We pass a sign saying something about plants before Nate pulls into a smaller road, his hand squeezing my thigh.
His throat works as he swallows, bringing his car to a stop and switching the engine off. I don’t move even though I know if I turn around, I’ll be able to see where he’s brought us. Instead, I wait until he looks over at me, the green of his eyes dark and intense.
Tilting my head, I continue to watch him. His lips lift slightly, almost as if they’re not sure whether they want to smile or not before his hand reaches up and rubs along the side of his strong jaw.
He’s nervous, too.
That thought has my nerves taking a back seat; they’re still there, just not driving now.
I don’t move my gaze from his as I get out of the car until I turn around, taking in the dome-shaped building glowing in the dark of the night; blues, purples, and even green lighting from within.
“Where are we?” I ask, my voice small but full of awe.
It’s just light enough that when I turn to look at him, I can see he’s smirking. “You’ll see.” He holds his hand out to me. “Shall we?”
I slowly lift my arm, placing my hand in his and nodding. “Yeah.”
He leads me up the path sitting between two grassed areas, small lights line each side, the same mixture of colors that’s in the circular domes. His dark-brown shoes create an echo along the path in time with my footsteps.
I keep my eyes peeled for some sort of sign as to where we are but there’s nothing, and when we step inside, silence greets me. He doesn’t stop in the small area with a desk and a booth, instead he keeps walking.
“Wow,” I murmur. My hand loosens in his when we walk through the only door, the pads of our fingers touching as I turn around, taking it all in.
To the left are a few rows of blue seats, all fixed to an angle so you can see the top of the dome. It’s not them that have my attention though, it’s the stars and planets sitting on the dome behind them. Ah, planets, as in planetarium—not plants.
So many colors mingle together. At first glance you can’t grasp the beauty of it, but the longer I stare, the more I see the constellations on display.
“You...” I gasp, spinning toward Nate where he stands next to me with possibly the biggest smile on his face I’ve ever seen. “You brought me stargazing?”
He shrugs. “That’s part of it, yeah.”
“What? I—” He tightens his hold on my hand, pulling me closer to him and leaning forward so his lips are only centimeters away from mine. I close my eyes, hating the fact I can’t see the stars anymore when I do.
His lips connect with mine, soft and slow. The sweet, closed mouth kiss ends as soon as it began and he’s pulling away, leading me to the other side of the dome.
“Close your eyes.” I do as he says and trust him to lead me wherever he wants me. “Okay.” We come to a stop. “Open.”
I open them slowly, my stomach dipping when I see a plaid blanket set out on the floor, a basket sitting next to it. “A picnic?” I ask. “Under the stars?”
I’m sure he can hear the fast drumbeat of my heart, but if he does he doesn’t let on. “I hope it’s okay. If you don’t like it we can go somewhere else.”
“No!” I let go of his hand, grasping his forearms. “No… it’s…” I look around me, the romantic atmosphere wrapping around us and placing us in its cocoon. “It’s perfect.”
He nods and motions for me to sit down. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you—” My words are cut off as the room is plunged into darkness for a couple of seconds before the lights flash on again.
My breath catches in my throat as the stars shine bright, moving toward me. I feel Nate sit down next to me as a star shoots across the dome and I lean back when I think it’s going to hit me. The images are so real as they float in and out.
“How did you do that?” I ask, not willing to take my eyes off the show.
“Magic,” he replies, handing me a beer.
I snort, taking it from him and screwing the top off, all the while not taking my eyes off the sky. We float over the top of a yellow and orange planet before mixing in with what looks like rocks.
I feel him shuffle closer, and when his legs come on either side of me from behind, I turn away, staring up at him.
“What are you doing?” I ask as his hands grip my waist, pulling me so his chest is flush with my back. My heart rate speeds up at having him so close to me.