“Where are you taking me?” you ask, nervous, as Dana covers yours eyes and slowly leads you somewhere. All you know is that you’re outside in an unfamiliar area and it’s cold.
“Shh, no talking!” Dana replies, but you think he’s trying to stifle a laugh.
You feel a bit uneasy, but only a bit, because you know you’re safe with Dana. He would never let anything happen to you. “Just a bit further,” he murmurs and you both slow down. He slowly removes his hands from over your eyes and, “BOO!” pushes you from the back, causing you to fall forward for a moment, before he reaches out again and catches you around the waist, laughing.
“Dana!” you squeak, “Don’t do that!”
“Sorry,” he gasps in between laughs, “Sorry, Ashley. I couldn’t resist.”
You can’t help but smile back, looking at the way his eyes twinkle when he laughs. It’s mesmerizing. You feel your cheeks flush and silently rejoice that it’s too dark for him to see your red face. You muster up some courage to ask, “So, is there a reason you brought me up to the top of a freezing hill in the middle of the night?”
His face lights up, “Oh, right, I almost forgot!” He shrugs off his jacket and puts it over your shoulders, “Take this,” takes hold of your hand, “and follow me.” He leads you through more trees, cautioning you to watch your step over the large tree roots that protrude from the ground. You feel your face go even redder, if that’s even possible, and squeeze his hand tighter. He doesn’t say anything, just squeezes back. After about three minutes of walking in comfortable silence, Dana turns to you and smiles, “Here we are.” You almost can’t believe your eyes, he’s laid out a picnic blanket, decorated with a few candles, but surrounded by a ring of twinkling Christmas lights. And on top of that, there’s a perfect view of the beautiful full moon.
“Dana,” you breathe, “a candlelit date?”
He shrugs, trying to act nonchalant despite the fact that he’s obviously very proud of himself, “Sort of, but I didn’t want to have too many candles, because that would be a fire hazard, and I thought this was still nice.” He pauses and adds, nervously, “You still like it, right?”
Your eyes widen and you squeeze his hand, “Of course I do! Thank you, Dana!” You hug him tightly around the neck and he wraps his arms around your waist, holding you close. “It’s perfect,” you whisper in his ear. “Thank you.” He doesn’t say anything, but just squeezes you tighter against his chest.
