I meant both.
Why on earth I felt so brazen tonight, I wasn’t sure. Maybe because he’d told me he liked me, because he wanted to walk with me, spend extra time with me, and drive me home.
These were all positive signs, right?
I was painfully aware my ability to read cues wasn’t great, but I wasn’t stupid.
Far from it.
Intelligence I had in spades. Social skills, not so much.
“You okay?” he asked. “You look worried.”
I shook my head and focused. “Sorry. I... get in my head.”
“Hey,” he said. “If overthinking was a contest, I’d have you beat.”
That made me smile. “Highly unlikely, but I’ll concede defeat if it would make you feel better.”
He laughed. “Yes. Yes, it would.” Then he brushed snow off his beanie. “Come on, I need to get these boys home and into their bed by the heater. And it’s dinnertime for me.”
“You haven’t eaten yet?” Then I realized, of course he wouldn’t have. He was at work until just now.
“We knew we’d be home late tonight, so Ro made some stew in the slow cooker earlier,” he said as we neared his car. “Or there’s leftover pizza. I’m so hungry I could eat both.”
Hmm. I didn’t like that he was so hungry.
He unlocked his vehicle, and we got in. He started the car and cranked up the heat. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.
I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but I wasn’t uncomfortable in any way. “Yes.”
He chuckled, then unzipped his jacket a little. “You boys comfortable?”
One of them squeaked out a meow in response, and Winter laughed and did the zip back up. He looked at me, a picture of happiness. “I know I should probably take them out when I drive, but it’s cold and they’re still so little.” He carefully buckled up his seatbelt. “Okay, so which way is home for you?”
I gave him directions and was very relieved that he was such a careful driver. I was more than comfortable to be in a car with him, to be around him.
I liked him more tonight than I did even earlier today.
We didn’t speak in the car, apart from my giving directions, and while I rather liked the silence, I knew a lot of people didn’t. It made things awkward for them.
“Are you comfortable?” I asked him.
He looked from the road to me, still smiling. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Because you asked me. I thought I should perhaps return the question. I wasn’t sure if you were referring to the seat, or the temperature inside your car, or if I was comfortable with you.”
His smile became a grin. “Well, all three, I guess.” Then his smile faded. “Does it change your answer?”
“No, not at all.”
The grin was back. “Well, good.”
“I’m not very good at small talk,” I admitted.
“Me either. Small talk, meeting new people, that kind of thing.”
“Some people can’t deal with silence. I happen to like it.”
