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Lev: Hey yourself. What’s up?

Me: I want to see you. Let’s go out.

The three dots move a few times.

Lev: Okay. Where?

Me: Doesn’t matter.

Lev: Sure! Want me to come pick you up?

Me: Can you?

Lev: Yeah. Give me half an hour.

Me: Sounds good. See you then.

Lev: Is your dad there? wink emoji

I laugh out loud.

Me: Nope. It’s just me. You’re safe.

Lev: Whew. See you then.

I smile and set my phone down, then take a quick shower. I’m not sure what we’re going to do, but I don’t care. I just want to see him and be near him. I want to touch him and talk to him. I need to be in his presence.

God, I really am as gone for this guy as he said he was for me two nights ago. I just hope he’s as serious as I am. My heart couldn’t handle losing him now.

Lev picks me up almost exactly thirty minutes after our last text. He comes to the door to get me, knocking just as I’m opening it with a smile. He greets me and then grabs my neck and pulls me in for a searing kiss. My knees go weak as I kiss him back, my fingers tracing the edge of his jeans. When we pull away, he gives me a smile.

“Hey,” he says.

I shut and lock the door behind me. “Hey yourself.”

He takes my hand and walks me toward the car. Once we’re inside, he starts the engine, cranks up the heater, and clicks on the seat warmers, then turns to me. “What do you want to do?” he asks.

It’s about seven thirty, and the sun has already set to darkness. I have no ideas, and so I just shrug. “Nothing special. I just wanted to hang.”

He smiles that beautiful smile, and I grin back, reaching up to put my pointer finger in his dimple. I can’t help it. He laughs as he grabs my finger and then kisses the pad of it. My heart flutters, and a feeling of peace settles over me.

“Let’s just drive, then?” he says. When I nod in response, he lets go of my hand, reverses out of the driveway, and heads out of the neighborhood.

“How did things end up going with your annoying customer?” I ask him, referencing a text he sent me earlier in the day.

“Oh, man. Let’s just say I was happy when he was gone. What about you? Get that bid for the school district logo revamp in?”

“I DID!” I exclaim. “I like what I have.”

“Who were they? I mean, what was the mascot?”

“The Porcupines. I shit you not.”

We both let out huge belly laughs.

“I pity the fool who has to wear that mascot suit,” he says, still laughing.

We continue to drive. I’m not sure where we’re going, but I don’t ask. I don’t even know that he knows at this point. We put some music on, and Lev reaches over and rests his hand on my thigh. I lean my head back on the headrest and take a deep breath. It’s fun just being with him. While we drive, we talk. Other times we’re silent, and occasionally we sing along to the lyrics.