Page 100 of That First Flight

“Let me guess,” I joke. “A double bacon cheeseburger for you?”

His menu falls to the table and he shoots me a knowing look. “It’s like you know me or something.”

“When I see bacon, I just assume that’s what you’re going to get now.”

Oliver pauses before he breaks out into laughter and I can’t help but join him.

Everything he does is infectious.

His smile is like a sudden beam of sunlight, illuminating the darkest parts of my heart.

He feels like home.

“I love it when you do that,” Oliver says just as his laughter dies down.

“What? Know what you’re going to order before you order?”

“No.” He shakes his head with a grin. “Laugh.”

Now it’s my turn for my laughter to die down, but the smile doesn’t leave my face.

I truly believe that I’ve laughed more in the few weeks I’ve been with Oliver than I have in my entire life. I really wish that was an exaggeration, but it’s not.

The thought alone confirms leaving Montana was the best decision I’ve ever made.

“I’m… I’m happy.”

“It looks fucking good on you.” Oliver’s cheeks dimple and I feel heat creep up my neck.

Once we order, we fall into comfortable small talk. Our food arrives twenty minutes later and we talk as if we are two people in a long term relationship just catching each other up on our days over dinner.

“I think I might get a new tattoo here in the city,” I say.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I think so.” I nod repeatedly. “I like my tattoos to have meaning. You know, if I’m going to live with them for the rest of my life, I want it to be something worth having. This fresh start here, the happiness I’m feeling, makes me want to get one to celebrate that.”

Oliver offers me an encouraging smile. “I think you should do whatever you want to do.”

The live music from the band begins to thrum in the background interrupting our conversation. My head snaps in the direction the band is starting to play and I see people getting out of their seats to dance.

I look back at Oliver. “Dance with me?”

He taps a finger to his chest. “Me?”

I look around to see if there’s anyone else I might be asking. “Yes, you. Dance with me?”

Oliver pauses for a beat before he looks down at my extended arm and then clasps his hand in mine as I tug him towards the makeshift dance floor they have set up.

I don’t have a drop of alcohol in me, but being wrapped up in Oliver’s bubble has me feeling drunk for the first time in my life. It’s a high I never want to come down from.

He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him as we sway to the upbeat music playing around us. My body molds perfectly with his despite our height difference. It’s not until Oliver looks down at me, his blue eyes turning gray with desire that the music begins to drown out around me.

It feels like the people around us disappear too.

It feels like it’s only us in this crowded space.

As if Oliver senses it too, he pulls me in tighter despite the fact the front of my body is already closing every bit of distance there could be. My body feels weak from his touch, while my heart pounds with every breath I take.

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