Five minutes later, Petula pulls out of her driveway with me beside her, and I can hear my heart hammering against my chest as my senses are consumed with her perfume. We sit in silence for a minute until she says, "Any big plans for Christmas Eve?"
I shake my head. "No. It's usually pretty quiet for me the day before Christmas," I admit. "How about you?"
"Oh, well, normally I head over to Sea Glass and spend the holiday with my sister, Joelle. But since I was just there, I can't really swing it again so soon. So, yeah, I'm doing the same. Home alone."
She pulls into my driveway, puts the car into park, and then turns to me, excited. "I just had a great idea. How about I cook you Christmas Eve dinner as a thank you for everything you've done for me?"
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
My stomach squirms at the thought. I don't think it's the best idea to keep hanging out with this woman because I'm clearly falling for her.
"You've literally been my knight in shining armor, like, over and over again. At the very least, I can make you a Christmas Eve dinner," she insists.
Feeling my resolve quickly crumble, I nod my head and say, "Okay. Sure. Thanks."
Petula squeezes my arm, and my body is immediately consumed with fiery sparks shooting through it. Our eyes meet, and the next thing I know, I am cupping my hand behind her head and pulling her in for an intense kiss. She melts against me as our tongues meet, and my entire body sizzles from the feel of her.
As soon as we kiss, I abruptly stop, sitting back.
"Shit. I'm sorry," I say gruffly before jumping out of the car and hurrying to my front door without another look at the surprised curvy witch behind me.
Once inside, I bang the back of my head against the door as a loud sigh escapes my mouth.
What the fuck are you doing, Flint?
8
Petula
Sitting at the kitchen table, I flip through my aunt's cookbook as my fingers touch my lips, which still tingle from my kiss earlier today with Flint. My cell rings on the table, and I answer it, putting my sister on speakerphone.
"So you got your car back?"
"Hello to you too. And, yes, I did."
"Why does it sound like you're smiling?"
"Oh, I'm just planning Christmas Eve dinner. I told Flint I wanted to cook him one since we're both alone that night, you know, as a thank you for everything he's done," I quickly add the last part.
"Petula, why are yousmiling?" she says, emphasizing the last word, and I roll my eyes, amazed that she knows me so well even when she can't see my face.
"We kissed," I admit.
"Holy shit, I knew that was going to happen!" Joelle says excitedly.
"Yeah, well, then he said sorry and ran out of my car and into his house, so it wasn't exactly ideal," I grumble.
"Well, give the poor guy a chance. The way you've described him, he sounds like he doesn't know how to flirt all that well, which isn't too surprising given that he is a mountain man lumberjack loner dude," she says with a giggle.
"Yeah, maybe," I say, sighing.
On Christmas Eve morning, I send Flint a text confirming dinner in the evening, which he immediately responds to
Are you sure it isn't a problem?
I take a picture of the roast in the oven and send it to him with a message.
I am already cooking.
