Page 13 of A Candy Cane Christmas
“That’s good enough for me,” I said. “Considering I’ve never been in a relationship. Period. I’ve never even kissed a man.”
Luci gasped, his eyes searching for mine.
“Would you like to change that?”
Would I?
Now?
Swallowing heavily, I nodded. Words failed me, but Luci, my beautiful, colorful whirlwind, had seen me, his face coming nearer and nearer oh-so slowly. Placing one hand on my cheek, he gave me a tender smile, raising his eyebrows in question again, waiting for permission again. And when I nodded again, he surged forward, pressing his lips to mine in a firm, yet gentle kiss.
My eyes fell closed, my hands wandered, searching for something to hold on to until they found their way to his hips. I smiled against his lips, enjoying the way his lips moved against mine. Oh, how soft they were. How plush. How firm.
By all accounts, it was an innocent kiss. One that lasted not more than a couple of seconds. But it made the world around me stop and take on a new direction. Because with Luci’s lips on mine, his minty scent in my nose, came the clarity that I’d take on the whole world to make this thing between us work.
Forum post 2
Update to “How do I teach my daughter about ‘stranger danger’ if the stranger in question is literally one of Santa’s elves?”
Hi guys,
Okay, so I might have kissed the elf. No, I definitely kissed the elf.
I did what you told me to do and talked to him, and we figured that if he wanted to celebrate Christmas with us, we should make sure he wasn’t a stranger anymore, so my daughter (still 4f) and I visited him at his workplace (aka Santa’s Village in a mall) and went out for drinks afterward.
Nothing happened that time, but after we forgot to exchange numbers, I went to talk to him, and one thing led to another (I just want to mention that this is the first time I can accurately use this phrase in my whole life), and we kissed.
And kinda said we wanted to see where things go.
He is aware of the fact that I have my daughter all the time, and he thinks he’s gonna be fine with it.
I’m ecstatic. And scared shirtless. I’ve never been in a relationship, and I always figured I might be able to start dating once my kiddo left for college, so the whole thing kind of caught me off guard.
Any ideas for dates that are suitable for averyopinionated 4 y.o. girl?
We can’t always take her out for hot chocolate and cookies—though I’m sure that’d be an excellent way for him to win her over.
TeenDaddy
UncleSam: So, you kissed the elf. Good for you. I get what you mean about thinking you’d maybe date after she goes off to college. I wasn’t looking for a relationship with a teen still at home, but love had different plans, I guess.
I think you definitely want to play it safe. Maybe some dates, just the two of you, for a while (hire a babysitter?), so you can look for any red flags. One of my biggest worries when my kid was younger was bringing someone into our lives and having him get attached. What if it didn’t work out? I didn’t want to put a kid through that.
Date ideas? Bounce house place? You buy him a slice of pizza while your kid gets her energy out. Picnic at the playground? I think whatever you do, you just have to make sure you’re both approaching it with care so no one (you, him, or your daughter) gets hurt if things don’t work. Be honest and open about what you both want and need from a relationship. If it looks like it’s not going to work, agree to being friends and not letting your little one get too involved.
And if it ends up being a friends-with-benefits type thing, make sure your daughter is none the wiser. You don’t want things getting messy.
DADvertising: I’ve only gone on a few dates since my ex-wife and I divorced, and I didn’t take the kiddo (still 6) to any of them. I’ve been hesitant to introduce anyone into her life that might not become a permanent fixture. I don’t want her to get attached to someone who might not be around. That said, it sounds like your elven friend lives across the hall, so that might be a bit more difficult. Babysitters, as suggested, might be good if you have someone you can trust.
If not, then date ideas that give you time to chat while the kid is entertained? Depending on where you live, you could do a winter day out or see if your area has any kind of winter carnival things. There are also indoor playgrounds where your kid can run wild while you sit on a bench and chat. After, maybe a kid-friendly meal at a local pizza place?
However this plays out, just be careful where your kid’s involved. At that age, they get attached really fast. It could be messy, and a dual broken heart sucks. That would be yours and hers.
Chapter 5
Luci
“Luci?” Gabe said, the confusion in his voice obvious.
