The rest of our second week in London was productive. We spent two days working with Craig David and finished recording another one of the songs Martin had written for us, “Trust Me.” But, by Saturday, we were all ready for a break.
“We’re gettin’ slaphappy in here, y’all,” I said, laughing as I looked around the studio. Howie was tinkering on the piano, plunking out the melody of “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music, while Nick played a beat on the drum set in the isolation booth behind him.
“Doe, a deer, a female deer!” AJ sang at the top of his lungs, recording the impromptu performance for one of his SocialCam videos. “Ray, a drop of golden sun! Me, a name…”
“I call myself!” Brian joined him in an obnoxious, operatic voice. “Far, a long, long way to ru-u-u-un!”
Smiling, I snapped a few pictures on my phone to post on Twitter. I had been doing my best to document each day of our trip for the fans and our families back home, trying to capture the small moments the cameras missed when the film crew wasn’t with us. I didn’t take a single one for granted, knowing how blessed I was to be here with the four men I considered brothers.
But when we left the studio that afternoon, I was tired. It had been a long week, and I wasn’t used to working full time. Although I’d recovered from the jet lag that had affected me the first few days in London, my body was still struggling to adjust to our busy schedule and build back the stamina I had lost since leaving the group and getting hurt. My right shoulder ached as I pushed myself through the door, reminding me that I was also dealing with an injury from my fall the previous week on top of the daily fatigue I experienced as a result of my quadriplegia. I kept my complaints to myself, not wanting the other guys to see me as the weak link, but I was glad we had agreed to only work a half day. I couldn’t wait to go back to the house, have a late lunch, and lie down for a while.
“Kevin!” I heard people call my name as I rolled past them. The group of fans gathered outside the studio had only gotten larger since our appearance on Good Morning America. When we’d arrived that morning, a couple of them had given us a cake shaped like a music note with the words “Thank you” written on top. Even Nick had broken his diet to eat a piece.
“Hey, y’all,” I replied, arranging my face into what I hoped was a polite smile. “Thanks for the cake. It was really good.”
“Stand back, everybody! Don’t push!” Q shouted as he walked ahead of me, parting the crowd to clear a path to the van that was waiting at the curb. I stayed close behind him, concentrating on not running over anyone’s toes.
I was so focused on the ground in front of me that I didn’t even notice a familiar face in the crowd. It wasn’t until I heard her voice say my name in a sweet, Southern drawl, so different from the English accents my ears had become accustomed to, that I looked up and saw Natalie leaning casually against a street lamp near the van. “Hey, babe,” she said, beaming at me.
At first, I couldn’t believe it was actually her. In my exhausted state, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me – like a mirage in the desert, she must have been a figment of my imagination. But then, she ran up and flung her arms around my neck. As I wrapped my arms around her, breathing in the flowery scent of her perfume, I realized she was very much real.
“What are you doing here?” I asked delightedly, leaning forward as she bent down to embrace me fully. Her soft brown hair brushed against my cheek as she buried her face in my shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“Because I wanted to surprise you,” she replied, stealing a kiss before she straightened up.
In the background, I heard the fans react, a shockwave of gasps and squeals rippling through the crowd. I knew they were watching, but I blocked them out, focusing my full attention on the woman standing in front of me.
“I love surprises,” I said, smiling up at her. She looked cute in a canary yellow dress and braided leather sandals that showed off her shapely legs. I licked my lips, tasting her cherry lip balm on the tip of my tongue.
“Yo, Romeo.” Q leaned in close to talk to me. “Y’all better get in the van before we get swarmed with women who wanna hug and kiss you, too.”
Natalie giggled, blushing, but I nodded, knowing he was right. “C’mon, babe,” I said as I reluctantly removed my hands from her waist and planted them on my push rims. I rolled myself up the ramp into the back of the van first and motioned for her to follow me. The rest of the guys climbed in after us, Nick and Brian working together to strap my chair to the floor before the van pulled away from the curb.
“Well, hey there, Natalie,” Howie said, smiling at her as we rode back to the house. “I didn’t know you were gonna be in town this weekend.”
“Neither did Kevin,” she replied, flashing me a gleeful grin. “My flight just landed a few hours ago. I heard y’all had a half day in the studio today, so I decided to head over and wait for you to finish.”
“Did you tell anyone who you were or what you were doing there?” I asked her, wondering how many fans she had talked to while she was waiting.
She laughed and shook her head. “Of course not. They probably wouldn’t have believed me if I’d claimed to be your girlfriend.”
“Well, they’d know you weren’t lying now,” Nick said, snickering. “No one even noticed me walk by; they were all so busy watching your PDA.”
“Your PDA, hey! I want your PDA,” Brian sang hoarsely, poking his head between the seats.
“It was just a hug and a kiss,” I said, feeling defensive. “It wasn’t like we were full-on making out in front of everyone.”
“Relax, dude; nobody said you were. But you know how our fans can be.” Nick rolled his eyes.
Natalie’s smile faded. “Do you think they’ll be jealous?” she asked, looking uncertainly from me to Nick.
“I dunno if it’s jealousy or what, but they’re not always nice to our significant others. They’ve been fucking terrible to my girlfriend, Lauren,” he said, scowling.
“But it’s not like it’s the whole fan base, Nick,” Howie was quick to point out. “It’s just a very vocal minority who post that stuff about Lauren online. And they don’t do it to all our women; they’ve been nothing but nice and accepting of Leigh.”
“Are you trying to say it’s Lauren’s fault?” Nick snapped, his eyes flashing angrily at Howie. “‘Cause that’s fucking bullshit! She’s done nothing to deserve this – except fall in love with me, apparently.”
“I didn’t say that,” Howie replied calmly. “If anything, it’s your fault for being so popular.” He grinned, punching Nick playfully in the shoulder. Nick didn’t smile back.
“I don’t know if it’s jealousy so much as… protectiveness?” Brian suggested. “I think most fans know by now that they’re not gonna marry any of us. They just don’t wanna see us with women who are only in it for the money and fame.”
“Dude.” Now Nick turned his angry eyes on Brian. “You did not just call my girlfriend a gold digger.”
“What?! No, dawg, that’s not what I’m sayin’ at all!” Brian’s voice cracked as it rose in pitch. “Don’t put words in my mouth. If you’d let me finish, what I was tryin’ to say was, it just takes time for the fans to see that our wives are genuine. Once they get to know them, it’s easier for them to accept them.”
“How much time? Lauren and I have been together for almost four years.”
“Ro and I haven’t been together quite that long, but I think Rok’s right,” AJ spoke up. “The fans weren’t sure about Rochelle at first – when we first got engaged, I saw a lot of comments about it being too fast – but since we got married, it’s been better. She talks to fans on Twitter sometimes, and most of them are cool.”
“Well, there you go, Nick. Further proof that you just need to pop the question,” I said, smiling at him as I recalled our conversation at lunch the previous week.
Nick finally cracked a smile.
“So, what are everyone’s plans for the evening?” Howie asked, taking advantage of the opportunity to change the subject.
As the others answered, I looked out the window, my mind wandering as I watched the brick buildings pass by. I had been out of the entertainment business for so long that, until then, I hadn’t even thought about how our fan base would react to finding out about my new girlfriend. But after hearing Nick talk about how badly the fans had treated Lauren, I worried they wouldn’t accept Natalie the same way they had Kristin.
“I hope y’all won’t mind if I steal him away,” I heard Natalie say as she slung her arm around my shoulders, snapping me back to the conversation happening around me. “I have an accessible hotel room with a king-size bed and a roll-in shower, so you can stay with me tonight if you want,” she added, flashing me a flirtatious smile.
Immediately, my mind raced, taking into account what day it was and when I needed to do my next bowel program before I responded. Relief flooded me when I remembered that Dawn and I had done my program that morning, which meant I would probably be good until Monday. “Works for me,” I replied, smiling back at her.
When we got back to the house, Natalie helped me pack an overnight bag and take apart my portable shower chair so we could put it back in its carrying case. Dawn was still out sightseeing with Keith, so I called to fill her in on what we were doing. “Enjoy your night off,” I told her.
“Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep? I sure will!” she replied.
I laughed, but as Natalie and I left the house, I felt slightly nervous. I had never spent the night completely alone with her; Dawn had always been down the hall in case I needed her help. I hoped nothing would go wrong.
When we got to the hotel, Natalie carried my stuff so I could concentrate on pushing myself inside. I tried to cast my insecurities aside as she held the door to her room open for me.
“So, how’d I do?” she asked as I rolled around the supposedly accessible room, checking out the furniture arrangement, the bed, and the bathroom. “Is it okay?”
I nodded, relieved to find that the shower really was a roll-in, the bed was low enough for a lateral transfer from my chair, and I had room to turn around. “It’s perfect.”
“Phew!” She drew her hand across her forehead, pretending to wipe the sweat off her brow.
I chuckled. “You did good, babe.”
“Thanks!” she replied, bending down to kiss my lips. As she straightened up, I saw her stifle a yawn with her hand.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked, frowning as it occurred to me that she must have worked another overnight flight from Atlanta to London.
“I dunno. Feels like forever,” she admitted, flashing me a tired smile, “but I took a nap yesterday afternoon before I left for the airport, so I know it hasn’t been a full twenty-four hours yet. I’ll be fine as long as I can get some more caffeine when we go out.”
“Honesty, I wouldn’t say no to taking a nap together first,” I told her. “I’m tired, too. It’s been a busy two weeks, and I haven’t been sleeping well here.”
“Aww, why not?”
“We didn’t bring the mattress pad I sleep on at home, so Dawn has to reposition me halfway through the night so I don’t get pressure sores. It sucks not being able to sleep more than four hours at a time.”
“Poor baby,” Natalie said, sticking out her bottom lip. “Sounds like we could both use a nap. C’mon… let’s get you into bed.”
I ignored her coddling tone, concentrating on taking my sliding board out of my bag while she turned back the covers. She helped me transfer to the king-size bed, making sure I was sitting far enough back with both hands pressed firmly against the mattress behind me to brace myself before she let go of me this time. Then she bent down to unlace my shoes so she could slip them off my feet.
“Do you want me to take off your clothes or leave them on?” she asked as she lifted my legs onto the bed.
“What a loaded question.” I smirked at her. “Are you leaving yours on?”
“Well, no, I wasn’t planning to sleep in my dress,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
“Then let’s both get more comfortable,” I suggested. “I usually sleep naked anyway – no chance of skin breakdown from seams or wrinkles rubbing in the wrong places when I’m not wearing clothes.”
“Good point. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” Winking, she reached for the hem of my gray t-shirt. I raised my arms as she pulled it up and over my head. Then I let myself flop backward, lying flat on my back so she could finish undressing me. Once she’d removed my shorts, she made sure I was in a comfortable position, placing a pillow behind my head and tucking a rolled towel under my heels. “How does that feel?” she asked as she adjusted my feet.
“Fine, as far as I can tell,” I replied with a shrug, looking down at the lower half of my body with a sense of detachment. “Come join me.”
Quickly, she peeled off her clothes and crawled into bed beside me, pulling the covers over us both. She curled up next to me, resting her head on my shoulder as she nestled herself into the crook of my arm. Instinctively, I wrapped my arm around her and hugged her closer to me, absorbing the heat of her body.
“I’ve missed holding you like this,” I murmured as I turned my head toward her, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. I touched my lips lightly to her forehead, planting a tender kiss there.
She let out a soft sigh. “Me too,” she said, running her hand across my bare chest. She let it rest on the left side, where I assumed she could feel my heart beating against her palm. “Being here with you is so much better than just talking on FaceTime. I’ve missed being able to touch you… and kiss you…” She tipped her head back, leaving a trail of kisses up my neck and along the side of my face as her lips traced my jawline.
My sensitive skin tingled with pleasure. “Sorry for the stubble,” I said. “If I’d known you were coming, I would have shaved this morning.”
She giggled, her warm breath tickling my neck. “It’s a little prickly, but I don’t mind. I’ve always liked your beard.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“For the record, I did shave since I knew I was coming,” she added, “but I just realized it probably doesn’t matter much. You wouldn’t be able to feel my prickly legs anyway, would you?”
I chuckled. “Nope. Not at all. I don’t care how long you let your leg hair grow, as long as your cactus legs don’t cause AD when they rub against mine.”
“Hey!” Natalie laughed as she playfully pushed me away. But, a second later, she pulled me closer again, her lips resuming their previous exploration. She followed the path all the way to my ear and took my earlobe between her teeth, gently biting and tugging. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. The soft slurping sound she made when she kissed the outside of my ear was magnified inside my head. Then she flicked her tongue into my ear canal, sending shivers shooting down my spine. “You okay?” she whispered, apparently hearing my sharp intake of breath.
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh of pleasure. “You don’t even know how incredible that feels to me.”
She giggled softly. “Oh, I can imagine. I mean, you’ve done some pretty amazing things to me with your mouth. I’m just trying to return the favor,” she replied, licking along the outer rim of my ear.
I smiled. “Well, if you want more of that, just say the word.”
“Maybe later.” She let out a little sigh. “Right now, I just wanna lie here and snuggle with you until we fall asleep.”
And that was exactly what we did. She dozed off first, her breath becoming slow and deep as her body relaxed. I followed soon after, letting the steady sound lull me to sleep.
When I woke hours later, Natalie was still sound asleep, her head heavy on my shoulder. Her body radiated heat like a furnace, making me feel flushed and sweaty. As I ran my hand lightly through her hair and down her bare back, she let out a soft sigh and stirred in my arms. “Mm… what time is it?” she mumbled.
“No clue.” I’d left my phone in the pouch on my chair, and I couldn’t see the clock from my position.
She sat up slowly, holding the top sheet to her chest with one hand as she swept her hair back off her face with the other. “It’s almost six,” she said. “We should probably get up, huh?”
I would have liked to lie in bed with her for a little longer, but my head had started to pound, reminding me that my bladder was probably full. “Yeah. I need to use the bathroom.”
“We should definitely get up then,” she amended as she rolled out of bed and reached for her clothes. “Don’t want you to have another accident.”
She flashed me an impish smile, but I felt my face redden as I remembered the day we’d left for London. “Don’t worry – I, uh, did my bowel program this morning, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I just have to pee.”
She nodded. “Good to know. Hang on,” she said, hurrying to hook her bra behind her back. “I’ll help you get up.”
Once I was back in my wheelchair, I went into the bathroom to cath myself. When I came out, I found Natalie sitting on the side of the bed, frowning as she scrolled through her phone. “Well, the news is out,” she said flatly, turning her phone around to show me its screen. “We’re all over Twitter.”
“What?” I wheeled myself toward her and leaned forward, squinting at her screen. I saw a photo of the two of us kissing outside the studio on her Twitter feed. “Oh. Well, Nick tried to warn you. What are the fans saying?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to read their comments myself.
She shrugged. “It’s a mixed reaction. Most people seem happy for us, but some of them are already questioning my motives. So far, I’ve been called a bitch, an attention-seeker, a golddigger…”
I sighed and shook my head. “I’m sorry. Like Nick said, they’re not always very nice. They treated Kristin well because she’d been with me since the beginning, but some of the other guys’ girlfriends have been subjected to the same bullshit. Try not to take it personally. They’re just jealous.”
Natalie nodded. “I know. Who wouldn’t be?” She flashed me a flirtatious smile as she stood up, walking across the room to the desk where she’d left her purse.
“Do you want me to say something about it on Twitter?” I asked, watching as she took out a tube of pink lipstick and paused in front of the full-length mirror to apply it.
“Nah… it’s probably better to ignore it,” she replied, smacking her lips together. “Don’t feed the trolls, you know?”
I nodded, relieved to hear her say that. Having always tried to avoid the drama on social media, I didn’t want to get sucked into it now.
Natalie put the cap back on her lipstick and turned around to face me. “Do I look okay?” she asked, holding out her arms.
I could tell she had touched up her hair and makeup while I was in the bathroom, but she hadn’t needed to. “Are you kidding? You always look more than ‘okay’ to me. You’re beautiful,” I told her.
“You’re sweet,” she said, smiling. “So, I thought maybe we could go down to the river tonight, have dinner and ride the London Eye. I looked on the website, and it’s wheelchair-accessible. What do you think?”
I smiled back, appreciative of her efforts to find an activity we could do together. “Sounds like a romantic date,” I replied. “Let’s do it.”
“Looks like it might get a little chilly once the sun goes down,” she said, checking the weather forecast on her phone. “Do you wanna change into something warmer?”
“Yeah, I probably should. You know how I get when I’m cold.”
She helped me put on a pair of long pants and a button-down shirt. I draped a light jacket over the back of my chair in case I needed an extra layer as the temperature dropped, while Natalie threw on a blue jean jacket over her yellow dress. “Ready?” she asked, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
I nodded and motioned for her to go in front of me. “After you.”
We took a taxi to the River Thames, where we found an Italian restaurant a block away from the London Eye to have dinner. “This reminds me of our first date,” said Natalie, smiling across the table at me. “Or was it our second?”
I still wasn’t sure whether having drinks together at the hotel on the day we’d met counted or not either. “I guess it was technically our second… but let’s call it our first official date,” I finally decided.
“Okay,” she agreed. “You know, when I first decided to become a flight attendant, I fantasized about falling in love with a hot foreign guy I’d met on one of my flights. But, in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would be asked out by a hot Backstreet Boy… or that we’d end up dating.”
“No, you were hoping for a New Kid instead,” I said, winking at her. “Don’t deny it. I know I’m no Joey McIntyre.”
She giggled. “Well, most people aren’t perfect, but seeing as how he’s married… you’re more than good enough for me.”
As I laughed along with her, I felt another surge of gratitude toward God or fate or whatever force had brought the two of us together. I hadn’t forgotten how hesitant I had been to start dating again after the accident, how I’d feared rejection from women who couldn’t see past my wheelchair, and how I’d worried about being taken advantage of by women who were only attracted to my money and fame. It was a miracle that I’d managed to find someone like Natalie, who loved me for the man I was on the inside and accepted me as the man I was on the outside. “I think you’re pretty close to perfect yourself,” I told her. “We’ll have to work on your cornhole skills, though.”
She threw her head back and laughed, her cheeks turning pink. “Good luck with that. I’m hopeless!”
I grinned. “I have faith in you.”
When the waiter brought our food, the conversation came to a lull as we concentrated on eating. But even as I cut into my lasagna, I thought about what I would say next. I had done a lot of thinking over the last few days, ever since I’d let the L-word slip. I wanted to bring up the future, to ask Natalie where she saw our relationship going now that we’d reached the next level. I took a bite, trying to savor the flavor and texture of the beef and cheese layered between noodles as I slowly chewed. After swallowing, I wiped the corners of my mouth with my napkin and cleared my throat. “I’m really glad you came,” I told Natalie. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Looking up from her plate of risotto, she nodded. “Me too. Talking on the phone just isn’t the same as being together in person.”
I remembered her saying something similar earlier as we lay in bed. I hoped it meant we were on the same page with what we wanted out of the relationship. “I know. It’s gonna be hard to go back to a long-distance relationship, even after I get home. I wish you lived closer.”
“I’m only an hour away by plane,” she replied, smiling.
“Yeah, but you know it’s not that easy for me to travel, especially if I’m by myself. I’m glad you’re able to come to me, but don’t you get tired of flying on your days off?”
She shrugged. “Sure, but it’s worth it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get to see you.”
“You would if you lived closer,” I said, offering her a crooked smile. “Would you ever consider relocating to Lexington?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You mean, move in with you?”
I shrugged. “Maybe… I’d have to talk to Mason about it first, but even if you just got an apartment there, it would make things so much easier.”
“For you…” she said slowly, a slight frown appearing on her face. “For me, it would make things harder. I’d still have to commute to Atlanta to catch my flights-”
“Or start working domestic flights instead,” I interrupted her.
Her frown deepened.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I know you like your long-haul flights. I wasn’t trying to pressure you; it was just a thought.”
“Well, here’s another thought: you could get a place in Atlanta,” she suggested.
I hesitated before shaking my head. “I’d rather not uproot Mason like that… and it would devastate my mom if we moved again. Besides, it’s been nice having her around to help me with him. Now that I’m back with the Boys, I have to have someone I trust nearby to watch him when Dawn goes with me on work trips.”
Natalie nodded. “I understand. I guess that means we’ll have to make it work the way it’s been for now.”
I thought she was being stubborn. Considering she didn’t have a kid or a disability, it would have been much easier for her to move than it would have been for me. But I didn’t tell her that, not wanting to start a fight when we only had two days to spend together. I took another bite of my lasagna instead and watched Natalie sip from her wine glass while I chewed.
“New subject,” Natalie announced suddenly, setting her glass down. “How’s the album coming along?”
I smiled. “Slowly but surely. I don’t think we’ll be done by the time we leave London, but I guess no one really expected us to finish an entire album in three weeks. I feel good about what we’ve accomplished so far, though.”
“I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been working on,” she replied. “When do you think the album will come out?”
“Knowing us? Probably not till next year,” I admitted. It was only July, but a 2012 release seemed overly optimistic. “We’ll have to spend some more time in the studio when we get back to the States.”
“Where do y’all record in the States?”
“We’ve worked in several different cities, but usually L.A.” I paused as another thought occurred to me. “You know, we’ll be spending a lot of time in L.A. over the next few months. I should probably start looking for another place out there so I have somewhere to stay when we’re working and don’t have to worry about finding an accessible hotel room every time. Would you wanna come look at homes with me sometime?”
Natalie’s eyes lit up. “Sure!” she replied eagerly. “I would love to!”
“You wouldn’t have a problem finding international flights from L.A.,” I added slyly, “if you wanted to live with me while I was working.”
She smiled. “Solid point. That sounds like a pretty good compromise.”
I nodded and dug into my lasagna again, relieved to have reached some sort of resolution… for now.
After dinner, we strolled down to the pier where the London Eye was located. The large ferris wheel loomed over the paved footpath that ran along the southern bank of the River Thames. I saw a long metal ramp leading to the ride’s entrance, which seemed to confirm that it was wheelchair accessible.
We bought our tickets from a kiosk across from the Eye. I asked for two, but the woman behind the ticket counter only charged me for one. “Your carer can ride for free,” she said with a smile.
“Oh… uh, thanks.” I didn’t bother to correct her, but as we crossed back over to the entrance, I muttered to Natalie, “I guess you’re my ‘carer’ now.” She just laughed.
Although there was less than an hour left until the ride closed, there was still a long line of people waiting to get on. “I guess everyone had the same idea we did,” Natalie said, looking at the line as we went past. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait; one of the staff members directed us to the designated wheelchair entrance at the bottom of the ramp, letting us bypass the regular line. I could tell by the look on Natalie’s face that she felt a little guilty about this.
“Disability perk,” I told her with a grin as we went up the ramp. “There aren’t many, so I don’t feel bad about taking advantage of them when I can.”
She giggled again but said nothing, glancing back down at the queue below us.
When we reached the platform at the top of the ramp, the operators brought the ride to a complete stop, putting down a small, portable ramp so I could roll right into an empty pod. I parked my chair near one of the glass walls, and Natalie stood next to me, gazing out at the river. As the ride began to move again, the pod rose slowly into the air, offering a spectacular view of London.
“Gorgeous,” Natalie murmured as we looked to the west, where the setting sun had stained the sky brilliant shades of pink and orange. I nodded in agreement, slipping my arm around her waist. She rested her hand on my shoulder, and we watched the sun sink toward the horizon.
It took half an hour for the ferris wheel to complete a full rotation. By the time our pod made it back to the platform where we had boarded, the twilight had turned to dusk. Lights twinkled from the large brick buildings and bridges. Across the river, Big Ben was lit up, its face aglow.
We took an evening stroll through Jubilee Gardens, a small park in the shadow of the London Eye. Although it had nothing on Hyde Park, it reminded me again of our first “official” date, just over three months ago. I looked up at Natalie and smiled as I remembered her grabbing my chair and pushing me down the path at a run, cackling loudly as she pretended to abduct me. I fantasized about how I would have gotten her back if I were able-bodied, imagining her shrieking and giggling as I grabbed her from behind and picked her up off the ground. But, in reality, I didn’t have the arm strength to lift her or the hand function to hold onto her.
Afterwards, we stopped for dessert at an ice cream shop down the street. “What a beautiful evening it’s been,” I said, smiling at Natalie as she took a bite of her strawberry sundae. “I’m so glad you came and surprised me.”
She smiled back as she swallowed. “Me too.”
I dug my spoon carefully into my hot fudge sundae and raised it slowly to my mouth, trying not to drip any down my front. “Do you wanna head back to the hotel after this?”
Natalie giggled. “You’ve got a little ice cream on the corner of your mouth. Here, let me get it for you.” Before I could pick up my napkin, she leaned over and pressed her lips to mine, kissing the ice cream away. “There,” she said, licking her lips. “That’s better.”
I chuckled, my lips tingling from her touch. “I take it that’s a yes?”
She nodded, her cheeks turning pink. “Definitely a yes.”
***