KORIE #2
I sit back, taking it in. If I’m being honest, I expected Holden to take me to our favorite steakhouse or maybe to the restaurant he went to with Gage, since he had made such a big deal about it.
But this? No, this is way beyond anything I could’ve imagined.
It’s the most creative “restaurant” I’ve ever been to.
And he chose it for me, because he knows I love all food.
Why doesn’t he do this for other guys? Maybe they just don’t appreciate it the way I would.
“Tell me something about yourself,” I say, twirling some spaghetti with my fork.
He blinks at me. “What?”
I chuckle. “If this is supposed to be a date, then tell me something about yourself that I don’t already know. Treat me as if we were strangers.”
Holden seems genuinely horrified, like I’d asked him for his personal bank account or something. I feel a little bad for him.
“Okay. I’ll start. Did you know I broke my big toe when I was six jumping on the trampoline?”
Holden relaxes, eyes crinkling a little as he smiles. “Pretty sure I was there.”
I lean in, whispering conspiratorially. “You’re supposed to say, ‘Oh no! How’d that happen?’ Then I could say, ‘My best friend tried to shoot me to the moon, and I didn’t quite make it.’” I take a bite before adding, “My toe is still crooked, by the way, so thanks for that.”
“Hey, it was your idea.”
“Was not!”
“Was so.” He stabs a piece of broccoli. “I don’t think talking about feet is a good first date topic, anyway.”
I snicker. “That’s… okay, that’s probably true. Your turn, though. Tell me one of your childhood memories.”
Holden turns inward, dragging another piece of broccoli through some Korean sauce. After a while, he sits back, shaking his head. “I can’t think of any where you aren’t there.”
Something warm fills my chest. “I know. We have so many. But there’s got to be one, though.”
“Oh! I know. Have I ever told you about the animal sanctuary in Texas?”
I reach for a roll. “No.”
He laughs at something only he can remember.
“We were seven, I think? And Hattie had been so desperate to see the flamingos. It’s all she could talk about for days leading up to the park.
But when we got there, their habitat was shut down for renovations.
She was so crushed. Big ol’ crocodile tears and everything.
So Caleb and I did anything we could to get her to smile.
He even pulled me into the gift store, where we bought matching pink sweatpants and sweatshirts, and these ridiculous masks that looked like flamingo beaks.
” Holden sits back, shaking his head. “We came out, walking together like herding flamingos, then paused in front of her and bent one knee up. Caleb even bent over, as if hiding his face in the sand. Hattie laughed so hard she almost peed her pants. It was so worth it.”
I smile at the story. It’s so like Holden to go out of his way like that for people he loves. So why doesn’t he do it for his dates?
The heat of the fire is starting to get to me, so I shed my jacket and drape it over the back of the chair. My shirt glitters from the lights and I look around, hoping no one is paying too close attention.
We swap a few more stories, and as Holden speaks, he eyes the sautéed mushrooms on my plate with deep longing.
“Do you want one?”
He looks up, but doesn’t reach for it.
I stab a mushroom with my fork and hold it out to him.
“What? No, I—”
“Just take it.”
He still hesitates. “I was trying to behave,” he says softly before leaning in to take the bite.
I catch myself grinning. Oops. Right. It’s bad manners to eat off a date’s plate. But old habits and all that.
Holden covers his mouth. “That’s amazing.”
“Isn’t it? Here, try this too.” I stab a piece of roast beef from the Korean plate and offer it to him.
Holden shakes his head in amusement, accepting the bite.
The rest of the meal goes like that—sharing, laughing, talking. Basically doing everything exactly as we always do. It’s so normal that I am genuinely confused when Holden starts gathering our utensils and empty plates.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Cleaning up for you,” he says, like it’s obvious.
I blink. He’s literally never done that before. We’ve always shared the tasks, because it’s our own food. Food we share, yes, but still our own food.
Holden is too quick for me to help, taking the trays to the trash and sorting the dishes into their appropriate bins. When he returns, he slides his chair in, then reaches for my coat, draping it over an arm before offering me his other one.
“Shall we?”
It boggles my mind that he’s actually trying here. Holden is actually taking this seriously.
“Ten more points,” I whisper, linking arms.
He grins proudly.
Something in me does a funny little dance as we walk outside. I’ve had so much fun tonight, even if we were just being ourselves.
“You know, if this were a real date, you should ask me to do something else,” I say with a wry smile. “I mean, if you’re having a good time that is. You should always ask your date to do something else.”
Holden turns to me. “Do you want to?”
I make a dramatic, annoyed face. “Well, I don’t now. You’re not very convincing.”
He turns to face me, placing a hand on the side of my neck and brushing a thumb over my jaw. It makes my pulse quicken. It’s the most intimate he’s ever been with me.
“I’ve had a lovely time with you, Korie,” he says in a soft tone. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
“There you go! Much better,” I nudge him playfully, ignoring the sudden pounding of my heart. “One more point.”
Holden drops his head back. “Only one?”
“I had to pull it out of you.”
“Okay, but seriously—what’s the max here? What am I aiming for?”
I just smile, full of mischief. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He gasps. “Really? You’re not going to tell me?”
“Nope.”
He pulls my arm through his again, and we start walking in the opposite direction of the car. I notice his steps are as slow as mine, and even though his attention is everywhere, he’s still in tune with me. Adjusting our stance, keeping me near him, guiding me around obstacles.
“You’re making this very hard for me, you know.”
Holden pauses, brows knit.
“How am I supposed to find faults for you to improve on when you’re knocking everything out of the park?” Is he like this with everyone? Because if so, I’m just as clueless as he is why he doesn’t get the second date.
Holden’s face is comically blank. “Not sure I believe you, but thank you.”
“I’m serious. It… well, it feels real. That’s how good you are.”
The corner of his lips hitch into a crooked smile, making his smooth face even that much more endearing. “Real, huh? Us? No.”
Funny how much that bothers me. “Nevermind.”