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“Had enough?” I ask.
“Good guess. I’m not sure my ass can take much more.” He rubs one ass cheek with his gloved hand.
“Well, we don’t want your ass taking any abuse. Let’s get out of here.”
We make our way off the ice and return the rental skates, then we venture off to the holiday market set up around the paths through the park. It’s a European-inspired open-air market where all the vendors are in small glass huts and selling mostly handmade items.
“Do you mind if we grab some hot chocolate first? I’m chilly,” I say.
“What’s a Christmas market without hot chocolate, right?”
I nudge him with my shoulder. “Now you’re getting it.”
We approach the first food vendor who sells hot chocolate and wait in line for our turn to order. Once we’ve received ours, we stand off to the side, out of the way of traffic, to blow on them until they cool down enough to drink.
“Are you looking for anything particular while we’re here?” Andrew asks.
“Not especially. I have a lot of my shopping already done.” I take the lid off my drink and blow gently on the foam on top.
“Why does that not surprise me in the least?” He mockingly shakes his head and I roll my eyes in return.
“But if I see something I think a person would love, I’ll grab it.”
“I’ll bet you’re an excellent gift giver, aren’t you?”
I grin. “I may have been told that a time or two. How about you? Do you enjoy giving gifts or are you a Scrooge in that aspect too?” I wink so he knows I don’t really think he’s heartless and I’m just joking at this point.
He tries to take a sip of his hot chocolate but pulls back with a curse. “Damn it. That thing is bloody hot.”
“I told you it needed to cool off before we drank it.”
He ignores my retort and answers my previous question. “I’m indifferent to gift giving. You already know I think Christmas is overcommercialized. But I agree with the sentiment that if you find something you know someone else will love, it’s a good feeling to give it to them. I just don’t think you should be under any obligation to find something for someone. Why buy something for someone just so you can check it off a list, not because it was truly heartfelt?” He goes for another sip of his drink.
Has this man learned nothing?
“What are you going to get Darla for Christmas?”
He sighs. “I’d like to get her a lobotomy.”
“Andrew!” I laugh and smack him across the upper arm.
“Honestly, if you could see what I deal with day to day with her, you’d agree.”
I blow on my hot chocolate again then lean in to take a small sip. It’s better than it was, so I go for a full sip and put the lid back on top. The liquid is still piping hot, but doable. “Mmm, that’s so good.”
“You have a little…” Andrew points at his upper lip.
I use my tongue to try to get the chocolate off, but Andrew shakes his head, his eyes laser-focused on my mouth.
“Here.” He leans forward and uses his thumb to wipe the corner of my mouth.
The urge to open my mouth and wrap it around the tip of his thumb is overwhelming. I mean, what the hell?
“Thanks,” I say in a soft voice and look away. Eventually, once I compose myself, I give him a small smile. “Ready to go explore some shops?”
“Definitely.” He looks as eager as I am to forget what just happened.
We stroll aimlessly down the path between the small glass huts, popping into shops here and there until we come upon one that sells vintage Christmas decorations.
