Nope. Nope. Nope.
I would act like a fucking nineteen-year-old girl with an iota of experience and not freak. Then again, he might not kiss me. He might’ve realized at some point during our date that I wasn’t kiss-worthy and high tail his ass back to his apartment to hang out with Ollie and Raphael. And if so, that would be okay. I would be okay with that.
But when we got back to our apartment building and as we reached the fifth floor, I realized I didn’t want the night to be over yet. We stopped in front of my door, and I turned to face him, twisting my fingers along the strap of my purse.
His lips quirked up on one side. “So…”
“Would you like to come in? For something to drink? I have coffee or hot chocolate.” Hot chocolate? Seriously? Was I twelve? Fuck me. “I don’t have any beer or anything more—”
“Hot chocolate would be good,” he cut in. “Only if you have the kind with those tiny marshmallows.”
My lips spread into a smile and I didn’t care how big or goofy it looked. “I do.”
“Then lead the way, sweetheart.”
Heart pumping, I let us into my apartment and turned on the lamp beside the couch. Shedding my jacket, I headed into the kitchen. Cam sat on the couch while I whipped us up some hot chocolate. While the water heated up, I yanked off my shoes. I brought two steaming cups back.
“Thank you.” He took one. “Got a question for you.”
“Okay.” I sat facing him, tucking my legs under me.
He took a sip. “So based on your first date experience, would you go out on a second?”
A pleasant feeling hummed in my chest. “Like a second in general?”
“In general.”
I shrugged and then tried some of my hot chocolate. “Well, this was a very good first date. If second dates were like this, then I guess I would.”
“Hmm. With just anyone or…?”
My lashes lowered. “Not with just anyone.”
“So it would have to be someone in particular?”
The pleasant feeling spread into my limbs. “I think it would have to be.”
“Interesting,” he murmured, taking another drink. When he looked at me, his eyes positively twinkled. Christ. I was screwed. Eyes were twinkling at me. “Is this someone in particular going to have to wait another two months if they ask you out?”
I couldn’t fight the smile, so I took a drink. “Depends.”
“On?”
“My mood.”
Cam chuckled. “Get ready.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to ask you out again—not dinner, because I like to change things up. It’s to the movies.”
I pretended to think about it, but I already knew I’d say yes. Might be a dumb move or pointless, but I wanted to go out on another date with him. “Movies?”
He nodded. “But it’s a drive-in movie, one of the last ones around.”
“Outside?”
“Yep.” His grin spread. “Don’t worry. I’d keep you warm.”
I didn’t know if I should giggle or tell him that last statement was kind of adorably corny. “Okay.”
His brows rose. “Okay to the movies?”
Biting down on my lip, I nodded.
“Seriously it isn’t going to take me another two months?”
I shook my head.
Cam looked away, laughing under his breath. “Okay. How about Wednesday?”
“Next Wednesday?”
“Nope.”
I sat my hot chocolate down on the coffee table. “The following Wednesday?”
“Yep.”
Counting the days down, I ended up frowning. “Wait. That’s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.”
“It is.”
I stared at him. “Cam, aren’t you going home?”
“I am.”
“When? After the movies, in the middle of the night, or Thanksgiving morning?”
He shook his head. “See, the drive-in movie theater is just outside of my hometown. About ten miles out.”
I leaned back against the couch, confused. “I don’t understand.”
Cam finished off the hot chocolate and twisted toward me. He scooted over so only a handful of inches separated us. “If you go on this date with me, you’re going to have to go home with me.”
“What?’ I shrieked, sitting up straight. “Go home with you?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded his head.
“Are you serious?”
“Serious as my pierced eardrum,” he said. “Come home with me. We’ll have fun.”
“Go home with you—to your parents’ house? Basically for Thanksgiving?” When he nodded again, I smacked him on the arm. “Don’t be stupid, Cam.”
“I’m not being stupid. I’m being serious. My parents won’t mind.” He paused, nose wrinkling. “Actually, they’d probably be happy to see someone other than me. And my mom likes to cook way too much food. The more mouths, the better.”
There were no words.
“We can leave whenever you want, but obviously before Wednesday afternoon. You finishing the rest of your hot chocolate?” When I shook my head, he grabbed my cup. “And we can come back whenever.”
I watched him drink the rest of my hot chocolate. “I can’t go with you.”