“Are you really still going to wear your sunglasses? It’s pretty dark, you know.” I teased Jonathan, throwing a light elbow at his stomach. He deftly moved away from my attack, laughing as I missed my target. We were only a few blocks away from my apartment at this point, and I was starting to think Jon had no need for the shades anymore. Not that they helped a whole lot anyway. There were quite a few times we stopped at Navy Pier to let Jon sign a napkin or a Blackhawks hat.

“I wear my sunnnnglasses at night. So I can, so I can—,” I cut off his singing with a hand over his mouth. He tried to mumble the last few words anyway.

“If you start singing that now, I’ll never get it out of my head!” I could see his grin from behind my hand, which he graciously let stay in place, and I removed it on my own accord to let him respond.

“Oh, good. I thought my singing was just so unbearable that you didn’t want to listen to it. I hope you know you almost crushed my career aspirations to be a professional singer right there.” He took off his sunglasses and tried to put on his serious face, but my laughter seemed to make that impossible. He joined in with his own deep chortle. I grabbed his hand and laced my fingers through his large digits, marveling at the size difference silently to myself.

“Well, you just keep on working towards your goals, and you’ll reach them eventually!” I looked up at his face after his laughter had died down. His expression had changed. He still gave me a smile, but whatever he was thinking about had clearly shifted back to us.

“Oh really? I’m glad to hear that, actually. I’m always up for a challenge.” Immediately, it was clear that he was, indeed, referring to us. I should have known his competitive nature would come into this. However, I, too, have quite a competitive spirit. This is definitely going to be fun.

“Well, isn’t that just the most convenient thing? Because I happen to enjoy a challenge, too.” I gave him sideways glance, lowering my eyelashes slightly. “I think playing this game with you might just be too much fun.” I suddenly removed my hand from his and started walking forward away from him. I had only gone a few steps before I felt his hand on my wrist and my back held against his very solid front.

“I hope you’re ready for the consequences of this game then, Gianna. I really don’t like to lose, you know,” he whispered into my ear, not bothering to turn me around. I titled my head slightly up and back, hoping to gain the same position he had just taken next to my ear.

“Winning and losing, in this case, seem to be arbitrary notions, at best. In fact, I think this challenge might just be about who can hold out the longest. In the end, we should, hopefully, both feel like winners.” He let out a huff, sounding flustered and frustrated. I took the opportunity to slip from his grasp and walk around the corner to my block. He snatched my arm for the second time that night, but he turned me around in the process to face him this time.

Jonathan backed me up against a fence along the sidewalk and began to kiss me so fast and hard that my head was spinning. I finally realized his lips were on mine, and I responded in kind. His hands were under my sweater, trying to reach beneath my tank top to feel exposed skin. I let out a small gasp once he reached his destination against my bare back and sides. I unconsciously grasped harder at the hair on the back of his head, below his ball cap. He responded by groaning and pushing our bodies even closer, practically pinning me against the fence with just my tiptoes touching the ground.

I pulled my face away from his, breathing heavily. I might end up regretting this in the morning, but I couldn’t resist after our ‘competition’ conversation. I gave Jon a huge grin, and he looked back down at me, confusion pulling his eyebrows into a knot above his dark eyes. I quickly gave him a chaste kiss on the mouth and slipped my body to the left of his, jogging across the street to my building.

“Until next time, Johnny Boy!” I was laughing and yelling back to him over my shoulder as I entered the building. Just before I closed the door, I heard him grumble loudly at me.

“Oh, now it’s on!”

---

Monday once again reared its ugly head into my life, right on schedule. It’s a good thing I love what I do, or getting out of bed in the morning would be nearly impossible. After taking Napoleon out, I showered, dressed, and quickly ate a breakfast granola bar before leaving my apartment. As I checked my watch, I was happily surprised to see that I was early enough to grab some coffee down the street. Well, if only every Monday could start like this!

As soon as the barista handed me my steaming cup of coffee, I had to take a sip. It was so warm and inviting on this chilly morning that my eyes closed by their own volition to fully enjoy it.

“Mmmm, perfect. Thanks, Rob,” I called back over my shoulder to the young man who served me. He smiled and nodded his thanks, taking a new order from the next customer in line. I grabbed a sleeve for the hot cup and a lid to prevent unwanted spills after pouring in a little creamer on a whim. I stirred the now caramel colored liquid and carefully snapped the lid on, making sure it was fully attached to the entire rim of the cup.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the face I had the pleasure of waking up to not so long ago,” I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I spun around quickly, thanking my forethought to put the lid on my coffee securely. Jon appeared before me, smirking. He was wearing some sweats and a beanie, one ear bud attached to his iPod still in his ear. He must’ve been on a run. “I was really hoping to wake up to that face yesterday morning, you know,” he said quietly. I put on an apologetic face and shrugged my shoulders.

“Looks like you still got to see it this morning, so you must have good luck.” He attempted to complain, but I cut him off with an outstretched hand. “Don’t give me grief, Jon. I don’t have the time to argue with you this morning. I really gotta get to the office.” He crossed his arms, shifted his weight to one hip, and smiled down at me.

“Yes ma’am,” he said in a very rough Southern boy accent. I resisted wincing and smiled instead. “But don’t think I won’t bring this up later.” I nodded quickly, as he kept speaking. He shifted his stance to a more relaxed position once I agreed to listen to his complaints at a later date. “I know you have to run, but since you’re here I should probably ask if you’d like to go to the game tomorrow night. I figured tonight’s game was too short of notice.”

“Is there any doubt in your mind that I’d say yes? If so, then I’d say you don’t know me very well,” I laughed, needing to set down my cup to gesture with my hands for emphasis. Italian habits never die, I guess.

“I’m always hoping to know you better, Gi.” He walked away from me to head towards the counter. I blinked for a few seconds, reviewing his words in my mind. I double-checked my lid, pressing around its entirety again, just to be sure. As I headed towards the door, I heard Jonathan come up behind me, his sneakers hitting the floor hard. He somehow beat me to the door and held it open for me with his right hand as his left grasped his coffee cup.

“How gentlemanly, Captain.” He winked at me, and we both stepped outside.

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes,’ by the way” before heading down the street in the opposite direction of me, never looking back. Damn, I think this combination of good manners and cockiness might just be the death of me. Good thing I’m enjoying it.

Notes