the arcade, and I look at her. Totally overdressed for an old and well past its prime games arcade, but that is Kate. All class with an awesome interior-and exterior, of course.
After exchanging some money for coins, we end up playing a car racing game where I let Kate win once before I totally kick her ass, but we both laugh all the way through it. We end the afternoon playing Whack-a-Mole and putting on a performance of our own when we ended up whacking each other and play fighting before I grabbed her for a hard and fast kiss when I lost. Satisfied that I've kissed her speechless, we head back home for the final surprise of the day.
KATE
Four hours ago I was a nervous wreck. Now, I'm lying on my bed, flat on my back with a goofy grin on my face as my mind replays all of the events of the afternoon. I feel like a fifteen year old who just had her first real kiss. Not the ones that you practice on the back of your hand, or with your geeky next door neighbor that your dick-head older brother dared you to kiss-yes, this was my life! No, this was the date of dates, the date of ALL dates. And it's not like it was fancy, expensive, or anything like that. No, it was thoughtful, it was fun, it was relaxed, and in all honestly, I had the best afternoon of my life.
The best surprise of all was when we got home after the games arcade to a picnic dinner laid out on the living room floor. The coffee table had been moved out, and a plaid, woolen blanket covered the carpet with a picnic hamper and a bottle of champagne on ice with two champagne flutes.
I looked up at Zander who smiled at me. “Surprise.”
We sat down on the blanket, Zander with his long legs stretched out to the side, and me cross-legged. Not a great idea when you're wearing a sundress, but I made it work.
Over a dinner of smoked chicken sliders with cranberry sauce, flat bread and dips, and a chocolate mousse for dessert, he told me about his training at the academy and how soon he would be doing field training, which involves going out with an experienced police officer on the 'beat' in Chicago. I loved hearing the excitement in his voice, and how genuinely proud he was of the job he was training for.
Once we'd had enough dinner, I was kind of disappointed that he didn't jump me and try to make out on the blanket. That thought had me thinking all sorts of dirty possibilities, but no, Zander was determined to be the perfect gentleman. Even when I quirked my eyebrow at him as I stretched out on the blanket beside him, our picnic all cleared away, he just smiled adorably at me and shook his head no, to which I pouted. Yes. I pouted. He laughed at me and ran his thumb down my lip before cupping my jaw and looking at me.
I could see the indecision in his eyes, the desire to take this further yet amazingly, he seemed to have way more restraint than me.
“Right, Miss McGuinness. It's time I got you home,” he announced, moving away from me and standing up. After he'd pulled me up off the floor, he took my hand and led me down the hallway. As you can imagine, there were a lot of things going through my mind in that moment. Like whether I was overdue for my wax, or whether my room was tidy or a bombsite after I searched high and low for my shoes this morning. And finally, whether I had any condoms in my room, did he have any in his room, and exactly which room we were headed toward.
When we reached my closed bedroom door, he stopped and turned toward me. Lifting his hand up, he swept my hair away from my face and smiled down at me. “I had a wonderful time today.”
“I did too,” I said, obviously unable to form full sentences at that point. And I'd only had a few glasses of champagne!
“What are the chances of a second date?”
“I think the odds are in your favor right now.”
“You're quoting Hunger Games to me? Right now, when I'm about to kiss you goodnight?”
Say what?
He took a step forward and backed me up against the hallway wall. “I have to have one more taste of you before I go into the bathroom and have a very cold shower. Can you handle that?”
“The kiss, or the cold shower? Because I'm sure I could handle both right now,” I said honestly. My whole body was on fire for him, and the man whose body was firmly pressing me into the wall was to blame.
“Shit, babe, you're killing me here. Fuck, that's hot,” he said just moments before his mouth slammed down against mine.
Zander was the perfect mix of a gentleman with an adorable playful side as well as a super sexy side that came out with a vengeance when we kissed. Three times we kissed during the date and three times I was left light-headed and giddy. Are kisses on a first date even supposed to make you giddy? Are the butterflies you had at the start of the date supposed to be there by the end of the night? If so, then everything is right in the world and that was the best date of my dating life.
Why had it taken me so long to see what was right under my nose for at least the past year? Oh, that's right, my best friend was banging him. I was too focused on dating jerks who didn't respect my three date rule, and totally misunderstood the reason he said no to sleeping with me all those months ago.
Maybe I should have been hitting myself in the head with those Whack-a-mole bats.
All that being said, bring on the second date.
Chapter 17: “Superman”
KATE
It's Wednesday-ultrasound day! We finally find out whether there is going to be a mini super hero or heroine joining us in four months' time.
In the three days since my date with Zander, I've been on cloud nine. We've had breakfast together every morning, then he has given me a chaste kiss on the cheek before leaving for the Academy. As frustrating as it is, it is also very sweet, but part of me wants to grab him by the shirt and slam my mouth onto his. A bit hard when he stands at 6 ft. 2 in. and I'm 5 ft. nothing, but a girl can dream.