Putting the Heart Before the Horse

“He said ‘I have to go smoke,’ and then he handed me the leashes attached to his two Pomeranians, Widget and Gidget.”

“Wow,” Josh said, sitting back. “Widget and Gidget. Didn’t see that coming either.”

“After five minutes, I gave up waiting outside and brought them into the cafe. Good thing the barista was a dog lover.”

“Is there any chance you’re making some of this up?” he asked suspiciously.

Sh

e placed her hand over her heart. “I swear, it happened just like that. Scout’s honor.”

The flourless chocolate cake arrived, along with two forks. As they each took a bite, Josh tried not to let on how arousing he found it, watching her lips close around the fork and her pink tongue chase after the stray bits of chocolate. He’d never felt such a connection with another person so quickly, and not just physically. She was smart, funny, and genuine. Now he just had to hope that she felt the same way.

She definitely felt the physical connection; he was sure of that. A few times during dinner, he’d caught her gaze and watched her flush. And when he’d refilled her wine glass and their fingers brushed together, he could have sworn she felt the same spark he did.

The delectable cake disappeared quickly, and the check arrived promptly after that. After he paid it, he stood and moved behind her chair to pull it out for her.

“Thanks,” she said as she arose.

They stood there together for a second, separated only by a few inches, and his awareness of her was almost driving him crazy. As he escorted her out of the restaurant and into the hotel’s lobby, he searched for a way to prolong the evening. He was irrationally afraid that if he let her out of his sight, she’d vanish into the night and he’d never see her again.

“Do you feel like going for a walk?” He gestured at hotel’s sliding doors and the sunset staining the sky. “We’ve got some time before it gets dark.”

“That would be nice.”

As they stepped outside, he reached for her hand. Her fingers fumbled with his for a minute, then threaded through to clasp them. He let his thumb caress the soft skin of her palm as they ambled down the sidewalk, past the stores lining the streets. The stores were a combination of tourist traps selling cheap souvenirs and quirky shops that featured everything from perfume to jewelry to books. Many were closed for the night, but an open door caught his attention.

“Do you mind if we go into that toy store?”

“Of course,” Hope said. “Are you planning to bring stuff home for your nieces and nephews?”

“Cousins,” Josh corrected. “Even the youngest ones are cousins. If I can find something small enough to get for everybody. It’s all got to fit in my suitcase.”

The shelves were overcrowded with games, stuffed animals, and t-shirts, with a toy train running on an elevated track that circled the length of the store. The noise in the store was almost overwhelming, as the train whistle blew and other electronic toys bleeped and zoomed.

“How about this?” He turned to find Hope holding up a bucket of something labeled “Super Glitter Slime—Glows in the Dark” with the helpful note “Extra Sticky!”

“Funny, but only until I have to help clean it up.”

She chuckled as she put it back on the shelf.

Josh moved through the aisles and collected an assortment of small items—postcards, pencils with slogans printed on them, a few keychains, and some refrigerator magnets—then turned to look for Hope.

She was at one of the front windows, head cocked, looking up at something in the display. He stepped over to her side and joined her.

“Find something you’re interested in?”

“Oh, I was just looking at the kite,” she said. She pointed to a kite hanging in a corner of the window, brilliantly painted to look like a monarch butterfly.

“That’s nice,” he said. “When you live in the Windy City, you must see a lot of them.”

“Actually it—it reminds me of when I was a kid. I used to fly kites with my dad. Not all the time, of course, but every once in a while. Until he...until my mom left.”

Her tone was a little distant, a clear sign that this was a subject she didn’t want to discuss any further. Losing his parents at a young age had been traumatic, but at least he’d grown up secure in their love and in the love of his relatives. It sounded like Hope’s upbringing had been a lot more complicated.

“My cousin Ava loves anything that flies, including kites,” he said, steering the conversation away from dangerous ground. “Her birthday is next month, actually. I think I can sneak one last thing into my suitcase.”

Packages of the butterfly kite were hanging next to the window display. Josh grabbed one and brought the basket up to the counter to pay. He handed the clerk his credit card and thought about what Hope had said. Her mother had been the one who left, but it sounded like she’d had some problems with her father too.