a couple in the whole Midwest.” It’s even rarer to find one that operates year-round. Luckily, we were provided with a complimentary electric heater to offset the insanity of doing something like this in January. We’ve got a few blankets spread over us, and for an out-of-the-box winter date it’s been surprisingly cozy.
“There are eight left in the state, actually,” he says. The fact that he knows this piece of trivia right off the top of his head is impressive. “Are you hungry? There’s a frozen yogurt stand near here that has the best frozen yogurt you’ve ever had in your life.”
I’m not a fan of frozen yogurt (especially when it’s cold out), but no way am I being anything but agreeable. We don’t know each other that well yet, and if I want to score a third date I need to come off as low-maintenance. I’m easygoing Naomi, fun to hang out with and definitely fun to make out with. Maybe after the frozen yogurt he’ll kiss me. And possibly unbutton his shirt. “That sounds great!”
Instead of fastening his seat belt and driving away, he hesitates. Fiddles with the radio dials until static fuzz tunes in to an upbeat indie song called “You Say It Too.” It hits me that he’s fallen so quiet because he’s nervous, not disinterested, which surprises me because up until now he’s exhibited nothing but confidence. There’s a charge in the air and my pulse accelerates with intuition of what’s to come. The rhythm of my blood is a chant. Yes! Yes! Yes!
“You’re beautiful,” he says earnestly, turning to face me in full. His eyes are hesitant as he bites his cheek and I’m stunned that he’s the nervous one here. My heart skips as he leans toward me an inch. Then another. His lips part, gaze dropping to my mouth, and just like that I can no longer remember any other men I’ve ever dated, he’s eclipsed them all so utterly. He’s intelligent and charming and perfect, absolutely perfect for me.
My heart is now lodged firmly in my throat. His fingers stroke through my hair, tilting my head up to meet his. Nicholas leans in that final inch and lights up my world like a shooting star, anticipation and wonder and a feeling of tremendous rightness barreling through my veins. He kisses me and I’m a goner, just like I knew would happen.
What a magical, extraordinary night.
What an ugly, crappy day. Rain pelts off the windshield of my coworker’s likewise crappy car, which smells like cold McDonald’s French fries and pine trees. Leon taps his fingertips on the steering wheel, leaning forward a bit to see out. His windshield wipers are stroking back and forth with all they’ve got, but the rain is pouring like someone slit the sky down the middle and an ocean started roaring out.
“Thanks again for the ride.”
“Sure, anytime.”
I roll my lips inward and inhale a bloom of pine. Whatever he misted in here before I got in is going to follow me around for the rest of the day. I don’t know too much about Leon, so it’s fully possible there’s a corpse in the trunk and the pine spray is to cover it up.
“Raining pretty hard,” I say. Brandy couldn’t take me home because her sister picked her up early. Zach took his motorcycle today, which I bet he’s regretting. Melissa offered to give me a lift, clearly hoping I’d decline, which is why I did. I kind of hate myself for still wanting her to like me. She’s been unreasonably prickly toward me ever since I set her up with my fiancé’s friend, who turned out to be a serial cheater. She thinks Nicholas and I knew he was the cheating type from the get-go and shredded her trust in men on purpose.
“Yeah, it’s supposed to rain all week.”
“That’s too bad for the trick-or-treaters.”
Leon turns to face me for a moment, before his eyes slide back to the road. Or what he can see of it—frankly I don’t know how he’s still inching along because I can’t see a thing. We could be mowing through a field for all I know. It’s the tail end of October and forty degrees. Last week I was wearing shorts. The week before that, it was so cold that it almost snowed. Autumn in Wisconsin is a joy.
“You passing out candy?” Leon asks.
The answer should be a given. I love candy and I love kids, especially obnoxious little boys because