Before, After & In-between

Chapter 15 - Now

He kisses me again and again until the inside of my car becomes a sauna, the windows glazed in a thin layer of mist; the result of our heat and breath and bodies eagerly clawing at one another from where we sit.

"So far," he says smirking and licking his bottom lip which I am sure is only a ploy to tease me even further, "this has been the best first date I've ever had."

I can't help but blush, "Really?" I say grinning, "so kissing girls in tiny cars isn't something you normally do?"

"No," he grins, then shuffles back into his seat, "but I am perfectly content to stay here the rest of the afternoon," his goofy smile along with the small dimple under his left eye makes me want to fling my body across this car into lap. I sigh, dizzy and drunk with the memory of his lips.

"Unfortunately I have to be home for dinner..." I say looking at my phone, "which is in about an hour."

"Hmm, when was the last time you had fun?" he asks

"Well, that was fun..." I say shyly.

"It most definitely was, but I mean like go somewhere fun, do something that makes you feel good?"

"I can't even remember to be honest."

"I have an idea," he perks up, "do you think you can skip dinner tonight?"

"Probably."

"As much as I want to stay here and kiss you all day long...I have somewhere I want to take you."

"So like a real date?"

"A real date," his hand finds mine, "but were going to have to take my jeep," he laughs looking at his cramped legs, "because as of now I can barely feel my feet."

We've swapped cars, I've called my dad and told him I won't be home till tonight, and we are now on route to some unknown location.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" I ask, laughing casually but secretly full of nerves,

"It's a surprise!"

What he doesn't yet know about me is that I hate surprises. Surprise birthday parties and dinners, surprise family vacations and guests, surprise doctors' appointments, changes to schedules, and oh surprise, your mom has cancer! I hate surprises because of the unknown, the inability to prepare oneself, the window of opportunity to feel out a situation...I make a mental note to tell him this fact after so that I don't ruin our date.

"Can you skate?" He asks, but before I can answer him we turn the corner and I see Bent Way Park. The local outdoor skating rink that turns into a roller rink during the off season.

"Oh god this won't be embarrassing at all."

"I take that as a no?" he laughs

"Well I can, but it's been a long time since I've been here."

"It's okay, we can help each other, I'm good on hockey skates," he boasts "but roller skates...I have no idea."

"So you've never done this before?" I laugh out loud

"Nope."

I don't have time to question why he chose this particular place because we're moving quickly, he ushers me toward the front desk where he rents two pairs of roller skates. I watch intently as he lifts each of my feet and ties the laces for me.

Bent way park is a manmade rink owned by the McLaughlin family whose great grandfather played in the NHL. It's all very Canadian with banners of every hockey team covering the boards, a giant moose like statue at the entrance. There's a sense of nostalgia about the place. During the winters when I was little, my parents used to drag us here on Sundays. Jake of course loved it but I mainly came for the hot chocolate and smores. I only ever used the roller rink a few times when someone hosted a birthday party here.