Two weeks after Thanksgiving, Rose finally had a weekend off. David planned the perfect date, in his mind at least. He wanted to cook for her.

Like a gentleman, he drove to Arlington to pick her up. His ulterior motive was so Rose could relax and have a drink.

As he stood on the doorstep of her family home, he felt like he was in highschool again. He dated one girl his senior year. His mother's harping overshadowed the fun. She kept reminding him to respect her and for god's sake be smarter than your brother and use protection. His mother's nagging was effective, because David had never not worn a condom. His small head wanted to wear one soon.

Mrs. MacInnis answered with a smile. "David Gillespie, come sit down."

He rubbed his damp hands on his thighs and wished he dressed better to meet her parents than faded jeans and a sweater. He had dodged the bullet the night of their first dinner date, first, but not only. In two weeks, he had eaten with Rose all but three nights and greeted the workers in the hospital cafeteria by name. Every meal ended with a kiss. He was definitely looking forward to more kisses.

David sat on an uncomfortable sofa in the formal living room. Hopefully, they had a comfortable room to watch TV. As he looked around, he saw vases and even a statue, but no television.

Mr. MacInnis cleared his throat. "Rose tells us you're an engineer."

He nodded. "Yes, sir. Where is she?"

"I'm right here." She bounced in the room wearing jeans and a festive sweater. It wasn't ugly, but it had snowflakes on it. He thought she looked great in scrubs, but he liked her jeans even better. Rose reached out her hand. "Come on. Mom, Dad, you know his parents. He's from a nice family and we aren't seventeen."

David stood as Rose pulled on his hand. "It was nice to meet you."

Once outside, she moaned. "They would have pried until you told them your salary and social security number."

He laughed. "You're exaggerating, but seriously that sofa is awful."

She laughed. "It's an antique. That entire room is over the top."

He opened the passenger door for her. Once he joined her in the car, he leaned in and brushed his lips on hers.

She smiled. "I'm curious to see your place."

"It's small, but I decorated for you."

"You did?"

"Kinda. I don't have a tree but I hung a string of light around the slider to the balcony."

"Festive. I'm sure."

"Are you mocking me?"

She giggled. "A little." He didn't mind because her hand rested on his thigh.

"I'm glad to spend longer than thirty minutes together."

"Me too." She squeezed his thigh, and he hoped she was telling him the same thing his little head was thinking.

His palms grew damper as he drove through Cambridge. "My place is pretty lame."

She laughed. "And mine isn't."

"My brother teases me, but he has a condo in Back Bay."

"Your brother is a famous musician."

"He's not that famous."

"He has a Wikipedia page."

David looked at her. "Seriously? I never googled him." He chuckled. "Teasing him will be fun." She laughed. "But seriously, we're going to see the Christmas concert next Saturday. I can ask for an extra ticket."

She lifted her hand off his thigh. "I'm on nights."

He parked in the lot provide for residents. "This is it."

She looked up at the building. "I guess lights around the balcony doors is a thing."

"It's not a Gillespie original. Come on."

The elevator seemed more rickety than usual. The apartment building had been built sixty years before. It wasn't luxurious. Although his wasn't, some units were rent controlled.

After he unlocked his door, he let her step in. She turned in a circle as she looked around. Her eyes lingered on his leather sofa. "It's perfect for you."

"Typical bachelor pad. Let me take your coat and then I'll pour some wine."

He had a small table set for dinner including candles purchased earlier. "The table looks nice."

He smiled as he slipped her coat off her shoulders. "You can watch me cook." His lips brushed her neck before turning to hang both jackets on the hooks by his door. He had already opened the wine and handed her a glass with a liberal pour. "What did you do on your day off?"

"I slept in and did my laundry. Not very exciting."

"We all need clean clothes."

"What are you making, chef?"

"Not even close. Just something simple."

"Mac and cheese?"

"No, you mentioned that they only had breaded seafood at the cafeteria, so I'm making pan-seared scallops."

"Simple?"

"Yup. Drop them in a hot pan and turn them."

"Have you made them before?"

"Nah, but I've watched my mother. There's nothing to it." He also researched the best technique online and discussed it with the guy at the fish market. He emphasized making sure they were dry or there would be too much moisture to sear it well.

As he moved in his tiny kitchen, he felt competent or at least looked it. The package of rice pilaf took the longest. He waited until the scallops were in the hot pan, before he put the trimmed and seasoned asparagus spears under the broiler.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Do you cook?"

"A little, not that I've had the time."

"I learned through osmosis hanging out in the kitchen watching my mother cook."

"I like how you are close to your family." Rose looked up at him with her blue eyes.

"I'm still getting used to my parents moving to Florida."

"Will you be okay?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. I'll bug my brother when I miss my parents. Do you miss Lucy?"

"I would if I wasn't so busy. When she came home, I realized I had, but I've forgotten already."

David frowned. "Don't forget to miss me."

She winked. "Who says I do?"

He had just taken the pan off the burner which allow him to step away from the stove. He leaned into her. "Not even my kisses."

As a blush spread across her freckles, he kissed her. Her arms looped around his neck, and he deepened the kiss tasting her wine. He felt a stirring in his pants when she opened her mouth to his tongue. Lost in her mouth, he forgot about everything but her.

Rose pushed on his shoulder. "The food will get cold and I'm hungry."

Dinner. Reluctantly, he stepped away to serve the food. David nervously waited for Rose to taste her meal. She looked up at him after a bite of scallop. "It's good. Relax."

After her validation, he finally tasted it. While it was not as good as his mother's, it wasn't bad. Maybe he would impress Andrew and Ian sometime. Talking to Rose was easy, too easy, because it lulled him into asking a question he wished he could take back.

"How do you imagine your life when you are finally done?"

She put her fork down. "Done with my residency?" He nodded. "I'll be an attending assuming Mass General hires me. Otherwise, I'll go where the job is."

"Would you leave Boston?"

"For a job, yeah. I worked too hard not to."

Feeling uncomfortable with the idea of her moving, he doubled down. "Do you want more than your hard earned career?"

She smiled. "If you're asking me if I want kids, I don't know. I'm not sure it will be fair. I'll always work long hours and weekends, holidays, and birthdays."

David didn't know if he wanted any either, although he was envious of his brother's relationship with Ian.

"Let's talk about something more fun. What do you want to do after dinner?"

She smiled. "At the hospital, we kiss."

"I like to kiss... you." He smiled like a kid with a hot fudge sundae. "I have dessert."

"Is it you?"

"If you want." He raised his eyebrows. "But I meant chocolate covered strawberries."

"Naughty. An aphrodisiac."

"Seriously, I thought they were romantic."

"This meal was very romantic. I need to thank you."

He swallowed air. "How?"

She ran her hand up his thigh. "I'll think of a way."

He stood. "I'll do the dishes later. More wine?"

"A little." Her face glowed in the candlelight, but he didn't want a fire if they left the flickering flames unattended.

"Blow out the candles and come relax." He led her to his sofa, but was glad he put clean sheets on his bed.

They lunged at each other. He sucked on her lip and when she moaned, his hand moved to her full breasts. As his finger circled her hard nipple, he pleaded with the sex gods for his night to end happy. His dating history had been spotty and even with all his complex math, calculating the days since he last got off inside a woman would require brain cells which were preoccupied with soft lips and creamy breasts.

With his hand up her shirt and hers in the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled back. "Are we gonna do this?"

"God, I hope so."

Fuck! He could love this woman, especially after she moved her hand to the front of his jeans.

Neither were wearing jeans when he picked up her light body and carried her to his bed. Her legs clung to him around his waist. He thought about pressing her against the wall, but he dropped her on the bed instead. Lots of soft creamy skin and he wanted to kiss and touch it all.

Rose was intent on kissing him, and as she went lower, he held his breath. She kissed past his belly button and her warm fingers released him from his boxer briefs. He sucked in a room full of air when she licked his tip. A girl out of high school who went down on him when it wasn't his birthday was a wonderful thing. All coherent thoughts vanished as she encircled him with her lips and took him into her warm, wet mouth. As her head bobbed, he was certain it had never been better. Exploding in her mouth, she let it dribble down onto her gorgeous breasts. Then she rubbed it in, like it was moisturizer.

"You are so hot."

She threw her head back and laughed. "I like to have fun."

He reached his hand into her bikini panties. "I'll give you something fun." With his finger he teased between her wet folds. "Do you want me to keep going with my finger or do you want me to taste you?"

"Either. I don't care. Don't stop."

"I'll taste you later." He doubled down on his efforts and smiled as she bucked like an untrained horse. "I guess you didn't like that."

"I did! I really did."

"What should we do now?"

"Fuck me, please!"

He laughed. She didn't need to ask twice as he pinned her on her back and entered her.

Reluctantly, they dressed so he could drive her home. As he approached her neighborhood, he asked, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I have to work tomorrow night. Remember?"

"Right. Yeah. Dinner in the cafeteria?"

"My break is later. I try to grab something around nine."

"Maybe I'll surprise you."

"No promises."

"What about Christmas?"

"What about it? I work, but it's okay. My parents are going to meet Lucy's future in-laws."

"You'll be alone. You should come spend Christmas Eve with me."

"I'll need to sleep."

"Think about it. Okay?"

"It's more than a week away."

When he pulled into her driveway, she kissed his cheek and jumped out of the car calling, "Thanks."

She disappeared into her house. David frowned. He was falling for her and she ran from him.

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