I took it home.
chapter thirty-three
Andrew and I were going on a real date.
And it wasn’tjusta date, it was the datiest date to ever date. I thought the twee factor couldn’t get any higher than the fall festival and Christmas tree cutting, but I’d forgotten about the two-day Old German Christmas Market in town. I mean, I hadn’t actually forgotten about it, since it happened every year right outside my front door, but recently I’d been more bah humbug toward it thanks to the crowds, noise, and cars. This year? This year Andrew had asked me if I wanted to go with him and suddenly I couldn’t wait to stand in line in subzero temps for a ten-dollar soft pretzel the size of my head.
I sat on the window ledge watching everyone on the street below feeling ready to soak up some of the happiness. My phone buzzed in my hand.Hi, I’m outside.
I opted to call Andrew back. “Hey, do you want to come up?” He’d never been to my place and I wanted him to meet Birdie.
“Yeah, that would be great. I wasn’t sure if it was easier for you just to come down...” I could hear the buzz of the crowd in the background.
“It’s totally easier that way, but there’s a certain old lady up here who really wants to meet you. Edith’s been telling her all about you. I’m on the third floor, the front door is open. Use the stairs, the elevator takes forever.”
“I never take elevators,” he said.
“Shocker. Anyway, come up.”
I paced around my apartment as I waited for him and checked my makeup in the mirror for the millionth time. Birdie and Edith watched me with curious expressions until the knock on the door sent both dogs into a barking frenzy. I hadn’t had anyone up in ages. Birdie looked at me like she couldn’t believe that she’d been called back into guard dog service at her age and Edith went into parkour mode off every vertical surface.
“Ladies,please.” It was an important lesson I’d forgotten to work on, so I resorted to an emergency management technique and grabbed a handful of treats to throw down the hallway so I could let Andrew in.
I still felt a little seasick about the whole greetings and farewells aspect of our fun-hood since it was all new terrain for us. I flung open the door and felt the air woosh out of my lungs at the sight of him filling the doorway. This man, this perfect specimen, was someone I could kiss if I wanted to. My brain still had trouble computing it after being on the defensive about him for so long. My heart? Well, that was another story entirely.
“Hi.” I had to hold myself back from flinging my arms around his neck and covering his face with kisses.
“Hi.”
Before I could step back to welcome him in, Andrew circled his arms around me and lifted me off the ground, pressing hislips to mine in a kiss that told me exactly how he felt about greetings. I’d never considered myself petite, but the way Andrew hoisted me through the door and up against the wall made me feel downright pocket-sized.
I was dressed for the cold outside in layers, but my skin still shivered as he kissed me. Desire unfurled in my belly and suddenly all I could think about was directing him to my bedroom. There’d be another Old German Christmas Market next year, it would be fine to miss this one.
Edith had other ideas. Andrew’s mouth curved into a smile as she barked her frustration at us. He gave me one last teasing kiss, then set me back down on the ground.
“She’s anti-kissing?” he asked, kneeling to pet her.
“She’s anti any affection if it doesn’t involve her.”
“Sorry, Bug, I’m not into three-ways.”
Hearing him use the name he’d called her the first time they met brought me back to when we were still pretending to hate each other. I liked this way much better.
“Come meet Birdie. She’s going to hang back as long as Edith is in your face.”
I pulled him to my little front room and put the gate up so he could interact with my old girl without having to deal with Edith at the same time.
“Cute place,” he said as he looked around. “But where are your decorations? It’s a little depressing in here, Higs.”
“I’m skipping them this year thanks to Edith. It’s just too much to worry about with her around. She’s nonstop.”
Birdie ambled out from the kitchen and headed right for Andrew.
“Oh, she’s a beautiful old lady,” he cooed as he sat downon the ground in front of her. Birdie walked right up to him and pressed her head against his chest. “What a sweetheart. How old?”
“Ten.” Birdie started climbing into his lap. “She’s never going to let you leave if she gets settled. We better head out.”
Five minutes later I was bundled up and strolling among the happy holiday crowds with a much less bundled Andrew. The Christmas market was mainly the usual street-fair merch like candles, art, and jewelry, but the stalls were dressed up in little white tents with Moravian stars on top. What qualified it as theGermanmarket was the oompah band that played a few times during the event and one massive stand that took up a half block filled with all sorts of German goodies.
