“Like seriously?” I mock shock as I stare at her. “I saw you lick that breakfast platter clean. How are you hungry?”
“I didn’t lick it!” she bites back, but her laughter takes over. I can’t help but join her. Her gaze shifts to the window next to us. It’s a clothing boutique with a couple of mannequins wearing short dresses. “Those are beautiful but they’re certainly not right for this weather.”
I grin. “You could always pick them up and keep them on hand for our trip to Hawaii.”
She rolls her eyes but squeezes my palm, making my heart flutter in full throttle. “Oh look.” She points way ahead to the hill where the Château Frontenac is. “What is that castle?”
“It’s a hotel.” I pull her forward. “Come on. Let’s take a selfie of us kissing in front of it.”
She grins at me, cheeks flushing from the cold and maybe something more. “That’s a little bold.”
“I didn’t get where I am today by being shy.” I retrieve my phone to prepare it as we stride uphill, until the city is mostly below us. She’s practically glowing when we stop. “Let’s not waste a perfectly good photo opportunity.” I flash her my best flirty smile as I wrap my arm around her waist and draw her toward me. Her body seems to melt into mine, and I hold my other arm out to capture our selfie as I lean in and steal a sweet and tender kiss from her lips.
She laughs as I pull away and slide my phone in front of her to show her. “That’s going to be my wallpaper for sure.”
“I didn’t know you were such a romantic.” She gives me a side-eye as we turn to walk forward again. Our hands slide around each other like they don’t know another way to be.
“I’m not really,” I say, my voice coming out quieter than I mean it to. “It’s more what you do to me.” The words leave my mouth before I can overthink them. Her shoulder rubs against mine like it’s an accident, but we both know it’s not. There’s magnetism between us when we are together that’s too hard to fight.
My heart beats in uneven bursts, sending little flutters through my whole chest. I welcome the sight of a street vendor, and I step to the side without saying anything, pretending I’m curious. She joins me next to the displays of touristy items. It’s everything from keychains to shot glasses, and my gaze fixes on a row of beaded bracelets. There’s every color of the rainbow, and I thumb through them until I find the perfect pink to match her coat. With a smirk, I hold it up to her like an offering. “You need this.”
“Wow, first chocolate for breakfast, then fairy-tale kisses, and now jewelry? It’s not even noon yet.”
“So, that’s a yes, I can buy this for you?” I wink and hand the bracelet to the vendor. I slip my card out of my wallet and slide that over to him as well, then turn back to her with a flirty grin.
“How can I say no?” She sighs as she squeezes my hand, and the vendor passes the bracelet and my card back to me.
Tucking my card in my pocket, I turn to her and hold up the bracelet. “May I put it on you?”
“Of course.” She holds up her arm, pushing up the sleeve of her coat, and her fingers brush mine as I join the clasp together. That small contact of her skin sends a jolt straight to my heart.
Maybe it is the city.
But something is happening.
It’s clear we are both experiencing it, as we can’t stop smiling or finding reasons to accidentally touch each other. We link arms, continuing our stroll through all the street vendors on the block. It’s past noon before I spot a little place to eat at the corner. “Doesn’t that look neat?”
“Yeah.” She nods as she looks back at me. “They look like they’d have great appetizers.”
I laugh as I take that as she wants to go, and I smile at her. “Lead the way.”
twenty-three
Ruth
We duck inside a cozy-looking spot off the street. The warmth melts the tingles from my nose, as we pass the “Seat Yourself” sign and stroll to a bar-height table near the window. Bill scootsout my chair and smiles in a way that makes my tingles instantly return. He sits across from me and scans the menu on the table, and he murmurs, “Let’s see what non-meals they have here…”
I laugh just as the waiter steps up. I’m shaking my head when Bill proceeds to ask, “We need something for the lady that isn’t a meal. She only likes snack food.”
The waiter speaks English with a French accent. “Interesting. How about a poutine? It’s fries, cheese curds, and gravy.”
Bill smiles back at me for a lingering moment before turning his focus on the waiter. “That sounds perfect.”
He’s casual with one elbow on the table, but the way the late afternoon light slides over the strong lines of his jaw should be illegal. His hair is tousled from being outside, and there’s that tiny crease near his eyes that only shows up when he’s happy, like he is now.
I’ll admit when I first saw him, I didn’t look twice. Sure, he was good looking, but of course I thought he was out of my league. Now that I’ve gotten to know him, my attraction to him has only grown stronger. It’s funny how that works. All I can think about is how safe I feel when he wraps his arms around me.
It’s absurd!
