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“I can’t believe that just happened,” I said with a laugh.
“Probably happens all the time. People get frisky around the holidays,” Danny replied jokingly as he pulled out his phone.
“It’s Max. He’s wondering where we are. Should I have him meet us for lunch?” he asked as he read a text on his phone.
My stomach trembled at the thought of seeing Max so soon after what just happened. “Sure,” I responded in a choked voice.
Danny gave me a knowing grin as he typed back a response to Max.
“Hmmm. Looks like it’s just us until later. Max has a meeting he has to take online.”
“A meeting?”
“Yep, just something for school,” Danny said vaguely.
I couldn’t help but feel like he was being intentionally vague, but I didn’t push him. Despite the fact that we had just gottenveryintimate with one another, we were still basically strangers.
Which is what I wanted when I started all of this...
Right?
Naughty List #7: Relentless Teasing
“Where are we going?” I asked as Danny and I walked down the sidewalk, my hand in his. The afternoon was already dark with clouds and snow coming down in thick patches. After lunch we had done more window shopping and wandered over to the Cloud Gate exhibit or “The Bean” as Danny and everyone else seemed to call it, to take goofy pictures in the giant sculpture.
“Max is meeting us at an ice bar not far from our hotel. We’re gonna have a few early drinks before dinner.” He glanced over at me when he spoke and drew me closer to avoid a man walking straight into me.
The ground grew slippery under my boots, and Danny held me close so I didn’t fall.
The place we entered was dark and lit up with Christmas lights. An enormous, fake polar bear stood in the corner on its hind legs, a leather chair near him. The walls were made of metal with giant bolts looking like we’d stepped into a steampunk world.
“Wow, this is a bar?” I asked, glancing around at the small counter where Max was speaking to an older woman and handing over his credit card. Steampunk goggles hung off hooks on the wall along with fake laser guns. This had to be the strangest place I'd visited.
“You’ve never been to an ice bar?” Danny asked, curiously.
I shook my head just as the lady waved us over to join her and Max at the end of the counter and we headed toward them. She handed me a lush faux fur coat the color of snow that easily fell to my knees. “Put this on then I’ll take you into the bar.”
“It’s going to be that cold in there?” I slipped my arms into the sleeves and pulled the lush, warm coat around myself, the fur tickling my jaw.
Danny wore a black one, and with his size, he reminded me of a black bear, while Max’s was a tanned color and could easily pass for a grizzly. We were each next given a set of black gloves.
“Keep these on at all times,” the woman instructed. “Inside, nearly everything is made of ice. There are cameras around the room with buttons nearby on the walls to take photos of yourselves. No other photos are allowed to be taken.”
“Okay,” I said, completely unsure of what to expect, but I was bouncing in my boots with curiosity.
We followed her to a round metal door that she pulled open and walked into a dark corridor before she opened another door in front of us, and a new world opened up before me.
I stepped into a room completely covered in ice, the walls, the sculptures of more bears, a throne, tables and stools, an air hockey table, and even a board game of chess. Everything made of ice. Fur pelts covered the seats, and the deeper I stepped into this frozen wonderland, the quicker the cold snapped around me.
“I love this place,” I cooed, turning on the spot, mesmerized, unable to believe I never knew this type of bar existed.
“What would you like to drink, gorgeous?” Danny asked, his hand slipping into mine, our fingers intertwined, and he led me to the long ice bar where several other people were ordering.
Max handed me a menu and I scanned it. “Zombie Tiki cocktail please. The rum will warm me up.”
Danny dragged me into his arms, his lips on my head. “I’ll keep you warm.”
I pressed against him, adoring his warmth, feeling like somehow this was normal. Me with these guys, going out and enjoying ourselves like nothing in the world could touch us. And staring into his eyes, all I could think about was our early time in Santa’s little workshop. I should be embarrassed about what we had done, but I wouldn’t change a thing about that moment.
