“If you’re a good boy, I’ll think about it,” I teased.
He nearly stumbled over his own feet.
Looks like I wasn’t the only one with a praise kink.
—
We spent the better partof the afternoon walking the promenade. As the sun started to set, my feet were practically screaming. It didn’t take long for Atlas to notice.
“You doing okay over there?” he asked.
“My feet are starting to hurt,” I said, shifting my weight to ease some of the pressure. “I should have worn different shoes.”
His ears drooped. “Shit. Sorry about that.”
I gave his biceps a little squeeze. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I should have worn something more comfortable.”
“There’s a bench over there.” He pointed to an empty park bench right underneath one of the flowering trees. “Why don’t we take a break?”
“Okay.”
Atlas swept away the fallen petals covering the bench, motioning for me to sit. I slipped my flats off, wiggling my toes and resting my feet on top. It felt so good to be out of those fucking shoes.
I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, soaking in our afternoon together.
“This reminds me of the night at the wedding. When we sat on the bench in the garden.” I opened my eyes, looking over to find him staring at me.
“Do you know how happy I felt, running into you like thatagain? There I was, feeling so alone in a room full of people, and then you showed up.”
It was a feeling I could empathize with, because before I met him, I’d felt alone, too.
I reached for his hand, staring into his eyes as I gave it a little squeeze. “I promise that as long as I’m around, you’ll never feel alone.”
A light breeze swept by, bringing a shower of cherry blossom petals with it.
One dainty little petal stuck to the tip of Atlas’s shiny nose.
“You have a cherry blossom on your nose.”
“I do?” His ears perked up, his golden eyes crossing as he looked down his snout. It made me giggle, which caused his tail to wag.
“Stay still,” I instructed. “I’ll get it.”
I leaned in, bringing my face closer to his muzzle while I plucked the silky pink petal from his nose.
“There,” I said, letting it flutter onto my lap between us.
I was still in his space, and neither of us pulled away.
“Do you know what cherry blossoms symbolize?” I asked, my voice a low whisper.
“No.”
“Lots of things. Beauty. Life and death.” I paused for a second, digging my teeth into my lip. “New beginnings.”
His furry brows drew back, a smile curling up one corner of his muzzle. “New beginnings?”
“Mhm.” I couldn’t believe I’d said it, and on our first date, no less, but there was something building between us. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Something inexplicable.
