Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Jared
“Don’t throw up. You can do this. There’s no reason to panic. This is a date.”
The reflection in the mirror doesn’t talk back to me. It only stares in utter panic as if I’m going to suddenly find the answer to life between now and when Jerome knocks on my door in twenty minutes.
My nerves are fried thinking about what this date will mean. It could be the first of many. Or it could flop so hard I decide living alone as a cat dad is totally where it’s at. Never mind that I’m allergic or anything. I’d have to have someone to show me love if I can’t keep Jerome.
Putting yourself out there in the dating world is so dang hard. I hate it. That’s partly why I hoped my letter to Santa would work.
And I guess it kind of did. Jerome did find my letter and approach me.
Though he explained later at the party that he’d found me attractive before realizing I was the man he’d been looking for. He would have come up to me either way.
Today’s date holds a lot of weight to it.
After taking a few deep breaths, I move into the living room to wait. I’d planned to be ready in enough time to not be rushing. Silly me managed to have too much now, hence the panicked talking to myself.
Sitting on the couch turns into a game of ants-in-my-pants. I cross my legs. I uncross my legs. I pick up a magazine from the coffee table. I put down the magazine. I straighten the throw blanket. I ball it up and throw it to the chair across from me.
Nothing I do lessens the anxiety coursing through my body. It’s only when I hear the knock at my door that I pull it together. He’s five minutes early, so really, the man is saving me from myself at this point.
“Hi,” I say as I open the door.
Jerome frowns for a minute. “Did you look through the peephole to be sure it was me?”
“Um, no. I knew it was you. You’re here for our date.”
“But I could have been anyone. Safety is one of the most important things. I want you to start checking every time, even if you think you know who it is.”
“Yes, Sir.” My reply comes out weak. I hate that I’m already messing up.
He picks up on my mood change right away. Stepping forward, he pulls me into a hug.
“Hope this is okay. I don’t want you to think I’m mad, cookie. Daddy worries about you when he’s not around. You need to be protected all the time.”
I shiver at his words. Both the use of Daddy and his need to keep me safe is enough to have my head spinning. Could he be any more ideal?
“Promise me you’ll remember,” he demands.
“Yes, Daddy. I will remember.”
He groans softly, then pulls away as quickly as he approached. His gaze meets mine with enough desire in those hazel depths to make me want to drop to my knees. Instead, I reach for my coat and scarf.
“How’s the weather looking? Do you think it will be okay for today?” I ask while attempting to wrap myself up.
Jerome chuckles, then pulls the jacket from my grip. He motions for me to turn as he answers me. “It’s not too bad. A bit chilly, but no rain or snow. We should be able to enjoy a nice walk, some pretty lights, and then a sweet treat at the end. Sound good to you?”
“Yes, please.”
Once my coat is on, he takes my scarf out of my hands, twining it around my neck until I’m all bundled up.
“Where are your gloves?”
I point to the bowl beside the door. We still haven’t moved from the entry. Had my nosy neighbors come out, they’d have gotten to see the entire interaction.
After collecting the gloves, he works them over my fingers and palms until I’m so toasty I’m worried I’ll sweat on our date. Before I can tell him to get my hat, he slips one from his pocket. It’s the same style of beanie as the one he’s wearing. There’s one big difference though.
When he turns it to me, I see the name COOKIE printed on the front. I squeal, instantly delighted by the surprise gift.
“I love it, Daddy. Put it on. Put it on.”
“Say please,” he teases.
“PLEASE! I wants it.” My hands make a grabbing motion his way. At least it’s meant to be that. The gloves are so thick it’s hard to give the effect I want.
The hat slips over my head. I immediately do a happy little wiggle at the completion of my ensemble. Jerome—or Daddy as I get to think of him now—smiles at me like I’m the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
My heart is so full. I’m not sure how I’ll survive the rest of the night if he keeps being so kind.
“Let’s get going. I’m ready to get this date on the road.”
Thirty minutes later we walk through the gates of the Merry Land of Lights.
It’s one of the premier tourist spots in New Roughoak.
I’d never considered coming without a Daddy to enjoy it with me.
Part of me knew I’d feel lonely seeing all the families and couples making their way through the trails.
But I don’t have to be sad anymore. I have my own person to spend time with.
Daddy leads us down a tunnel lined with various colors of lights. They flash and make waves with each step we take. Soft holiday music plays through speakers, adding to the perfect vibes.
At the end of the tunnel, there are four different ways to go.
All of them connect eventually, though the first one you choose is important too.
I look to Daddy for an answer to the unspoken question.
It’s his job to make the decision because he’s the boss.
It’s my job to be cute because I’m his cookie.
“Let’s go to the Northern Lights. I’m curious what that means,” he says with a slight tug of my hand.
It’s natural for me to fall in line with him. I don’t even question it since I know we’ll have a good time. There’s another short tunnel of lights, then a dark black cloak covers an entry. When we push it aside we’re basically blinded by brightness.
“What the heck?” I mutter as I cover my eyes.
Daddy puts a hand to my back, guiding us both out of the path of the door. It takes me a minute to adjust to the change. When I do, there’s no stopping my gasp.
It’s beautiful.
String lights hang from the sky and create a striking view. It’s like a forest of beaming white, with enough space between to navigate through it. As I stare, people weave in and out, moving the vines as they chase one another, stop for selfies, and generally take in the splendor of the exhibit.
“It’s so pretty, Daddy,” I whisper.
His hand on my back shifts to my waist. “It is, isn’t it? I’m already glad we came .”
I turn to see if he’s being honest. Words don’t mean much, but most people have shitty poker faces. At least they do in my experience.
Daddy isn’t faking anything.
Instead, he’s smiling at me. It’s nearly as blinding as the lights are. The man is too dang good looking. How am I going to enjoy these lights with a sexy distraction walking beside me?
“Can we walk through? I want pictures.”
His hand stays on my waist as he leads us away from the sidewall. One minute we’re observers. The next, we’re actively participating.
I giggle as the strands shift from our presence. It creates another level of whimsy to move through it all. It’s by far one of the best moments of my life.
Turning to face him, I place my hands on Daddy’s chest. The cold isn’t as bad in here. Between that and the lights, I feel toasty.
“Picture time? I want a memory from tonight.”
His phone appears, and he turns me around to be right in front of him. Our heights look comical in the selfie mode of his camera. I stare at us, noting the differences, but also seeing how great we look together.
“Say ‘cookie’ on three. One… two… three…”
“Cookie,” we chant in unison.
He snaps a couple of quick shots after, those more candid. I’d be embarrassed if he didn’t pull the phone to his face and scroll through them with a look of adoration. The man clearly likes what he sees.
Same, Daddy. Same!
“Let’s keep moving. I want you to be able to see it all,” he tells me once he tucks his phone away.
We weave through more of the vines before reaching the end.
Another doorway leads to a short hall. This time we’re given three options.
We choose the magical fantasy world, which winds up being filled with lights in various shapes of fantasy creatures.
Everything from dragons to gryphons and even a unicorn.
Each one is a work of art. Daddy has me pose next to a couple of them when he notices I’m especially entranced by their beauty.
From there, we take the path to their royal lane. This one is just as interesting with its storybook depictions. It’s like the fairytales have come to life. I love everything about it. The boy in me lights up watching the kids react to the exhibits while also being wildly happy to be here too.
It’s all good and well until we reach the pumpkin chariot. It’s lit up to look like Cinderella’s carriage, though this one has reindeer instead of horses.
We manage to show up when there’s no one else waiting. Daddy grins at me, then tugs on my hand to follow him up the short steps to sit in it. Once we’re seated, he sets his camera on the seatback of the bench across from us. He fiddles with it a second before leaning back.
“It’s going to take a few shots, cookie. Think of it like a photo booth, ok?”
I nod quickly, noticing the countdown on the screen. There isn’t time to overthink. Daddy will know what to do. I trust him to lead me.
His arm slides over my shoulders a second before the camera clicks. I’m already smiling, so there’s no worry about that shot.
Next, Daddy says, “Silly face!”
We both scrunch our faces and stick our tongues out for the second image. It makes me giggle, which is how the third shot goes. Daddy’s eyes are on me instead of the camera, and I’m really eager to see his expression.
The fourth and final one is best of all.
As the timer ticks down, Daddy turns my face up to his. That single finger on my chin lights up my entire body.
And then his lips touch mine.
I melt.
There’s no thinking of the camera or the fact that we’re in public. All I can do is feel.
Feel his lips on mine. Feel his hands cupping my face. Feel the rapid beating of my heart.
When he pulls away, I whimper, “Daddy.”
“I know,” he says. “If there wasn’t a line forming, I’d never stop kissing you.”
His words pull me out of the lust cloud I’d landed on. My blush is instant and deep. I duck my head as I stand and nearly sprint from the pumpkin. Daddy manages to catch up to me—an easy feat with those long legs of his.
“Don’t be embarrassed, cookie. Everyone was understanding. They congratulated us and said we were a cute couple.”
I snort at the eyebrow wiggle he gives me. It’s enough to diffuse my tangled-up emotions.
“Where to next, Daddy?”
His answer doesn’t really matter. I’d follow him anywhere. He’s got me hook, line, and sinker.