Chapter 30
I waited for my boyfriend in front of his door. Though I had to admit that I was pondering if yes or no I still wanted Danté to be my boyfriend. Let’s spend the morning together had been a text message that made me squeal in delight, until he had sent another text.
Danté: wanna go for a run?
No Miss Ma’am’s, I didn’t want to go for a run. Being weak, I had accepted. His door finally opened, and Danté sauntered to me in his black gym shorts and black t-shirt. Maybe if he took off his shirt, I would be more inclined to run outside. Danté gave me a quick kiss before lacing his fingers through mine and pulling me outside. We walked in a comfortable silence for a while to warm up, then Danté set the pace. I was sure that he had taken a slower pace to fit mine. Except that it didn’t. There was just no way for me to keep up with his pace longer than thirteen minutes. I stopped in my tracks and let myself fall against a wall, huffing and puffing like I had never done a workout in my life.
“When you said you wanted to spend time together,” I wheezed, “this was not what I had envisioned.”
The sweat was running down my back and between my boobs. I took pride in my ability to be able to jog for thirty minutes without a break if I followed my own rhythm. Danté was still jogging. His face had gone red, but other than that, he looked fine.
“Oh, come on. A couple that works out together, stays together.”
I snorted. “Bullshit.”
He finally stopped. “Don’t tell me you are breaking up with me now? It’s too late for that.”
“Damn it.”
At this very moment, the idea was tempting. Kissing him was even more so.
“Come on, Squirrel. Is this all you can do?”
Or throttling him. That sounded rather nice too. I glared at him, but Danté just tousled my hair in response. I swatted his hand away.
“Stop provoking me! I am dying here.”
“I thought you had more stamina than that.”
I hummed in response. “Trust me, I have a LOT of stamina for certain things.”
His laugh made my toes curl inside my sneakers. Alright. He was still cute.
“I’m sure you do.”
“I look like a garden gnome next to a courgette like you! This was never fair to begin with.”
He took off his black cap to rake his long fingers through his blonde locks. I wanted to do that too.
“A courgette? How is a courgette tall?”
“Well, a courgette is way taller than a tangerine. If you compare sizes.”
“What kind of fruit do you think you are?”
We started walking again. He nudged me to run again. The pain in my ribs was indication enough that I wouldn’t be running again today.
“An apple. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
At least, if you throw the apple hard enough. Wasn’t that what they say?
Danté rolled his eyes, a small smile on his pretty mouth. “Of course that’s your choice.”
As he mocked me, he tripped over… I forced a laugh back down.
“Did you just trip over nothing?”
“I trip over nothing and choke on everything, if you must know.”
I coughed. That was a sight I had not seen coming.
Danté gently flicked me on the forehead. “Naughty Squirrel! I meant choking on water and other beverages.”
“Oh. Right.”
“You know I’m straight, right?”
I had never doubted his love for women. I just had never asked if he liked more than just women. That could make things rather interesting if he did.
“You could’ve been bi.”
“Have you ever seen me flirt with any guy the way I flirt with you?” he asked, arms crossed.
“You’re flirting with me?”
Danté blinked once, apparently done with my bullshit. “I have for the past year, but thank you for not even noticing.”
Heat bubbled under my skin, and I found myself smiling at that. “You should’ve just said so from the start.”
“I would’ve, had I known how oblivious you are,” he shot back.
I guess we both were too oblivious for our own good. We walked back to our doors. My sweat had dried, and now I felt so sticky. Once I had fished my key back out of my pocket, I looked up at my boyfriend. It was still surreal to be able to say that he was now my boyfriend. Like what?
“I am going to take a very hot shower,” I announced. “Under other circumstances, I would’ve asked you to join me, but my legs feel like Jell-O.”
His pupils grew darker as his gaze felt heavier, warmer. “I could carry you.”
It took all of my self-control to not drag him inside and make him act upon his word. I was pretty sure that I would find enough stamina to follow him. I shook my head.
“Even though I’d love nothing more, I want us to wait.”
A neighbour walked past us, and I waited for him to be out of hearing. We hadn’t talked about it yet. Danté leaned against my door, patiently waiting for me to say what I wanted.
“You said you didn’t want us to be a drunk one-night stand, and I don’t want our relationship to be based merely on sex.”
A cheeky smile bloomed on his mouth. Now I really wanted to kiss him breathless and to take him to the bathroom for a shower.
“The lady is demanding. Very well, Evy. What are your rules?”
It was nice that he was open to following my rhythm without any objection. I had wanted to have sex with Danté for a long while. It probably would’ve happened a few days ago if he hadn’t made me stop, or if we hadn’t been interrupted. Things were different now. Danté liked me, and he wanted me. There was no reason to rush things.
“I don’t have rules,” I admitted. “I just want us to be able to take our time, and to enjoy getting to know each other as a couple.”
“Does that mean I can take you on a date?”
I giggled. Dates could be just as fun. I nodded, biting my lip to keep from laughing like a mad woman. “Obviously.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
He dropped a sweet kiss on my mouth before going to his own door. Danté looked over his shoulder one last time. “Enjoy your shower, and try not to think too much about me.”
My cheeks turned beet red. I wasn’t going to, until now. He winked, and then he was gone.