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“Uh-huh.” I nodded. “I’ve got plans for it …”
“Okay, now I am curious.”
I slid sideways, one leg still draped across his as he unwrapped another layer of tissue. The apron peaked out, the black stitched logo proud against the soft, faded denim, his name just under it on the pocket.
He swallowed, sniffed, cleared his throat. “Chase, I …” It unrolled as he lifted it up.
“My plan was to see you wearing it.”
“I can make that happen.” His voice was still shaky but he stood and slipped the top loop over his head. It was perfect, just like I knew it would be.
I reigned in my smile. “It does look good like that …” I said, with mock seriousness. “But I think it would look even better if it was the only thing you were wearing.”
His eyes jumped to mine, the blue going dark and hungry. “As much as I’d like to follow that train of thought immediately, I want to see you open your present first.” He sat, our thighs pressed together.
“You like it though? It’s not–it’s not too much?”
He pulled me back into his lap, fingers spreading over my hips. “Chase, it’s perfect. It’s fucking terrifying, but it’s–I think it’s exactly what I needed.”
“A little nudge?”
His smile was slow and made a tendril of heat uncoil in my core. “I’d consider it more of a shove, but yes. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I leaned in and kissed him, bringing our chests flush and letting my body say what I wasn’t brave enough to. He pulled away before I could get too carried away.
“Open your present, Chase.”
“Presents,” I corrected, sliding back onto the couch beside him and returning my attention to the half-ripped wrapping paper. I was laughing before I had it all the way off. “You did not.” The pink box was covered in neon lightning bolts and palm trees and on the front was a pouting girl in a pair of pink inline skates. I tore into the box, and squealed.
Nestled inside were a pair of rainbow-pastel inline skates. Mint green. Lemon yellow. Pale purple. Pink.
“They’re not exactly what I had in mind—”
I tackled him before he could finish the sentence. “I love them!”
“Really?”
“Yes!” I peppered kisses all over his face then turned back to the skates, pulling one from the box and admiring it.
“I almost got you ice skates, but figured you’d be able to use these anywhere.”
I was going to cry. I’d been thinking about buying some skates since our date but other things, mainly work, kept getting in the way because that was just how I operated. How did he know just what I needed before I did?
“What’s in the other box? Safety equipment?”
“No, I got that too, but it doesn’t count as part of your gift. It’s in my room.”
“What? How does that not count?” I set the skates aside and reached for the second box. It was a similar size and shape to the first, but he wouldn't have bought me two pairs of skates, right? Why would he do that?
He did buy two pairs of skates. And the why became abundantly clear as I opened the box. The roller skates were metallic pink and gold leopard print with gold laces and clear wheels filled with gold glitter.
“I know you never mentioned roller skating–although I have no doubt you’d be able to do it–but I saw these and thought of the ones you told me about and couldn’t not buy them. Plus, I figured you’d look sexy as fuck in them.”
I laugh-cried as I once again threw myself at his chest. How he had managed to find a pair of skates like the ones I coveted as a kid I would never know, but I wasn’t surprised he had. If anyone was capable of doing this, it was Mack.
“I hope that’s a good cry.”
“Yes,” I said, the words muffled against his shirt. “Yes, it’s a good cry.”
