“Yes, that would be fun.”
“It was great meeting you two,” he said to Mom and Dad.
“You too. Have fun and make sure you’re home by midnight.”
“Okay, we will.” I waved goodbye to them and then followed Aaron out the front door.
“It sure is a gorgeous night,” he said as we walked towards his white Ford Taurus.
“Yes it is,” I responded, privately wondering how many times I had already said the word “yes” to him.
“Your chariot awaits,” he said in a charming voice as he opened the passenger door for me.
“Why thank-you!”
“So are you nervous?” he asked once he got in the driver’s seat.
“A little.”
“Me too.”
“Really? You’re not acting like it.”
“I’ve been a ball of nerves all day.”
“I have to admit that when you first started talking to me last night, I thought you had mistaken me for someone else.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you are the hottest and most popular senior guy in our school, and I’m only going to be a sophomore.”
He busted out laughing, and I was instantly embarrassed by my blunt and stupid comment.
“Sorry for what I just said.”
“Don’t be. I like the idea that you think I am “hot”, and if it matters, I think you’re one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.”
I blushed at his compliment.
We arrived at the restaurant, and our nonstop conversation continued throughout the meal.
“So where do you want to go to college?” I asked as I nibbled on my onion ring.
“Ohio Northern to be a lawyer, and after I graduate, I want to work for my dad and grandpa’s law firm here in town. How about you?”
“I really want to be an interior decorator or an art teacher.”
“I’ve noticed your artwork in the display cases at school. You’re very talented.”
“You’re not a creeper, are you?”
Throwing his head back, he let out another hearty laugh. “It kind of looks that way, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, but that’s okay, I like it,” I grinned.
“I know I mentioned us watching a movie, but would you be up for going to my grandparents’ house instead? They have this little gazebo in their backyard, and ever since I was little I have loved to lie on the ground next to it and stare up at the stars. Tonight the sky is full of them.”
Feeling like I could trust being alone with him, I agreed.
His grandparents lived in a nice section of town, and when we pulled into their driveway I was in awe of how beautiful their home was. It was a large two-story brick colonial house with a two-car attached garage. Aaron took my hand as we made our way in the dark to the back of the house.
“Shouldn’t you let them know we are here?” I asked.
“Nah . . . They’re probably in bed sleeping by now.”
We rounded the side of the house and when we reached the back, my breath was taken away. Gorgeous mounds of flowers decorated the yard and there was a stone sidewalk leading to a pretty gazebo. Aaron grabbed a blanket that was lying on a bench and unfolded it on the ground. Taking my hand, he pulled me down beside him. I was a little nervous wondering if he wanted to do more than just talk, but that feeling quickly faded as he started pointing to the millions of stars up above.
“I like to see how many different crazy things I can come up with for the stars. Like over there, doesn’t it look like an ice cream cone?”
Staring in the direction his finger was pointing, I tried to envision an ice cream cone. To my surprise, I could see it.
“Yeah, I see it. That’s so cool. You know, me and my sisters do this, but with clouds.”
“You have another sister?”
“Yep, Kristie. She’s two years younger than me. How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have a sister, Carey, who’s two years older than me. She’s going to Ohio State to become an engineer.”
“Are you two close?”
“Very. She has been home for the summer and it’s been great. I love Mom and Dad, but it’s not the same when she’s gone.”
“What are your parents like?” I then asked.
“Dad is laid back and doesn’t get excited about anything whereas Mom is bold and very to the point. How about your parents?”
“Actually, both of my parents are laid back. I think Dad was a bit of a hellion in his day, but then he had three daughters so that mellowed him out, and my mom is just plain wonderful. Now is this your mom’s parents’ house or your dad’s?”
“My dad’s. Their names are Gene and Dorothy and they’re so cool. There was this one time when Grandpa Gene took me fishing . . .” he reminisced.
For the next couple of hours, we held hands and told each other everything we thought there was to know about us. Finally, looking down at his watch, he sat up.
“Oh, wow, it’s almost midnight. I need to get you home.”
My spirits were crushed. I was having so much fun being with him and I didn’t want the night to end.
“I had a great time tonight,” he said after he helped me up from the ground.
“Me too.”
“Would you want to go out again?”
“Definitely.”
We stood there inches apart from each other, both feeling the anticipation of what was to come.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked.
Out of nowhere, my palms were sweaty and these weird thoughts popped into my head. Does my breath smell like onion rings? Is he going to French kiss or just regular kiss me? Are we going to make out?
“Yes,” I answered instead.
He leaned over and touched my lips with his. His gentle and sweet kiss made sparks fly throughout my entire body.
Wow! He is a good kisser.
We kissed for what felt like forever, which was only minutes, before he pulled away.
“It’s almost midnight. I should get you home.”
“Okay,” I answered, feeling very disappointed.
Taking my hand, we made our way back to his car.
“Every Sunday we come here for brunch. Would you like to come with me tomorrow?”
“Really? You want to introduce me to your family?”
“I know it’s probably too soon, but I really like you and I had a great time tonight. I told you things I’ve never told anybody before. You’re so easy to talk to, and I would love to take you out on a million more dates, so I can get to know you even more.”
“Then in that case I would love to go with you tomorrow.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up after church.”
“Okay.”
There