“Marin?”
She spun to find herself facing a tall brunette, so tall that she almost made Marin feel short by comparison, and she was five foot seven. Marin’s stomach filled with a tingly burst of adrenaline as she recognized Laura from the photos on her profile. Oh. Oh wow. Her date.
She was almost surprised to realize she was grinning, her heart pounding. “Hi, Laura. It’s so great to meet you in person.”
“You too.” Laura walked over, wearing black snow pants and a hot-pink puffy jacket. Her hat was a mixture of vibrant colors, and it seemed to suit her. Some people just looked great in bright colors, like Char—nope, not thinking about her right now. “I’ve been so nervous ... and so excited.”
“Same.” Marin laughed, as some of the tension left her body. “So much of both.”
“That’s a good sign, I think, right?” Laura’s voice was different from what she’d expected, slightly husky. She had laugh lines around her eyes, and Marin had always found those so attractive on a woman. Now that she was paying attention, she was thrilled to realize that shedidfind Laura appealing, and not in a platonic way, but as someone she might want to kiss.
She exhaled in relief. “This might’ve been the hardest part, right? Actually meeting each other for the first time. Now we’ve gotten through it.” She mimed wiping her brow.
“Definitely,” Laura said. “This is my least favorite part of online dating, honestly, but it’s so hard to meet people organically these days, especially as a lesbian in a small town.”
“I’m sure it is. As you know, I’m new to all this.” She gestured around herself, relieved that she’d already given Laura some of her backstory. Not all of it, but Laura knew this was Marin’s first time dating a woman and that she’d just moved to Vermont. Laura was new to Vermont, too, but she’d moved here from rural New Hampshire, so she wasn’t new to small-town New England life.
“I do know, and I’m so excited for you.” Laura rested a hand briefly on Marin’s shoulder as they began walking toward the welcome center together. “How are you feeling about things so far? Was this something you’d wanted for a while? Dating women, I mean?”
“It was,” Marin confirmed, feeling a lump in her throat at justhowlong she’d wanted it. “I’ve been waiting a long time.”
“That makes me extra glad to be here with you. I’ve been out since I was a teenager, but I know people who’ve come out at our age or even later, and I can’t imagine how freeing that must feel ... but also how overwhelming.”
“So far, more freeing than overwhelming, but there are just ... a lot of emotions.” And just like that, Marin was on the verge of tears. Her eyes stung, and her throat ached. She gulped, pulling herself together.
Laura walked ahead, oblivious, chatting happily about snowshoeing. “I watched a few videos on YouTube, and it looks really fun, but I’m a woman who once got stuck halfway down the ski slope when one of my skis came off and went down without me, so no guarantees, right?”
Marin laughed, and it was a much-needed release for the emotions building inside her. “Look, I lived in the city for forty-seven years. I’ve never even been on skis. If anyone’s going to fall and make a fool of herself today, it’ll probably be me.”
“If you go down, I’m going with you ... for emotional support if nothing else,” Laura offered with a silly smile, and Marin was laughing again.
And ... the date she’d been so anxious about was off to a promising start. They joined their group and received a brief but informative demonstration on snowshoeing before they strapped into their awkward-looking footgear and tromped into the woods behind the welcome center.
It was more difficult than Marin had anticipated. The snowshoes used muscles she’d apparently never used before, and within minutes, her calves and feet were on fire, although she kept the discomfort to herself. She and Laura were both in their forties, but still, it seemed like bad form to complain about aches and pains on a first date.
Laura kept the conversation going while they walked. She seemed to be naturally chatty, with a gift for putting Marin at ease. They separated from the group, walking through an undisturbed part of the forest, and while her legs complained at every movement, Marin was mesmerized by the beauty of her surroundings.
The snow made a satisfying crunch beneath her shoes, while overhead, the wind whistled through the bare tree branches. The sun made everything sparkle, which was so damn pretty. Marin hadn’t spent a lot of time in nature before, but she hoped that would change now that she lived in Vermont.
Laura’s cheeks and nose were pink from the cold, and it made her look even prettier. Marin was thrilled to feel a visceral hit of attraction when she looked at her. When they returned to the parking lot an hour later, Marin was sweaty beneath her winter clothes, her legs hurt like crazy, and she washappy.
So. Incredibly. Happy.
“So,” Laura said after she’d unclipped from her snowshoes. “Still up for that coffee?”
“Yes,” Marin agreed quickly. “Definitely yes.”
“I really like that ‘definitely.’ The Pleasant Rock Café is just down the street, if that sounds good to you?”
“It sounds perfect.”
“Great.” Laura leaned in, and Marin’s whole body tingled as adrenaline flooded her system, becauseoh god, was she about to have her first kiss with a woman? Was she ready for this? Godyes, but also, godno, andCharlotte...
Laura’s lips brushed her cheek, warm and soft. Marin’s skin flushed. Her heart raced. Her lips curved in an involuntary smile, even as they ached to be kissed, just maybe not by Laura.
What? Stop!
Laura’s kiss had been perfect. It had been just what Marin wanted and needed. She’d had her first kiss with a woman, and for a moment there, she hadn’t even thought of Charlotte ...
