12 - Melissa

12

Melissa

The conversation was lighter for the rest of dinner with Noah. Music, movies, television shows. Noah paid for the meal—despite my protests—and then we walked outside. The sun had set, but there was still plenty of activity on Main Street.

“You know, you’re required to take whatever prescription I give you. I’m a doctor.”

“I’ve been taking the anti-inflammatories,” I said, surprised by the sudden topic.

“Not those,” he replied. “I’m giving you a new prescription. Two scoops of ice cream.”

I rolled my eyes. “That was cheesy.”

“Not cheesy. Creamy. You have to try this place two blocks over.”

“Fine, but I’m buying this time,” I replied. “I budgeted enough money for supplies and snacks along my hike.”

“I won’t say no to that.”

I got two scoops of chocolate in a waffle cone, while Noah ordered one scoop of coffee ice cream and one scoop of salted caramel. Cones in hand, we took a leisurely stroll down Main Street.

“I really like this town,” I said.

“Me too.” Noah paused to take a long lick. “I’ve been all over Colorado. Telluride and Aspen are too snooty. Ouray is too small. Salida and Durango don’t have the views. But Crested Butte? It has everything. The people, the location, the vibe… it’s all perfect. For me, at least.”

I could see what he meant. It was the perfect little mountain town. My hike would have taken me a hundred miles east of here; I never would have seen it if not for my sprained ankle.

And the detour forced on me by Jack .

I wasn’t going to admit that, though.

We walked along, laughing and peering in shop windows. I found myself ogling Noah the longer the date went; he was wearing Brooks running shoes with snug blue jeans, and a well-fitted polo shirt with the Crested Butte Health Clinic logo stitched over the heart. The blue color perfectly matched his eyes.

Whenever he caught me looking, I smiled warmly at him. I felt comfortable with him, not awkward the way I usually did on first dates. It probably helped that the stakes were low on this date; I was leaving town as soon as my ankle healed, after all. I could make a complete fool of myself and the embarrassment would only last another week.

“Want to get another drink?” I asked as we passed a bar with a large outdoor space, and a musician playing the guitar on a small stage. It was the right amount of crowded, where we could find standing room if we wanted.

Noah winced. “I had two drinks at dinner. I know I don’t have to drive far to get home, but I probably shouldn’t risk it.”

“That would set a bad example as the town doctor,” I agreed, but it felt like rejection. Maybe our date was coming to an end after all.

I didn’t want it to end, though. I was having a wonderful evening with Noah. For the first time since I could remember, I felt like myself .

“Now that’s creepy,” I said as we passed a shop with antique dolls suspended in the window. It was a hobby store with all sorts of collectibles.

“It looks possessed,” Noah said, peering through the window. “I can’t believe little girls used to carry those around.”

“Toy technology has come a long way. Do you collect anything?”

“As a matter of fact, I collect model airplanes.”

I gave a start. “Really?”

“You make it sound like it’s a silly hobby.”

“It’s a little dorky,” I replied. “I would know, because I collected Beanie Babies. And not when they were popular. Like, two decades too late.”

“You should probably keep that to yourself,” Noah teased.

“Model airplanes are much cooler, even if they’re still dorky. You’ll have to show me sometime.”

“How about now?” Noah suddenly asked.

I cocked my head at him.

“This isn’t just an excuse to invite you over to my place,” he insisted, holding up his palms. “I promise my intentions are pure. I’ll take you home right after.”

“I’d love to see them.”

We walked back to his car. His hand was so close to mine , it would have been incredibly easy to reach out and take it. I yearned for some physical touch from him, even just holding hands for two blocks. But despite the two margaritas in me, I couldn’t bring myself to make the move.

Noah drove me to his home, continuing up the dirt road a little longer rather than turning into Jack’s campsite. The trees disappeared and we came into an open field, with a picturesque two-story home standing in the middle.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“I think so, too,” he said while pulling the 4Runner to a stop. “Let me give you a tour.”

Mustering what courage I had, I said, “How about a nightcap, now that you don’t have to drive anywhere?”

His brows rose. “You’ve still got to get home.”

“I can walk from here. It’s like a quarter of a mile. Even the doctor who diagnosed my busted ankle would let me do that .”

I gave Noah a challenging look. He smiled. “I’ll fix us up something tasty.”

The first floor of the house held the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The ceilings were high, and everything was made of wood and stone. It had a distinctly mountain vibe to it, and I loved it immediately.

Noah went to the bar cart in the corner of the living room and quickly got to work. A champagne cork was popped, and then his hands were a flurry of motion.

“If you’re as skilled with a scalpel as you are with a cocktail shaker, then your patients are in good hands,” I said.

Without looking up from his work, he half-smirked. “I don’t do many surgeries. Only in emergencies. But I appreciate the compliment nonetheless.” With a final flourish, he held out two glasses, one for me.

“This looks tasty! And so colorful!”

“It’s called a Purple Mountain. Champagne, elderflower liqueur, blueberry syrup, and a rosemary sprig for a garnish.”

I took a sip, which turned into a longer sip. “Okay, this is delicious .”

“If you finish it before the tour is over, I’ll make us another round,” he promised.

A second drink. That felt like an opening. The night didn’t have to be over soon.

Or was I over-analyzing things?

He showed me the downstairs rooms in more detail, then led me up the stairs to the second floor. “This is my bedroom,” he said, flicking on a light. But he stayed in the doorway, basically blocking me from going inside. Keeping his intentions pure.

“It’s big,” I said, cringing as the words left my mouth.

He didn’t pick up on the double entendre, though. “More space than I know what to do with.” He left the light on and moved farther down the hallway. “There’s a guest bedroom here.” We continued walking. “This is technically my office, but I don’t use it for any real work.”

Then we came to the end of the hall. “And this is my hobby room.”

He walked right inside, inviting me to follow.

My jaw dropped. Most of the walls were covered in framed maps—at least thirty of them. Large and small, square and rectangular, most of the maps looked like antiques on faded yellow paper.

“You like maps?” I asked. “Sorry. That’s obviously a dumb question.”

Noah chuckled. “I like them more than most. I could have been a cartographer in another life.” He reached out and touched the edges of an antique map of the Colorado Rockies. “There’s something so pure about exploring a new area and capturing its essence on a page. The rivers and valleys, the hills and peaks. Recording information for people to use in the future. I love being a doctor, but if there were a way to make money drawing maps, I would jump on the opportunity in a heartbeat.”

I leaned close to the map, putting myself in his physical space. I imagined I could feel his body heat, and my own skin warmed at almost brushing against him, but then he politely stepped to the side.

“Let me show you the model airplanes,” he said, walking over to a nook next to the window. Airplanes of various sizes and colors were positioned on stands and in glass protective cases.

As I joined him, I began doubting everything. What if he really did invite me back here to show me his hobbies? What if he had no ulterior motive like I’d assumed? I didn’t want the night to end with a kiss on the cheek and a friendly goodbye.

I wanted more .

Sipping my drink faster, I pretended to care about his model airplanes. He was passionate about them, which I found sexy in a man, even though the hobby itself didn’t interest me. And he was a freaking doctor. He was allowed to geek out about something like this and it didn’t affect his attractiveness at all.

If anything, now that we were in his house I found him more irresistible than before.

“I know it might seem childish, but it’s a fun little hobby that helps me relax. Especially if I’ve had a tough day at work,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s childish at all. Everyone’s allowed to have their guilty pleasures, with or without the guilt.” I playfully prodded him with my glass, and decided to give him an opening. “But are you sure this wasn’t just the pretext to get me to come home with you?”

“I promise,” he said with a smile, “it wasn’t.”

He didn’t take the bait . That was supposed to be the part where he admitted he was just trying to get me to come home, and that we would now enter the clothes-off phase of the date. The old Melissa would have given up right then and called it a night.

But I didn’t want to go home. I wanted more from this night, to explore the chemistry I was feeling.

I wanted to feel like my life was moving forward, and not just running from the past.

His blue eyes were sparkling in the light, more gorgeous than I could stand, so I decided to push a little harder.

“What if I was hoping it was?”