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“It’s date night under the stars.” He carries me to an area where a couple of lanterns are lit. “So, I thought about doing this in the back of my truck, but even with lots of covers, I couldn’t imagine that would be comfortable for us. Then I thought I’d use an air mattress, but that would be a tight fit, so this is the end result.”
He stops and lowers me to a small concrete pad. There is a huge air mattress that sits in the center, piled with blankets and pillows. There are two milk crates tipped upside down, holding lanterns on either side of the mattress. At the top of the concrete pad, there are two lawn chairs, a small folding table, and two coolers sitting beneath it.
“You did all of this?” I ask.
“Yeah, I wanted to take you on a date.”
“This is…” I walk, turn to him, and wrap my arms around him. “Incredible, Rome. This is better than any other date you could have thought of. It’s perfect.”
He pulls me into his arms and trails kisses up my neck. The way he’s holding me and the exhale as he buries his face in my neck, says more than words ever could. He wanted to do this, be here with me, and make it a special memory for us. “Are you hungry?” he asks softly.
“A little. What are we having?”
He moves to one of the coolers and pulls it open. “Chicken strips, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, and biscuits.”
“Perfect.”
“Drinks and dessert are in the other cooler. I have beer, a bottle of wine, and water.”
“Just water for now.”
He nods and reaches into the other cooler and pulls out two bottles of water.
“I don’t know how hot the food is. I hope the cooler at least kept it warm.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say, taking a seat in one of the lawn chairs. “It’s perfect.”
We fill our plates and talk about the new hires at the shop, college, and the time we’re going to be apart. Everything feels natural with Roman.
“I’m so full. That was delicious.”
“So, I thought we could spend the night out here. We don’t have to. We can just stay a while and look up at the stars. I know there’s no bathroom, but I came prepared.” He points to a small tote. “Small bags for toilet paper, and wipes, just in case.”
“You thought of everything.” I swallow back the emotion clogging my throat. This man, he’s been in my life for years, and when I started to see him as more than just Forrest’s best friend, I never thought I’d be with him like this. Never in my wildest imagination did I see him taking such care with me. For me.
“I tried to.”
“How about we stay for a while and see how it goes?”
“Deal. Come on.” He stands, reaches for my hand, and leads me to the air mattress. We both kick off our shoes and climb under the covers.
“Did you buy this for tonight?” I ask, as I rub my hand over the plush dark-gray blanket.
“Kind of, but not really. I know we’re always taking the blanket from my bed when we’re watching movies, so I thought I’d buy us one for the living room.”
“Rome.” My tone is wistful, because this man, he melts my heart. Looking at him you would never know that he’s the sweetest teddy bear, at least when it comes to me.
“I’m not used to having a woman around the house, but I thought you might like it.” He shrugs as if this incredibly thoughtful gesture is no big deal.
It’s a big fucking deal.
The night is cooler, so this throw is perfect to ward off the cooler air. I snuggle under the throw, and up against him.
“Wow. The stars are so bright tonight.” The sky is black, but the millions of tiny stars look like sparkling diamonds shining down on us. It’s a magical scene, the night is clear, and I can’t think of anything more romantic than lying beneath a dark sky filled with diamonds with him.
“They are. I used to love coming out here as a kid. I used to camp with my grandpa.”
“Why’d you stop?”
