I grabbed her and pressed my forehead to hers. “How is that possible? You remembered everything else.”
“I didn’t forget,” she said, eyes never leaving mine. “I just wasn’t sure if you were a fake or real tree person.”
“Oh, I prefer a real tree, for sure. If you’re going to do something, do it all the way. Plus, I like the smell.”
“Well then, do you think it’s too late to go out and find a real tree?” she asked, hope in her voice.
I nodded. “We could go buy one. Sure. Or…”
“Or what?”
“I have a pretty crazy idea and I might need you to talk me out of it,” I said.
“Okay, well tell me first,” she said with a smile.
“I have a cabin upstate,” I said. “I never use it. I never have time. But I do now. And there’s a ton of real trees out there. We could spend a couple days out there and cut a fresh tree down ourselves. But that’s nuts, right?”
“Yes, but I’m not talking you out of that idea,” she said, hands gripping my shirt in excitement. “I’d love to go up there.”
“You won’t be mad to leave the city?” I asked. “I know you wanted to explore around here some more.”
“I would love for you to whisk me away to your private cabin in upstate New York. I mean, duh. Are you kidding me right now?” She yanked my shirt so my face came closer to hers. “You better not be kidding me.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m not. We’ll go for a couple nights. Go pack something warm.”
“Okay.” She kissed me and ran off to her room, cheering with excitement.
I loved that I could make her happy like that. Making a woman come was hot, but making a woman I cared about smile was deeply satisfying in a way that no sex ever could be. I didn’t know if what I felt for Clara was love, but it sure seemed like it.
This was all new to me. I was feeling my way around in the dark, hoping not to fall in any holes I couldn’t see. Clara was special, and I didn’t want to screw things up with her. The sudden fear I felt was unexpected.
The side effect of caring about someone for real was that losing them would crush me. Before spending time with Clara, I had been just fine alone. Now I couldn’t imagine life without her. Our relationship had started fake, but I desperately needed it to become real. I would do whatever it took to make that happen.
Whisking her off to my cabin for a romantic getaway seemed like a good first step.
I packed quickly, hoping I wouldn’t need most of the clothes in the bag. With any luck, we’d spend our days naked in front of a roaring fire, drinking wine and fucking like nothing else in the world existed. I made sure to pack condoms.
Clara met me in the living room, wearing a cute puffy jacket, her cheeks pink. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Let’s hit the road.”
We took the elevator down to the underground parking garage. Clara seemed surprised I had my own vehicle, but it came in handy on rare occasions like this, when I wanted privacy. Lenny didn’t need to come along with us on our romantic trip to my cabin.
We headed out of the city in my luxurious SUV, making great time as we headed north, away from civilization. Outside of the big cities, New York was mostly rural, with farms dotting the landscape. The sky really opened up too, making the world feel bigger. It was easier to breathe.
I loved the city, with its crowds, noise, and constant energy, but sometimes it was good to step away from the constant hustle. Especially when I had a beautiful woman sitting beside me, looking out the window with a big grin on her face.
The Texas countryside wasn’t too different, but it was different enough. For her, it was an adventure, and her excitement was contagious. I wanted to pull over the SUV, cuddle up with her, and just enjoy the moment. I also wanted to throw the seats down and bury myself in her until she screamed my name.
Later,I told myself. We could make as much noise as we wanted out at the cabin.
The clouds overhead darkened and snow came down heavily. Traffic slowed to a crawl, and some of Clara’s excitement dimmed.
That wouldn’t stand. Not on my watch. I switched on the radio and found the Christmas station. Mariah Carey belted out “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Clara looked over at me with a surprised grin and she started singing along with the radio.
Clara had a face like an angel and a voice like a goose with bronchitis. She was so off-key, I thought Mariah herself would appear out of the snow and ask her to stop.
“I can see why you prefer backstage work,” I teased with a smile.
