It took us a minute to disentangle ourselves, and he nearly fell over again.
“Let’s head back,” I said.I could tell he was getting tired.
We couldn’t get close enough with our snowshoes on to hold hands.
“Guess we won’t be doing it against a tree today,” I said.
“Good thing.I don’t want to get frostbite on my dick.”
When we got to the clearing around the cottage, he took his snowshoes off and waded through the snow.I picked up his snowshoes, returned them to the shed, and joined him inside.There was a broom in the entryway, and I used it to brush the snow off his jeans.He found this process hilarious.
“You want to go out for an early dinner?”I asked him.“I passed a restaurant when I was looking for the pharmacy.Looked pretty nice.”
“Will I have to dress up?”
I pictured the farmers eating there.
“No,” I said.
I figured if we went early, we’d miss the lunch and dinner rushes.And I was right.The parking lot was only half-full when we got there.
On the server’s recommendation, we had turkey with cranberry stuffing, roast potatoes, and maple-glazed carrots and hot chocolate with marshmallows.
“You had hot chocolate on our first date,” I said.“You gave it to me when I was choking on my bagel because I couldn’t believe we were actually gonna do it.And we did, but it took eight months.”
“Technically, we still haven’t done it,” he said.
He didn’t say it like it bothered him, just like he was setting the record straight.Or bi.Whatever.I sipped my hot chocolate.They’d made it with real chocolate, not powder.
He laughed.
“What?”I said.
“You’ve got marshmallow on your nose.”He reached across the table with his napkin and wiped it off.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“I remember that date,” I said.“I couldn’t believe I’d found you after so long and that you said yes when I asked you out.Then when you told me you were single, all I could think about was how much I wanted to blow you.”
“You weren’t even drunk.”
“I couldn’t tell you what I was thinking until I was drunk, but I was thinking it stone-cold sober.”I lowered my voice.“I’m thinking about it now, actually.”
He blinked at me.
“You want to order dessert?”I said.
“Maybe we should get something to go.”
“Good idea.”
I insisted on paying for us both, just like I had on our first date.I bought us a couple of butter tarts from the pastry cabinet by the till.Places like this made their pastry from scratch, and they used real maple syrup.
He was waiting for me by the door.We went out into the cold together and got in the car.I started the engine.Then I turned on the heat, cupped the back of his neck, and kissed him.I didn’t care who saw us.I wanted him that much.
“Thanks,” I said.
