He started back around, his teeth chattering. *** She looked up at him. "You said I could decide whether or not i want to call you my boyfriend after the movie."
She pulled up onto the shore, shivering before she reached down and offered him a hand. She was laughing breathily. * * * He glanced up at her and rested his head on his hand. "Yes?"
He took it, standing straight as he shivered. "That.. was not ideal.." *** She turned her head stubbornly. "I don't know if you want to hear the answer."
She laughed again, going over to the duffle and pulling out a large folded blanket, draping it over his shoulders and tying the corners under his chin. "I'm proud of you." * * * His whole face fell and he paused, looking down for a moment. "Was it the Raisinettes?"
He blinked at her, his eyes gentle. "You are?" *** She looked back at him before taking his hand. "I'm kidding, Ben. I can look past the Raisinettes if you'll allow me to be your girlfriend."
She beamed, looking up at him, her grey eyes matching his. "Of course. You did something extraordinary tonight," she replied, tilting her head slightly. * * * He visibly brightened, reaching over and taking her hand. "Really?"
She pulled away after a moment, her teeth chattering. "Come on," she said, picking up the empty duffle bag. "Let's hurry." * * * "My Raisinette obsession didn't deter you?"
He nodded, grabbing his shirt and coat before starting back to the car. *** "Mm," she started teasingly. "Not too much."
They got back to her car and she blasted the heat, shivering visibly now as she took deep breaths. "Good. That was good. Now you know what to expect." * * * "You must really like me to be able to overlook that."
He put his shirt back on and offered her his coat. "Was it supposed to be like a metaphor or something?" *** She laughed. "What can I say? I do really like you."
She glanced over at him in surprise, shaking her head slightly at the coat. "No. Every time you meet with me, I'm going to make you do something that scares you." * * * It seemed like he couldn't stop smiling at her. "You do, huh?"
He put on his coat, squinting. "Really..?" *** "I do," she agreed, watching him adoringly. "And you're really cute."
She laughed slightly, still shivering. "Yeah. Really." * * * He flushed, shaking his head. "You're biased."
"Then you'll expect it. No, Adonis, I prefer for this stuff to be a surprise." * * * "You completely are."
She pulled out of the parking lot, heading down the street. "I'll let this be all for today," she said as they drove. "Tomorrow, or whenever you want to meet next, I'll take you to the gym." * * * He squinted, but didn't comment any more on it. "Are you finished?"
She nodded, pulling up in front of his flower shop. "Excellent." * * * "Great. Come on. I'll walk you home."
