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FIFTEEN
ella
“Halsey,”Damon shouted at the same time that I yelled, “Ellie Golding!”
A few more bars of the song played.
“Noo!” I cried in defeat, causing Damon to chuckle and then snort.
I had to smile at the snort even as my frustration flared.
“You really hate losing,” Damon said as he put the car into park.
“I really, really hate losing. It makes me excellent at my job but not the greatest game night partner,” I said.
Damon shook his head with a smile. “I think you’d make the best game night partner.”
His grin weakened my knees as his words stunned my brain. Guys were never this complimentary on the first date. Most thought I needed to earn them, but Damon gave them freely and without making me feel the need to reciprocate them, although I wanted to. And it didn’t feel like empty flattery just to win my regard, either.
My car door suddenly opened and in the time my brain had been stunned by his words I realized Damon had come around the car and was opening my door like a perfect gentleman. I knew some girls wouldn’t have appreciated the gesture, female power and all that. Which I totally believed in. Women could kick butt, save themselves, and they could surely open their own doors. But it was nice that I didn’t have to. I appreciated that Damon wanted to do something nice for me.
I stepped out, careful to plant my high-heeled wedges securely on the gravel driveway before getting up.
Damon offered his hand and I took it, standing up straight. He waited to make sure I wouldn’t fall over in my heels before letting me go, giving me the space I needed and being sure not to come on too strong.
If it weren’t for the guy’s snort I would swear this was a dream.
Because not only was I here in this beautiful dress, with this gorgeous man. We were about to go into a chocolate shop. For a chocolate tasting. I couldn’t imagine a better idea for something to do . . . ever. I adored chocolate.
“But better luck next time,” Damon said with a wink. That wink I’d been wanting to see since the dinner at Mom and Dad’s.
Right, another reason this couldn’t be a dream. I would never lose in one of my dreams. But I liked that he didn’t let me win. He didn’t go easy on me. It was kind of hot.
“Oh, you know you’ll be the one crying next time,” I retorted, loving that I didn’t have to hold back. I would have never said this to any of my past first dates. But Damon was a combination of fun, competitive, and silly that I hadn’t met before. Along with a quiet confidence that didn’t have to be coddled. It allowed me to be my complete self: full of sass and quite a bit of ribbing.
“As long as you admit you’re the one crying right now,” Damon said, grinning broadly.
I laughed. How could I not?
Sometime mid laughter I looked up and really saw where we were. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting when Damon had said ‘chocolate shop,’ but this wasn’t it.
We’d come down a gravel drive lined with trees. Many of them were already bare for the season, but a few held onto the last vestiges of summer foliage.
The shop was a large cottage, lined with twinkle lights that were just beginning to burn brightly as the sun sank deeper into the horizon. Vines grew over a few of the walls and we walked onto the cutest little front porch. How did they make and sell chocolate, all in this small building? From the outside it didn’t look like it could be much larger than my apartment.
Damon again held the door for me and the scent hit me first. Sugar, vanilla, cocoa, and a hint of spice swirled around me, along with a pleasant warmth. Yum.
As we walked in we passed a large display case filled with a rainbow of chocolates from the creamiest of milk to the richest of dark.
“Oh my gosh,” I proclaimed. This was on the verge of heavenly for me.
Damon grinned as he led us to a small table next to a window that overlooked the gravel drive and the trees beyond. More twinkle lights glittered in the nearby trees and the entire place felt otherworldly, as though I’d crossed into fairyland.
He pulled out my chair and waited for me to sit before going to his own chair.
Only a small table separated us, but it was the farthest apart we’d been since he’d picked me up and I found myself missing him. That was strange, right?
“This space is much bigger inside than I’d pictured,” I said as I looked around, taking in the quaint decorations. Five beaded chandeliers lit the place and black and white pictures in ivory frames lined the wall. I wanted to examine each one closely but a woman bustled out from behind the counter. She’d just finished helping someone at the register.
