"Or for the larger medical organization. We have facilities across the region, and the central HR department is always looking for people with vision." He smiled. "You could shape the culture of the entire organization."
The server returned with our pasta, interrupting, and we dug in hungrily.
Though the lingering thought started to cause hope to spring to life in my chest.
I'd all but given up on that tiny dream, but maybe it wasn’t dead in the water, after all.
Between bites, we traded childhood stories.
He told me about growing up in the Midwest, and how he rose above a lot of the stigma of being "home grown".
When it meandered into uncomfortable territory revolving around his father's need to micromanage his life, he spoke more quietly, but I let him speak freely.
I could tell he and his father had some animosity between them and I didn't think it was right to inject my opinion.
But he seemed to snap out of it and smile at me as he twirled pasta around his fork.
"When I have children someday, I feel like we'll have a much better relationship."
The casual mention of future children made my heart skip.
I tried to picture Nate as a father and found the image came easily.
Patient and protective, willing to get down on the floor to play and romp.
The idea of him cradling a baby in his arms made me swoon again.
I found myself staring at him starry-eyed.
We continued to chat and share childhood stories, especially about Christmases past, given how so many of our responsibilities together were clustered around holiday tradition.
I found that Nate loved Christmas as much as me, though he probably didn't still have his nativity out in his apartment like me.
The conversation carried us out the door and into the crisp air, where we walked the sidewalks under dusky skies and fell quiet.
Nate's hand brushed against mine, and I reached out to lace our fingers together.
It felt like the natural thing to do, but it riled me up too much.
Being with him like this felt so natural.
I didn't want it to end.
We turned down a side street lined with older buildings, the storefronts dark and the foot traffic nonexistent, but it was the fastest way to his car.
Nate pulled me toward the shadow of an alley between two shops, and I went willingly, snickering as I asked, "What are you doing?" It felt slightly naughty and made my heart beat oddly.
He pressed me against the brick wall and kissed me hard.
His mouth was demanding, his hands gripping my waist and pulling me flush against him.
I wasn't sure how to respond at first because it felt so dangerous and risky to kiss him in public, but the way he pursued me, I couldn’t resist.
I ended up kissing him back and finding myself so turned on, I didn't want to stop.
"We should go," I gasped between kisses. "Before someone sees."
"Where?" His lips moved to my neck, and I arched into the contact. No way I was giving up on this. I just thought privacy was better.
