He wasn’t wrong, and his suggestion was gold.
Onno had needed a little time to recover from the hike, so we’d agreed to meet three days later. Dressed according to Bubbles’s instructions, I wore jeans and a tight white button-down. Considering what we were going to do, I’d probably have to chuck the shirt afterward, but it would be worth it.
Onno was waiting for me outside the bakery. When he spotted me, he took me in thoroughly. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you. I love your shirt. It makes your eyes pop.”
When I’d shared my suspicion that Onno had low self-esteem, Bubbles had told me to be liberal with the compliments.
Onno’s face lit up. “Thank you. I borrowed it from my brother. We’re the same size, and I didn’t bring that many clothes with me.”
“I can imagine. Are you ready to go?”
“Where are we going?”
I gestured at my truck, parked on the other side of Main Street. “To a little town called Berne. It’s about a fifteen-minute drive.”
“Do I need to bring anything? You didn’t tell me what we’d be doing.”
“Nope, you’re fine. And I’ll explain on the way there.”
I held out my hand, and he took it, his cheeks growing adorably red. “I still can’t get over how big the cars are here,” he said as we walked to my pickup. “We don’t have these back home.”
“No? Why not?”
“They wouldn’t even fit in most parking spaces or garages. The Netherlands is a tiny country that’s densely populated, so everything is small. Houses, gardens, roads, parking garages—everything is a hell of a lot smaller than here. Plus, gas is much more expensive. I can’t imagine this is a very economical car.”
I chuckled and held the passenger door open for him. “Oh, it’s not.”
He awkwardly climbed into the cab, but that wasn’t strange if he’d never been in a truck. I closed the door after him and got in myself. “I got this truck because I often have to haul equipment to the outdoor activities I participate in. Backpacks, tents, coolers, you name it. I can throw it all in the bed. I even have a rack that fits two kayaks.”
“That makes sense. So, what are we going to do?”
God, I hoped I’d gotten it right. “Well, you told me you were trying to do all kinds of things you’d never done, like kayaking and hiking, so I figured I’d continue that theme. No worries, it’s not something physical.”
He laughed sheepishly. “Thank you. I was about to get worried I would embarrass myself again.”
“It’s something I’ve never done either, so we’ll both be outside our comfort zones. We’re going to a pottery class where Clara, our instructor, will help us make a vase.”
I shot a quick look sideways. His face lit up. “Pottery? Oh, that sounds like fun. I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it, but it will be exciting to try.”
“I’ll probably suck at it because I have the artistic skills of a squirrel, but that’s okay. It’ll be fun to learn together, right?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
He put his hand on my thigh. Goosebumps pebbled on my skin at that simple contact, and my dick also made its interest known. Bubbles had been right. I did have it bad. “For being so intentional and thoughtful in coming up with an idea for our date.”
The warmth flooding me was unlike anything else. “You are so welcome. I’ve been looking forward to our date all week.”
“Yeah?” He removed his hand, and I missed it instantly. “What did you do this week? More kayaking and hiking?”
“I led an advanced three-hour kayak tour. That one was a challenge because of the rain, but we had a fun group, so that helped. And yesterday, I assisted with a rock-climbing outing.”
“You do rock climbing?”
“Not if I can avoid it. I know the basics, but I don’t have the body type for it. You need to be light and nimble, and that’s not me. But I’m excellent at belaying, so I’m the guy who holds the other end of the rope in case someone slips and falls. It’s not myfavorite activity, since it involves a lot of standing and watching, but that’s also part of my job.”
