"Hey." I giggled, jostling him for space in the booth.
By the time we finished the cake, we settled down. However, the second server swung by, I bolted upright to give him my credit card first.
“You don’t need to treat me,” Harvey said, reaching for his wallet.
“I want to. It’s a big accomplishment." I pushed my card into the server's booklet and sent him off.
"Please, please, no fighting," the server said. "One of you can save that generosity for the tip. I'll be right back." He winked.
"I guess that's fine." Harvey yawned behind his palm. Poor guy had been on his feet for eleven hours or so.
“Too much excitement for one day, huh?” I snuggled into his side.
He patted his stomach. “Too much sugar.”
“That’s impossible.” I covered my high-pitched yawn with the back of my hand. "Sugar crashes can't happen with celebrations."
He wrapped both his arms around me and kissed my head. “Maybe you’re right.”
I hummed and rested my cheek against his steady heartbeat.
We could do this the rest of our lives. Or at least for the next few weeks, assuming we could afford it.
Eventually, we walked hand-in-hand to my car. The parking lot was more slush than fluffy blankets of snow. I didn’t want to fall in cold, gray sludge, so I took it slow. “Did you want to hang out in the car or go back to your place for the continued celebration?”
Harvey rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly, I’m kind of tired.”
Of course he was. I mustered up a bright smile. “I get it. You have had a long day.”
He gripped my hand before it could slip away. “I’d still like you to stay.” He took a sharp breath. “I mean, with me, at my place. Tonight. Is that okay?”
“I…I’ll have to check.” It sounded silly, but I’d rather my mom didn’t put out a search warrant or bang down his door in search of me.
“Go ahead. I’ll start thawing the windshield.” He got into the car, offering me some privacy.
I sucked in some cold air and dialed my mother. This was not something I should text.
She answered on the second ring. “Hello, Shelby.”
“Hi, Mom. I was just wondering, Harvey and I are both pretty sleepy after a big meal, would it be okay if we crashed at his place tonight?”
“No, that’s not a good idea.” That answer didn’t surprise me.
“But Mom–”
“You asked me.”
I sighed and paced next to the car. “Yes, but I’m also over eighteen. If I want to spend the night with my boyfriend–”
“You’ve only been dating a few weeks. Don’t you want to wait to test your sleeping compatibility? You should be engaged, at least.”
Stunned, I stopped walking. She was already thinking about our wedding? “Harvey and I aren’t rushing into anything. We’re sleepy and want to keep talking. People do this all the time.”
She huffed and turned on some water. “I don’t care whatpeopledo. You need to set a good example for your little cousins. Plus, you have work in the morning.”
That last part was true. I only had a few shifts left, and the Nice bonus was dangling over my head with the allure of mistletoe and Harvey. But a night with my boyfriend…
He rubbed his hands together, then smiled and awkwardly gave me a thumbs-up. I grinned and shrugged, not wanting to give him one back in case he took it as, 'yes, I got permission.'
