Page 9 of Perfect Strangers

“Wow, that’s amazing. And now, you own a restaurant.”

Major glances around his place and smiles with adoration. “Yup, the restaurant opened a year ago and has been thriving since.”

He grabs two plates and serves me my dish. “Time to eat.”

We eat in a comfortable silence, peeking at one another throughout the course of the meal. His food is to die for and I find myself wanting seconds, but I can’t. It’s bad enough he’s already done so much for me tonight, I’m not about to ask for more free food. That will just be a little too much for my taste.

I wipe my mouth with a napkin and offer him a smile. “That was delicious. Thank you.”

He stands up to grab my empty plate. “I’m glad you liked it.”

Feeling like I need to do something, I follow him into the kitchen to help clean up. He pauses, motioning me to return but I resist. “No, please. It’s the least I can do. I don’t mind washing a few dishes.”

Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen looks immaculate, as if it’s never been used before. I’m so amazed by all he’s accomplished and he’s still so young. He’s got his head on straight and I admire that about him.

I head into the hall to grab my jacket just as his hands slip behind me, helping me into it. I spin to face him as I pull my hair from inside the jacket, so it flows over my shoulders and down my back. He sends me a smile as he glances at the time.

“Listen, it’s almost 3:15 and I know you don’t want to miss the train. I’m not sure if you’re up for this but my apartment is just a block away. I’m sure you’d like to rest a little before the trip back.”

I send him a smirk. “Yeah, of course. I’m fine with that.”

He smiles bright as we put on our coats and head out into the cold. I walk outside waiting as he locks up and step into a blanket of snow. Apparently it’s been snowing the whole time we were in the restaurant, and the streets are beautifully decorated white.

Being playful, I bend down quickly to roll up a ball of snow. Just as Major turns, I throw it at him, hitting him square in the chest. I bust out laughing as he wipes away the snow from his body. I laugh even louder as I see the look on his face.

His voice deepens. “Oh, you think this is funny?”

And with that, he bends toward the ground, grabbing a handful of snow. And I take off. Squealing like a little girl, I round the corner as Major chases me throwing snowballs in my direction. Snow falling from the sky sprinkles the top of my head, turning my hair into a wet mess. My feet begin to freeze as snow melts inside of my flats. But I don’t care; I’m having way too much fun.

Major and I continue our snowball fight for a few more rounds before my body begins to shiver tremendously. Even with gloves on, my hands turn to ice and I can’t feel my toes. He notices my unease and drops a snowball.

Rushing toward me, his hands grab mine. “Are you alright?”

My teeth shatter as my body trembles. “I’m just really cold.”

“Shit, come on. Let’s get you inside.”

Major hoists me off the ground and cradles me against him, keeping me warm with his body heat. He rushes toward an apartment building as the cold air seeps into my lungs, causing me to shiver.

His voice rocks next to my ear. “Almost there, just crossing the street now.”

I hold onto him tight as I close my eyes, allowing him to rescue me from the cruel winter air. In that moment, he twists his body, slamming his back against the front door of the building, and steps inside. Immediately the warm air heats my body, sending my limbs to burn as the blood in my body rushes back to its normal flow.

He plants my feet on the ground, steadying my stance. I breathe, shaking away the cold as I give him a smile. I mouth the words ‘thank you’ as he takes hold of my hand and leads me to his apartment door. My wet hair begins to harden into ice as I watch him unlock the door and switch on the light.

I follow Major inside the apartment and he immediately takes off my coat. “Come on, you need to warm up. Take off your shoes. Follow me.”

Following his orders, I kick off my flats and follow him down the hall and into the bathroom. He turns on the shower, turning the knob to scorching hot as the hot water begins to steam up the space. “You’ll warm up in the shower. I’ll try to find some dry clothes for you to wear.”

Major rushes out of the bathroom, leaving me alone to change out of my wet clothes. I let out a sigh and pull off my pants and blouse. My arms reach around my back to unhook my bra and just as I’m about to slip out of my panties, Major knocks and comes barging in.

“Hey, I brought a tow—“

I screech as my hands go flying toward my chest, covering my breasts. Completely embarrassed with what just happened, I feel heat rushing toward my cheeks, knowing full well my face is beet red now.

Major catches my bare body and immediately turns around, facing the door. “Shit, I came to bring you a towel. I didn’t think you’d be naked already.”

I calm down from the awkwardness and smile at him. His eyes are pinched shut as his body turns, facing the wall. I can’t help but laugh at this whole situation. “It’s fine Major. I was just startled, that’s all. You can open your eyes and hand me the towel. It’s okay.”

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