Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
“Merry Christmas,” they say, rolling up their window as the tires slide against a patch of ice before driving away.
Her boots drop to the ground as her arms loosen from my neck. Just like that, she’s out of my arms too fast for my liking and pats me on the chest. Sosie’s grin is much softer when she’s looking at me. “What kind of trouble are we going to get in?” she asks, flipping my world upside down. If this is just the beginning, I’m in for a hell of a ride.
Although I ate dinner earlier after the party wrapped up, I think the food will hit just right at this hour. But I’m not dragging her across the city to my rinky-dink apartment. How do I compete with a Gilded Age mansion situated in the park? I don’t. My place will only be a letdown in comparison. Food and a warm restaurant to hide from the cold seem like a good place to spend time together. Since I know two solid options somewhat on the outskirts of this area that should be open tonight, I ask, “Pancakes or a burger?”
“Ramen.” That grin is definitely trouble. “I know a great place five or so blocks from here. They stay open all night, even on the holidays.”
I chuckle. She knows what she wants and isn’t shy about letting me in on her cravings. “If you want ramen, ramen it is.” She walks away, and a breeze blows in, leaving her scent in her wake and causing me to inhale. I can’t pinpoint the notes as they drift away too quickly, but I catch something floral and something good. It’s the kind of scent that I’d love to smell against her skin. This girl sure does make it easy to get ahead of myself.
When I catch her by the coat sleeve, she turns back, and I say, “You look cute.”
Her smile blooms before my eyes from a simple compliment. “You think?” She glances down at her outfit and adds, “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, so I just threw this on.”
“I like it.” Wearing a big cream-colored puffy coat that hangs past her ass and what looks like black sweatpants underneath, she’s swallowed whole by the bagginess of it all. A violet scarf wraps around her neck with matching gloves, making her appear every bit the sweetest conundrum that Sosie is. Pulling her hood over her head, I tighten the toggle at her neck, so the strings keep it in place. And since I have her here and her complete attention, I say, “I’m glad you came out.”
“Me, too.”
The tips of her hair are sticking out the front, so I tuck them in, still holding her closer than I have a right to. “But do me a favor and keep your head covered in this kind of weather.”
She laughs and tilts her head to the side to take me in with those gorgeous hazel eyes of hers. The light from the overhead lamp reflects the green and gold flecks, glittering like stardust in her eyes. And she smiles at me as if I had a hand in that magic and put them there. I wouldn’t mind making a habit of seeing that look in her eyes more often.
What am I thinking? We just met, and I know so little about her. Somehow, at this hour, that feels like enough.
“Yes, sir.” I shake my head at the little rebel and wrap my arm around her neck, holding her to my side as we start walking. “Careful, Poet, or I might mistake this for a date.”
“Friends can care about each other.” But I still shrug. “Figure we’ve kissed, though, so might as well make it official.” I fight the urge to stare at her pretty face, but I catch her beaming up at me in my periphery like I’m something special. Man, she just has a way of making me feel like a million bucks that I’m the guy with his arm around her.
This is moving fast, quicker than anything in my past. I’m usually all for getting to know someone, who they are and what they dream of, with long, philosophical conversations about Descartes or Kant over coffee and a stack of homework. Maybe this is the change I need—to feel more than think, to follow my heart over listening to my head. Though, admittedly, my head is all in as well over this girl. I don’t know why, considering we barely know each other, but this feels right, even if it is just a one-time thing.
Have fun, Matthews. This sure beats sitting home watching movies that only remind me of what I don’t have. A family.
We turn the corner, and once we’re another block down and away from her house, I ask, “What made you want to sneak out on Christmas with me?”