“Hey!” Her enthusiasm sounded in return. But before she could say anything else to him, Luke’s eagerness all but burst out from the seams.
“I gotta tell you. Yesterday was the longest day. I just couldn’t stop thinking of you. I missed you.”
Nikki was not only relieved to hear Luke say this, but her emotions were quickly melting inside to know that Luke felt the same as she did now. But this was not the time to be overly-serious. She was determined to continue on with the same eager and fun tone which was so easily heard in their voices from the moment they saw each other just now.
“Alright,” Nikki instructed, “turn around and close your eyes.”
As Luke did what he was commanded, Nikki grabbed a blindfold and tied it around his eyes.
“Okay, open them.”
“I mean, if blindfolding me is your definition of going slow, I’m afraid to see what going fast is for you!” Luke joked.
Nikki instantly laughed. “C’mon, take my hand and follow me,” she instructed.
She led him out to her car. She knew exactly what the plan for the evening was, and she reveled in the fact that Luke had no idea what was going on. Luke sat in her front passenger seat blindfolded while she drove him to their date.
“You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going, huh?” Luke asked in a lighthearted attempt to play along with her plan.
Nikki looked over at the blindfolded man in her front seat and just smiled to herself. She was so giddy that he was having fun that she decided to just remain mysteriously quiet on their drive, so as to see what his one-sided inner monologue would be.
“Okay, well I’m not gonna lie. I always figured you had something unique about you,” Luke continued. The fact he was joking could be heard in his tone. “And now I know you’re really a serial killer. I get it. You found an orphan with no living family. This is the perfect murder. I gotta hand it to you. I fell right for your trap.”
Nikki couldn’t help but chuckle to herself in the driver’s seat. But she tried not to let him hear how she was cracking up.
“Just do me a favor and make out with me one more time before you dump my body or something. You’re a really good kisser.”
Nikki parked her car at her secret destination just as Luke had said this. She couldn’t help but use Luke’s last light-hearted compliment to succumb to an urge she had during the drive for the last several minutes. She leaned over to her blindfolded prisoner in the front seat and moved her lips close to his.
She knew he felt her breath on his lips, just as she now felt his.
“Is that you?” He asked.
“What was that last thing you just said?” She was trying to taunt him, but really being this close to Luke’s lips without feeling them on her lips was more of a taunt to her.
“I said …” Luke stammered, his heavy anticipation obviously being felt in the sensation of his breath, as each word seeped out with desire: “… you’re … a … good … kisser.”
Nikki gave into the unbearable physical impulse and placed her lips slowly onto his, bridging the gap of just a couple inches that had felt too tempting. Just the feeling of the gorgeously handsome man in her front seat on her lips was all that she wanted in life in this moment. This unbelievable feeling sent an electric tingling sensation throughout her. She knew the magic of their connection was just as strong as the other evening. It was the type of connection Nikki knew could motivate her for the rest of her life. She knew it was because she didn’t just connect with Luke physically. Rather, this type of feeling came from the intense physical and emotional connection they shared. It was innate. It was motivating. It was what she’d been searching for among all of those dates. She knew it wasn’t temporary or impulsive.
But, again, she knew she couldn’t just give into her tendency of being overly-serious around Luke. Not tonight. Going into the date, she figured she’d have to keep Luke’s passionate personality in check. Now, though, she was realizing that she also was being tempted to go down that same road – to throw her prior plans out the window and just stay with blindfolded Luke in her front seat to do with him whatever she wanted. Now she knew it wasn’t just Luke’s tendency to be overly-passionate. She was like that as well – they brought it out in each other. As she now found herself having to overcome her own internal impulse, she fought hard to regain her focus.
She pulled away from Luke.
“Mmmm …” Luke said in another joking tone. “I think you were better last time. We better try again.”
Nikki chuckled. She was thrilled to hear Luke not only lighten up from last night, but to hear that he had a naturally hilarious side to him which hadn’t come out until now. His humor was right down her lane, and now it was time for her to show him her more light-hearted side as well.
“Maybe later,” she taunted.
“So, are you gonna untie me then? Or was that the last make out I requested before you off me?”
“Well, since I’ve apparently done better at kissing you before, it’d be a shame to off you right now. So, I guess I’ll just untie you – but be on the lookout, you never know when those killer instincts in me will resurface.” Nikki again joked as she reached up and untied the blindfold.
Luke opened his eyes, thrilled to find Nikki was still just inches away from his face. He cracked a smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Nikki also cracked a flirtatious smile in response at seeing him smile. She got lost in the sparkle which beamed from his eyes.
“So … I take it you’re not gonna murder me?”
Nikki’s smile turned into a devilish smile. “Well, like I said, you better keep a watch out for when my killer instincts return. Besides, you don’t know what I have planned for tonight yet. There’s a good chance you’ll wish I offed you instead of doing what I’ve really got planned for tonight.” She turned to look up at the tall building next to where she’d parked.
“Hey, I know that building,” Luke said, “I’ve done a few weddings in there before.”
Nikki’s eyebrows bent like Luke’s comment was on the path to what she had planned for them.
“We’re … going to a wedding?” He guessed.
“Yep!” Nikki pulled out her phone and looked at an announcement on it. “The couple’s name is Cody and Savannah.”
“How do you know them?”
“I don’t.”
“Are you working the wedding or something?”
“Nope.”
“Did you make the cake?”
Nikki continued making a sly smirk as she could tell that Luke had gotten closer to why she brought them to the wedding.
“Wait! … No ….” Luke said as the realization hit him.
“Yes!”
“You’re serious? No, you can’t be serious …”
“Yes!” Nikki’s eyes widened in excitement as she announced what she had planned for their date. “We’re crashing a wedding!”
Chapter 22
“So, why the blindfold then?” Luke asked.
Nikki leaned over the car and kissed him one last, quick time on the lips in excitement. “I thought it’d be fun. C’mon, let’s go!”