“Can I smell?” Jack asked, leaning forward.
I carefully puffed the combined scent toward him.
Jack drew it in. “I like it. Makes me think of an island getaway.”
“Makes me think of you,” I said quietly.
Jack’s eyes locked on me as he swallowed, his ears turning pink. “Oh. That’s probably from my—” He broke off with a cough, glancing at the attendant.
I leaned into him, pressing my nose against his shirt and drawing in his scent. “I like the way you smell. I want it in my apartment even when you’re not there.” The last came out as a whisper. I pulled back.
Jack stopped my retreat with a hand on my cheek. He leaned closer, his lips brushing over mine. “Sounds like you might be a little stuck on me.” His eyes softened as he pulled away.
My skin tingled the longer he looked at me. I cleared the tightness from my throat. “More than a little.”
The attendant was back, and I looked away from Jack toward the window, raising my hands to cover my hot cheeks. The way his hand settled on my back eased the tension there, and I turned to smell his mixture of scents as well.
We left the candles to finish setting, planning on picking them up later in the weekend. Next was a quiet Thai restaurant he’d picked out, which was the only part of the date I had guessed beforehand—dinner together—though I hadn’t guessed Thai. Yellow curry was a favorite of mine that I didn’t get very often, and we talked through our food preferences over the meal. Jack was allergic to shellfish and loved any type of pasta or rice dish, curry included. I shared my willingness to try anything, as well as the weirdness I sometimes had over food textures.
He listened as if taking notes and figured out some of my absolute favorites with his continued questions, including that he’d gotten curry right and that sometimes I was addicted to chocolate, but only when the craving really hit me.
We both remembered the chocolate cake we’d shared at the bar together, and he was disappointed there wasn’t one on the menu, though I couldn’t have stuffed more food down even if there had been one.
Instead of returning to the truck, he took my hand, and we walked along the nearby river. We’d become quiet, but the need to fill the silence didn’t press on me. Being there with him, just together, was enough.
My fingers shifted between his, as if checking the fit, which was perfect. I walked closer, liking the way our arms brushed as we continued along the wooden boardwalk. Music drifted toward us from somewhere ahead.
“Is that jazz?” I asked, tilting my head to hear it better.
“There’s an outdoor festival tonight,” Jack said. “I thought you might like it. Feel up to checking it out?”
That swirl of excitement in my stomach returned. “That sounds fun. I love music.”
“I know.” Jack smiled. “Something else we have in common.”
“It won’t be too crowded?” I asked, seeing a body of people in the distance.
“Do you not like crowds?” Jack asked.
“I—” My words died. Neil had hated crowds. Even a long wait at a restaurant had made him push me to leave. I’d learned to check for that beforehand so I wouldn’t be disappointed.
But did that mean I didn’t like crowds? Or was I just used to avoiding them for him? “I’m not sure,” I mumbled, a chill moving across my arms.
“Then we’ll try it and see,” Jack said, tugging me forward.
The festival had drawn quite a crowd. My heart raced at first when we edged along the outside, but the music pulled me in. We found a space among those watching the stage, and Jack moved behind me, his arms wrapping around my hips and pulling my body against his. I felt protected, and my head relaxed against his chest.
“Okay?” Jack asked next to my ear.
The music pulsed within me, beautiful even though it differed from most of what I listened to. And there was Jack, so close and comforting. “Okay,” I agreed, relaxing more.
It was the perfect date activity. Music and him in a crowd of people. People who would see us and see a couple. The idea ofthat tightened my throat as I placed my hands over his and let myself exist in the moment.
Jack walked me to my door, holding my hand like when we had left. He seemed to enjoy touching me, even in small ways. My body soaked in every caress.
I turned toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck and finding his lips with mine. Unlike our earlier kisses that night, this one ignited, the way our kisses had from the beginning. Jack pressed me against my door, his mouth slanting over mine as his hand found the back of my head, tilting it for an even closer fit.
We lost ourselves in the kiss. Our tongues stroked, our mouths moved against each other, and our bodies pressed together, lining up perfectly.
