“Oh, do you?”
She flashes me a flirty smile, and we begin walking again. This time she grabs my hand first, and my heart leaps in my chest as we continue down the street.
“Do you want kids?” she asks when we make it to town.
“Kids?”
“Yeah, I don’t know. The girls’ song made me think about it. Not right now obviously…or even with me…shit…”
“Have I ever told you you’re cute when you get flustered?”
She shoves me playfully with her shoulder.
“I’ve honestly not given it much thought,” I say. “What about you?”
“When I’m done with ballet, I think it would be nice to have a couple. I could never have six like Ginger, but the idea of creating a family like the one I grew up with sounds nice.”
“I don’t have what you have with your family, but the idea of creating that, with the right person…”
With you.
“...does sound nice.”
Silence stretches between us.
“I think I’d want a dog too,” I add.
“A dog?”
“Yeah, I can’t have one with hockey, but when I do finally settle down, I think I’d want a dog.”
“What kind of dog?”
“Something that looks tough but secretly isn’t. Like a rottweiler that really just wants to cuddle.”
“You want the dog version of yourself?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I laugh.
“Oh come on! You walk around like you’re this big, tough hockey player who starts and finishes fights on the ice.” She drops her voice to whisper. “I mean you have a leg sleeve and dick piercing.” She giggles. “But then, you start snowball fights and have my favorite flower tattooed on your thigh and you give me forehead kisses and apparently you really like to cuddle.”
“So?”
“I’m just saying you’re actually a really big softy.”
Only for you.
“Maybe I am.”
We make it to the door of Citrine Brews. I begin to pull the door open, but she stops me.
“For the record,” she says, “I really like the soft side of you.”
“And I really like you,” I return. Leaning down, I kiss her forehead, then pull the door open so we can step inside.
“Good morning.” Joe waves from behind the counter. “I’ll get your usuals made rightaway.”
“Thanks, man.”
