chairs to dry. I set the gloves, hat, and scarf on top of it, take my shoes off, and look up at him. He’s smiling at me.
“I like that you wore those,” he says, nodding to the winter gear he gave me, and then he takes a tentative step toward me. “Can I ask you a question?”
I nod, the nerves suddenly back again.
“Was what you said on your card true?”
My brows dip. “That you could ride my water slide?” Is that really where he wants to start this conversation? Maybe he isn’t the Prince Charming I thought he was.
He chuckles. “No, the first part. That you’ve had a crush on me since you met me.”
“Oh!” I say, my cheeks flaming. “Yeah. Definitely true.” I pat the hat I just set on top of my coat as I try to find something to do with my hands so I don’t start wringing them together.
He leans back on his counter like we’re not having the most awkward conversation about how cute I think he is. “The feeling’s mutual.”
I glance up at him.
“It’s more than a crush, though, Ellie. I have real feelings for you. I’ve learned in the past it’s not a good idea to get involved with colleagues, but I can’t keep denying what I want.”
The fire crackles loudly, a nice metaphor for what’s brewing between us. He has real feelings for me? Suddenly I feel like we’ve wasted a whole lot of time...especially because I don’t particularly subscribe to the no-colleague rule. If anything, it just makes the workplace that much more fun. “What, exactly, do you want?” I ask softly.
He takes a step toward me, and then another, and then he’s close enough that we can reach out for one another, but neither of us makes that move just yet.
“To ride your water slide.”
I giggle, and then he reaches for me. I rush into his arms, and suddenly I’m very much home. His embrace is warm and inviting, and I tilt my head back because I really just want to make every single one of my dreams come true tonight, and it starts with his arms around me and his lips on mine.
When they move down to meet mine, they certainly don’t disappoint. Sometimes friends turn into something more and it’s awkward at first...but that is not the case here. At all. I’m feeling zero awkwardness as he kisses me. I’m just feeling hot and needy.
Those Prince Charming lips are soft and firm, and he opens his mouth to mine, his minty tongue brushing against my own. He kisses me confidently, sensually, and yet there’s a sweet factor there, too, as he moves slowly with me. He holds me in his arms, and this feels like a perfect start to our first date.
And if he kisses like this, well, I can’t wait to see what the end of the date will bring, if you know what I mean. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
He slows the kiss first before pulling away.
I smile even though I didn’t want him to stop, but I feel like he’s doing it to be a gentleman. We’re going to have a date first, and then we’ll get to the good stuff.
He helps me choose a bottle of wine, I help him choose a dark beer, and we head to the family room with the popcorn. We put an assortment in different bowls, and he picks one up. We sit beside one another on his couch, our thighs touching, and we share popcorn as we start the movie.
And as soon as he presses play on the movie, we start talking rather than paying attention to what’s on the screen.
“Are you into these kinds of action movies?” he asks.
“Sure. I mean I prefer a rom com, but I’ll take some old school Bruce any day. You?”
“Definitely action over rom com. Sorry.”
I roll my eyes. “Such a typical guy.”
“To add to the stereotypes, I also like beer, working out, and sports,” he says.
“Okay, so tell me something that’s not stereotypically manly about you,” I challenge.
He stares at me for a second like he’s debating how much to reveal on this first date of ours, and then he grins. “I get monthly facials.”
I burst out laughing, and he narrows his eyes at me.
“Tell me something non-girly about you.”
“I feel like that’s way less embarrassing for me than it is for you,” I counter. I take a sip of my wine as I try not to get too excited about how