The Hanging Words

Semis and Snowmen

As my cheeks flush, I grab my keys, shove on my coat, and follow him to his car. His blue Jetta is parked beneath the streetlamp at the end of my empty driveway. I get in, not sure where we're headed, or to what type of cuisine—I guess some questions slipped my mind—but I'm prepared to participate nonetheless. He drives us to a restaurant called Namaste Nepal, with music I don't recognize playing in the background the whole way. I wonder if this has all been a mistake. Conversation stalls, mostly due to my error, and our awkward silences are instead filled with nervous laughter. By the time we reach our destination, Milo seems almost glad for an excuse to get out of the vehicle.

Good fucking going. The thought twists my stomach. This was a bad idea. I should've known better than to think I could go on a date with someone as beautiful as Milo Reid. It was a miracle we got to this moment in the first place, but all I've done is position myself for embarrassment. I should've seen this coming. I should've known better. Maybe if I make an excuse now, he'll drive me home. I could even take a Lyft if he'd rather not get back in the car with me.

"May I?" he asks, and I look up to see him holding out his arm.

Ask him to take you home.

"Of course," I say, and slip my hand into his elbow. The simple gesture melts my insides.

As luck would have it, though, we are doomed to face yet another obstacle in our rocky adventure. The wait time is forty minutes for a table—which puts me dangerously close to my no-meals-after-seven rule. I can overlook this given it wasn't Mr. Reid's intention, but I'm beginning to wonder if fate would rather Milo and I not end up together.

Call it quits now.

After putting our name on the list, Milo wanders back outside to me. I stare at the ground, summoning the wherewithal to have him cancel. This isn't right. More and more things are just going to keep going wrong. And the longer this goes on, the more disappointed I'll be when it doesn't work out.

"Well," he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his peacoat. "I royally fucked that one up, didn't I? Thought I could wing it without a reservation."

I give an appreciative smile. "Who knew Sundays were so popular?"

"I suppose every night's popular in a city." He leans against the wall beside me. "It's getting colder."

He wants to go home too.

Milo smiles conspiratorially and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "It's a good excuse for us to get closer."

And with that simple gesture, he improves my mood tenfold. My skin tingles, even though there are several layers of clothing between us—how am I getting a semi-erection from the barest of contact? I dare to lean into him just a little bit, savoring the fact that he wants to be close to me.

"Was this your plan all along?" I ask. "Pick a busy restaurant so I'd be forced to wait outside, relying on you for warmth?"

"Damn, I was hoping you weren't clever enough to figure that out."

"If you were looking for tall, hot, and stupid, you might be barking up the wrong tree."

"At least you're one of those three."

"Let me guess, tall?"

I love the sound of his laugh, loud and carefree. It makes me feel like I've done something special for him, like I've personally made his day a little brighter. Standing there laughing with his arm around me, I can't help but join in. If I were a bystander watching us be so unabashedly saccharine, I'd probably projectile vomit all over us.

He takes my arm and pulls me away from the building. We comb the surrounding downtown area for Christmas lights. There aren't many, but a few businesses have put in serious effort to add festivity to their atmosphere. A vintage junk store at the end of the block even has a snowy landscape painted on their windows complete with chubby snowmen and a pine forest. It takes a few minutes, but the cynical voice in my head retreats to the background as I let Milo lead me from one block to another. By the time we find ourselves back at Namaste Nepal, my cheeks are pinched with cold, but I am thoroughly enjoying myself.