Chapter 4
KEATS
Huddling under the lamppost in front of Sosie’s house, I couldn’t decide whether it was better to be seen so people wouldn’t report me to the cops or to stay hidden so nosy neighbors wouldn’t spot me. I went with remaining in the open.
The police car pulls to the curb, making me regret my decision. “What are you doing out here?”
“Waiting,” I reply, thumbing over my shoulder. “My . . .” What is Sosie to me? A friend, boss, client, or new crush? I nod toward the house. “My friend is meeting me.” I keep my feet moving and rub my knit-gloved hands together to stay warm.
The officer in the passenger seat looks beyond me and asks, “You sure about that? It’s four in the morning.”
“He’s here for me,” Sosie calls, trotting down the front steps as she runs for the gate.
How am I the lucky guy she’s running to?
Seeing the exhilaration in her bright eyes could knock me on my ass if I’m not steady and release the tension that has been building in my shoulders.
She might be saving my ass from the cops, but I’m the one on the receiving end of that incredible smile on her face.
Have I entered another dimension, snuck in through a side door to an alternate reality?
Like the way my chest tightens just looking at her, how is this real life? It sure wasn’t mine. Until Sosie.
She latches the gate behind her and runs to me.
I might be wrong, but I think she’s about to launch .
. . I catch her in my arms, her body landing hard against mine, legs wrapped around my middle and arms holding me tightly around the neck.
But the kiss is what has me disappearing into her, my thoughts settling into the comfort of her in my arms, my soul feeling at peace, and her lips taking to mine like we do this all the time.
The cushion of her lips and the way her fingers caress my neck have me hoping it’s one of many more to come.
I never really considered myself a romantic, but I feel alive for the first time by the connection, my mind losing any cares outside of what our lips are doing, and I feel a shift in my core’s axis.
Holding her to me, I tilt my head to take this deeper, but she pulls her lips from mine too fast. Smiling at the police, she waves.
“Thanks for keeping the neighborhood safe. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” they say, rolling up their window as the tires slide against a patch of ice before driving away.
Her boots drop to the ground as her arms loosen from my neck.
Just like that, she’s out of my arms too fast for my liking and pats me on the chest. Sosie’s grin is much softer when she’s looking at me.
“What kind of trouble are we going to get in?” she asks, flipping my world upside down.
If this is just the beginning, I’m in for a hell of a ride.
Although I ate dinner earlier after the party wrapped up, I think the food will hit just right at this hour.
But I’m not dragging her across the city to my rinky-dink apartment.
How do I compete with a Gilded Age mansion situated in the park?
I don’t. My place will only be a letdown in comparison.
Food and a warm restaurant to hide from the cold seem like a good place to spend time together.
Since I know two solid options somewhat on the outskirts of this area that should be open tonight, I ask, “Pancakes or a burger?”
“Ramen.” That grin is definitely trouble. “I know a great place five or so blocks from here. They stay open all night, even on the holidays.”
I chuckle. She knows what she wants and isn’t shy about letting me in on her cravings.
“If you want ramen, ramen it is.” She walks away, and a breeze blows in, leaving her scent in her wake and causing me to inhale.
I can’t pinpoint the notes as they drift away too quickly, but I catch something floral and something good.
It’s the kind of scent that I’d love to smell against her skin.
This girl sure does make it easy to get ahead of myself.
When I catch her by the coat sleeve, she turns back, and I say, “You look cute.”
Her smile blooms before my eyes from a simple compliment. “You think?” She glances down at her outfit and adds, “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, so I just threw this on.”
“I like it.” Wearing a big cream-colored puffy coat that hangs past her ass and what looks like black sweatpants underneath, she’s swallowed whole by the bagginess of it all.
A violet scarf wraps around her neck with matching gloves, making her appear every bit the sweetest conundrum that Sosie is.
Pulling her hood over her head, I tighten the toggle at her neck, so the strings keep it in place.
And since I have her here and her complete attention, I say, “I’m glad you came out. ”
“Me, too.”
The tips of her hair are sticking out the front, so I tuck them in, still holding her closer than I have a right to. “But do me a favor and keep your head covered in this kind of weather.”
She laughs and tilts her head to the side to take me in with those gorgeous hazel eyes of hers.
The light from the overhead lamp reflects the green and gold flecks, glittering like stardust in her eyes.
And she smiles at me as if I had a hand in that magic and put them there.
I wouldn’t mind making a habit of seeing that look in her eyes more often.
What am I thinking? We just met, and I know so little about her. Somehow, at this hour, that feels like enough.
“Yes, sir.” I shake my head at the little rebel and wrap my arm around her neck, holding her to my side as we start walking. “Careful, Poet, or I might mistake this for a date.”
“Friends can care about each other.” But I still shrug.
“Figure we’ve kissed, though, so might as well make it official.
” I fight the urge to stare at her pretty face, but I catch her beaming up at me in my periphery like I’m something special.
Man, she just has a way of making me feel like a million bucks that I’m the guy with his arm around her.
This is moving fast, quicker than anything in my past. I’m usually all for getting to know someone, who they are and what they dream of, with long, philosophical conversations about Descartes or Kant over coffee and a stack of homework.
Maybe this is the change I need—to feel more than think, to follow my heart over listening to my head.
Though, admittedly, my head is all in as well over this girl.
I don’t know why, considering we barely know each other, but this feels right, even if it is just a one-time thing.
Have fun, Matthews. This sure beats sitting home watching movies that only remind me of what I don’t have. A family.
We turn the corner, and once we’re another block down and away from her house, I ask, “What made you want to sneak out on Christmas with me?”
“You asked.” The answer is so straightforward and maybe a little too honest. Pulling something from her pocket, she removes the cap and swipes what looks like balm over her lips. The pink of her lips deepens without hiding the natural color.
“I’m glad I did.”
She wraps her arms around herself but remains pressed to my side as we cover another block, hurrying when we cross the streets, and the wind whips up against us. We find a reprieve when we keep walking, the building beside us keeping the wind at bay.
Reaching the next corner, she takes off running. “Come on.” I run after her and catch up. She says, “It’s way too cold tonight to be out here.” I couldn’t agree more.
Just up another half block, I open the door as she ducks under my arm and slips into the small restaurant.
Each table has a small lamp in the center, collectively giving off enough light to look around but not much else.
I’m surprised to see so many people eating here at this hour. Always a good sign.
“Sosie.” A woman much older than her mom comes through a curtain hanging from a rod above the kitchen entrance. “You came to see us.”
Taking her hood down and pulling her scarf from her neck, she replies, “It wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t.” There’s more to this story, it seems. “This is Keats. Keats . . .” She glances up at me. “This is Joy. Her family owns the restaurant.”
“Nice to meet you, Joy.”
“It’s the best ramen in the city, handsome man.” When she winks at Sosie, they giggle. “Follow me. I have a special table for the two of you.”
“Oh no,” Sosie utters under her breath, and I stiffen.
Surveying the area, I don’t see anything suspicious to cause her reaction, so I follow with a shrug, stripping off my coat.
We approach a table for two on a platform in the middle of the restaurant, and suddenly, her concern makes sense.
I press my lips together, catching Sosie’s eyes as she struggles to hold in a laugh.
The center of attention is not my idea of a good time, but she’s more gracious than I am and thanks Joy as we step onto the platform.
“This should be fun,” I whisper sarcastically as I tuck the chair under her.
Joy sets the menus down and whisks our coats away, leaving us on display.
As soon as I sit, Sosie leans forward and whispers, “I didn’t have the heart to say no.”
“It’s okay.” My gaze meets a couple who have stopped eating to stare at us. Maybe they think we’re celebrities or some big deal. Nope. Sosie just knows the owner. “I’m sure we won’t notice after a while.”
We notice. We can barely talk without other patrons looking at us. It’s like they’re playing a game of guessing who the VIPs are who scored the platform table. “It’s like swimming in a fishbowl, but we can’t swim, so we just have to watch everyone as they stare at us.”
“Or Starry Night by Van Gogh. There are plenty of paintings in that room of the MoMA, but everyone only stares at it like the other artwork doesn’t exist.”
Chuckling, I say, “Yeah. Just like that.”