Page 37 of The Write Place

I look at him skeptically, but I grab the milk from the fridge and pour a little in. I pass him the mug over the counter along with a spoon and the little dish of sugar I keep next to the coffeepot for Jenny. He avoids my gaze as he adds three heaping spoonfuls of sugar and stirs it. I hide my smugness behind my own mug, but he still seems a little stiff, so I don’t say anything about it.

We sip our coffee in silence, me standing in the kitchen looking over the counter, and him sitting on the stool as if it might break under him. After a few minutes, it feels like I could cut the tension in the room with a knife, so I set my coffee cup down.

“Is being in my place that weird for you?”

He jumps a little as if my voice surprised him and finally looks at me sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. He clears his throat. “No, it’s not that,” he says unconvincingly.

“It’s Jenny, isn’t it? She makes most men very nervous,” I tease. He smiles a little but doesn’t laugh, though his shoulders relax. He finishes his coffee, then comes around to where I’m standing in the kitchen. I face him as he reaches around me to put his mug on the counter next to the sink. He leaves his hand resting on the counter near my hip, and—dammit, he’s right—I gasp a little. A corner of his mouth turns up slightly, and his eyes dip to my mouth for a brief second before they meet mine again.

My insides are already doing flips when he says, softly, “I can promise you, it’s not Jenny who has me nervous.” His voice is lower and a little hoarse, and when he leans in slightly, I can feel the warmth of him so close to me. His lips barely brush mine, and I feel another warmth starting to pool low in my belly when a car horn honks outside. Daniel lets out a puff of air, and lowers his forehead to touch mine, almost defeated. I give a breathy laugh.

“Speak of the devil,” I say as the horn honks again. “We’d better go.”

He remains where he is for a moment longer, then drags himself upright. I adjust my hat and shirt just for something to ground me a little, and we head outside to Jenny’s car.

Jenny is driving and Ben is sitting in the front passenger seat, so Daniel and I file into the back. Jenny shoots me a look as if she knows exactly what almost just happened in my kitchen, though I’m not sure how she could have any idea. I give her a vague, warning look back, and although she seems smug, she doesn’t say anything.

“I have to say,” Ben starts, “I never thought I’d be going to a pumpkin patch with a famous author.”

I feel Daniel tense again next to me, so I jump in. “Yeah, it’s super weird how he’s an actual person who does actual people things.” I’m being sarcastic, but not cutting, gently trying to signal we’re not going to dwell on Daniel’s fame while we’re out having fun. Thankfully, Ben laughs heartily.

“You mean you’re not going to start randomly spouting poetry about pumpkins and cornfields?” he asks, and Daniel relaxes.

“I’d be willing to bet you all know more poetry about pumpkins and cornfields than I do.” His hand slides closer to where mine is resting on the seat between us. His pinky touches mine in thanks, and I try very hard not to grin like a fool as Jenny peeks at me in the rearview mirror.

“I did teach a poem about witches the other day,” Jenny offers thoughtfully. “Lots of feminist undertones in that one. I don’t think they really got it.” We all laugh at that, and we fall into the ease of four friends visiting a pumpkin patch on a beautiful fall weekend.

When we arrive, the first order of business is to take a few selfies among the pumpkins. The guys grumble a bit at this, but they are good-natured enough to let us do our thing. Jenny and I pose ridiculously for a few pictures that Ben takes, while Daniel stands slightly off to the side, his arms folded in front of him. The last thing I want today is for him to feel like an outsider, so I grab him and put my arm around his waist, holding my phone out at arm’s length to snap a selfie of us. He grumbles about it, but I think his smile is sincere in the picture.

We all make our way to the stand selling apple cider donuts, and Jenny and I leave the guys at a table while we stand in line. It’s a trick so Jenny and I can chat alone, and I’m pretty sure everyone knows it, but they play along anyway.

“Double date at a pumpkin patch,” Jenny winks at me.

“Oh, so you’re admitting you’re on a date with Ben, then?” I ask pointedly.

She scowls and pretends to look at the menu board. “Touché.”

I glance back to the table where Daniel and Ben are sitting. Ben is animatedly describing something while Daniel is trying his best to follow along. Ben is a former high school wrestler, and he’s built like one. The stark contrast between his broad shoulders and rippling biceps and Daniel’s lean writer’s body is even more noticeable from this distance. I see Daniel tilt his head back and laugh at something Ben said, and I can’t help but grin. Jenny elbows me.

“I’m glad you invited him,” she says seriously.

I’m still smiling as I say, “I am, too.”

We order half a dozen donuts and bring them over to where the guys are sitting. Jenny and I each eat two in the time it takes them to eat one. Daniel seems impressed at the speed at which we shovel the donuts in our mouths, but Ben looks incredulous. Jenny shrugs and remarks that he should have been faster if he wanted more, then announces that we are all going to the corn maze. She walks off, and Ben follows like a loyal puppy. Daniel lingers with me as I collect the trash from the table and throw it away.

When we reach the entrance of the corn maze, Daniel studies it, then challenges, “Want to race?”

“Oh, you’re on,” I reply, rushing to get ahead of him. I hear him shout something about cheating behind me, but by then I’m already inside. At a fork in the maze, he goes right, and I go left. I run in what feels like circles for a few minutes until I reach a dead end. I hear Jenny squeal with laughter from just on the other side of the wall of corn, and it sounds like Ben is chasing her. I go back the way I came and slow when I see an opening I hadn’t noticed before. I peek inside, but it looks more like a dark alcove than a path out, so I go the other way. I make it two steps when a hand reaches out and grabs my wrist, pulling me into the alcove. I don’t even have time to be surprised before I’m spun into Daniel’s chest, his other arm coming around my waist and pulling me close. His eyes flash in the relative darkness as he puts a finger to his lips. Then, he moves that hand to my cheek as he bends his face to mine and kisses me slowly and languidly, as if we could spend hours uninterrupted in this little space pressed up against walls of crinkly corn.

He pulls away, his hand still on my cheek, and his eyes search mine. “I’m sorry if I misread the situation.” He doesn’t sound even a little sorry.

“You didn’t,” I almost whisper, and he kisses me again.

“Hey! Where are you two?” I hear Jenny yell. I can’t help but smile against Daniel’s lips as he grumbles something incoherent.

I tilt my head up and yell, “We’re lost!” My body is still pressed against his, and he lowers his lips to my neck and presses a kiss there, pulling me closer. I lean into him a little more, and he kisses the spot right under my ear.

“Just keep going right!” Jenny calls back, sounding exasperated. “Hurry up!”