Before my eyes appears a huge and impressive skating rink. Zach brought me to Downtown Calgary.

I turn around and face Zach with sparkling eyes.

"You're taking me skating?"

"Do you like it?" Zach eyes me nervously and rubs the back of his head.

I wrap my arms around his waist and beam up to him.

"I love it, Zach!" I state happily.

Zach relaxes and smiles back at me, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Glad you like it. Let's get moving then!"

He grabs my hand and pulls me towards the small hut where we rent two pairs of ice skates. We sit down on one of the large benches and put them on. I stand up with unsteady legs. Zach watches me with an amused smirk on his face and then takes my hand and we make our way to the giant ice rink.

Before putting my feet on the ice, I stop and frown. Zach notices my hesitation and looks at me with a questioning look.

"I haven't been skating for ages...," I confess quietly.

Zach just giggles and grabs both my hands.

"Come on. I got you!" he says and pulls me onto the ice.

The next moment I feel my unsteady feet slithering over the sleek ice.

If it weren't Zach's strong hands which steady me, I would probably topple in an instant. I try to move forward, pushing my feet cautiously from the ground, but fail miserably and grasp Zach's hand even tighter. I feel totally embarrassed, but Zach just smiles at me encouragingly.

"Just try to hold the balance and push your feet to the side. Look, just like that!" And with that, Zach lets go of my hands and starts slithering over the ice like a goddamn pro.

Without his helping hands I just stop where I stand and watch him with my mouth wide open.

Wow!

"Where did you learn skating like that?" I call out to Zach who's speeding up, making some smooth loops and circles.

He turns in my direction and I can see a childish smile brighten up his handsome face as he draws closer again.

"My mom took me skating every year when I was little. Since her death, I come here every year and spend some hours on the rink. This is a place which awakes so many good memories of her and I feel very close to her every time I'm here." The carefree expression on his face has turned into a sadder and absentminded one.

I listen to him intently. The fact he took me to this place honors me a lot. To pick such a meaningful location for our first date lays so much more depth and sincerity into it.

"That's beautiful, Zach. Admittedly, I'm a little bit moved that you are sharing your yearly tradition with me. Especially since it's such a meaningful one," I tell Zach in a soft tone.

Zach beams at me and moves closer.

"You're the first person I ever took here with me. Usually, I'm all by myself when I come here. Except for when I was younger. Back in those days my stepdad used to accompany me," he says. "This morning, when I saw how much you love Christmas and all the wintry stuff, I wanted to arrange something special and meaningful and then the rink came into my mind. It actually means a lot to me that you like it, Livie!"

"I love it! I really do, Zach!" I tell him honestly and then add with a playful smile, "Are you going to show me how to skate now, or do I have to teach it myself?"

Zach smirks and just grabs my hand in response. He pulls me with him without warning and I hardly manage to stay on my feet. I can't help but burst out laughing.

The next hour Zach tries to let me in on the secrets of skating and I manage to make some rounds without his hands steadying me. I enjoy our time together. Every touch of him sends excited shivers through my body and Zach seems to enjoy our time on the rink as well. His cheeks are rosy and he's permanently smiling and while we're making our rounds over the rink hand in hand, he tells me more about his mother and his relationship with her. Following his words, she must have been such a lovely and warm person.

We're in the middle of the skating rink when Zach suddenly lets go of my hand and smiles at me mysteriously.

"Don't move. I'll be right back!" he orders and starts slithering towards the exit of the rink.

Before I can react, Zach disappears into the crowd.

I look around awkwardly. Everybody else slithers past me as if I weren't even there. Then I spot Zach again. He skates towards me and the next moment he comes to a stop right in front of me in a swift motion

His eyes sparkle and an excited smile adorns his full lips.

What is he up to now?

He takes both my hands in his and looks towards the small hut, where the guy who takes care of all the ice skates is sitting. I follow his gaze and spot the guy nodding towards Zach, who's giving him a thumbs-up. I frown and eye Zach skeptically.

What is this all about?

Before I'm able to ask any questions, Zach draws his attention back to me.

The music, which is heard all over the rink, suddenly stops and for a few seconds only the muffled voices from the people around us are to be heard.

As the music starts playing again, I immediately recognize the song and can't help but chuckle loudly.

'One direction' starts to resound out of the huge speakers placed around the skating rink.

Zach starts singing along with a goofy smile on his face.

"She's lying in bed with my t-shirt on. Just thinking how I went about it wrong. This isn't the stain of a red wine, I'm bleeding love..."

"Zach... stop!" I say, my giggle getting uncontrollable, but Zach doesn't listen to my order and keeps singing.

"Please believe me, don't you see the things you mean to me? Oh I love you, I love you, I love, I love, I love Olivia!" With the last words his face gets more serious and he cups my face in his strong hands.

That's when I realize the meaning of his sung words.

Oh!

Still giggling, I place my hands on Zach's neck and pull his head down for a soft kiss.

The rest of the song we're just standing on the ice, holding each other close, swinging to the music and singing along at the refrain. Some of the people around us shoot us some confused glances but we don't pay attention to them.

When the next song starts playing, we both giggle and Zach plants a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"You're cute, Zach!" I tell him and add with a playful smile, "And a little goofball!"

Zach chuckles lightly and gently strokes my upper arms. All of a sudden, I start shivering. While we were skating, I didn't notice the icy temperature, but now we're not in motion anymore I feel the cold creeping into every inch of my body.

"You're cold!" Zach states with a frown and I nod.

"Wanna grab some hot chocolate? They make world-class hot chocolate here, I promise!" He suggests and rubs my upper arms to warm me.

"Sounds good, although I can't imagine it beats the hot chocolate my grandma used to make for me and my little brother," I retort with a wink and start sliding towards the exit of the rink. Zach lets out an amused laughter and follows me.

"We'll see." And with that he overtakes me and looks back over his shoulder with a smirk on his lips. "Last one at the exit pays for it!" he shouts and picks up speed.

"Bet!" I reply and start chasing him.

I somehow manage to win our little race, though I'm pretty sure Zach let me win.

We return our ice skates and Zach pulls me towards the small stall and orders one hot chocolate for both of us. He pulls out his wallet and pays for them. I spot quite a lot of banknotes in it and realize I never asked him what he does for his living. I know he doesn't have a proper job and I wonder where all this money comes from.

Zach interrupts my thoughts by handing me the steamy cup. He shoots me a toothy grin, so I don't think he noticed my wondering expression. I accept it thankfully and cup it in both my hands enjoying the comfortable warmth in my palms.

"To our first date!" Zach jokes and raises his cup.

I giggle and we clink our mugs.

Before taking his first sip, Zach adds with a fond smile, "Which is wonderful so far!"

I look up into his face and frown. "So far?"

"It's not over yet. I have another little surprise for you," Zach answers with a smirk.

I eye him nosily but don't ask further.

We sip our hot drink, which is indeed the best hot chocolate I've ever drank. Zach asks me a lot about my family, and I tell him about my mom, my stepdad, and my little brother. I leave out the story of my biological dad on purpose. I don't feel like it's the right occasion for that topic today, and it would totally ruin the intimate mood.

After we emptied our cups, Zach leads me to a waiting Uber and opens the door for me. With a thankful smile I get in the heated car and wait for Zach to take a seat beside me. The driver starts the engine and Zach entwines our fingers. Soon enough, I notice we're driving towards my home.

"We're driving home?" I ask Zach with a wondering face.

Zach just nods and shoots me a mysterious smile.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

As we arrive, Zach pays the driver, hops out of the car, and rushes over to open the door for me. He holds his hand out to help me getting out.

I chuckle lightly and take his hand. Zach instantly pulls me close and tenderly presses his lips on mine. With raised eyebrows I melt into the kiss and allow his tongue access.

We stand there, kissing in front of my house for a couple of minutes before Zach pulls away and smiles at me nervously. His cheeks are rosy from the intimate moment we just shared.

"Stay here. I'll be back in a minute. Don't come inside, okay?" he tells me with a promising smile.

"Uh... okay" I face him with a puzzled face and shrug my shoulders.

No five minutes pass until Zach returns and grabs my hand to lead me inside the house. He stops in front of the apartment door, steps behind me and covers my eyes with his palms.

"Alright, don't peek! I'll lead you in," Zach orders and I can sense excitement in his voice.

He opens the door and leads me inside my own four walls. I assume we're in the living room as Zach stops.

"Ready?" Zach asks me.

"Zach! You're freaking me out. Put your hands down already!" I retort impatiently.

"Alright then..." With these words Zach removes his hands from my eyes and places his hands on my hips.

As I open my eyes, a gasp escapes my lungs, and my eyes widen.

"Zach...," I whisper while admiring my surrounding.

Zach lit a fire in my old fireplace, which I haven't used for at least the past two years, and the whole room is shrouded in the dimmed light of many candles and fairy lights which Zach has carefully arranged on my shelves. The whole room smells like forest due to some fir branches spread out on the windowsills.

It's like entering a little cabin in the wood. Zach even draped some cozy blankets onto the sofa, and I spot a big bowl of popcorn on the coffee table.

I turn around and look at Zach in disbelief.

"When did you do all that?" I ask him, pointing at all the newly arranged decorations in my living room.

Zach shrugs and answers with a shy smile, "I told you, I've been busy as well!"

"Obviously!" I say and chuckle.

"So, you like it?" Zach asks me, nervously biting his bottom lip.

Again, I eye him in disbelief, "What do you mean whether I like it?! I love it Zach!"

"I was slightly worried, this would be a bit too much, but I wanted to bring some of those Christmas vibes into your home as well," Zach states with a relieved sigh.

"It's perfect! I love it, Zach. I really do!" I tell him honestly and place a soft kiss on his lips.

Zach wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close to his body.

"Wanna watch some mushy Christmas movies now?" he whispers into my ear in a flirty tone.

"I'd love to!" I answer and can't hide the huge smile which lights up my whole face.

We change into some cozy clothes and get comfortable on the couch together. Zach spreads a blanket over us, and I cuddle up close to him, breathing in his familiar scent. I grab the bowl of popcorn and shove a handful into my mouth.

"There is one thing I wanted to ask you before we start the movie," I hear Zach's husky voice.

"Go ahead," I say and tilt my head to look into his hazel eyes.

He takes a deep breath and then starts talking, "I enjoy every minute I share with you. With you, everything seems so clear and kind of easy... I fell in love with all of you, which actually scares me a lot, but at the same time it is the strongest and most amazing feeling I have ever experienced. So,..." He pauses and shoots me a warm smile.

"Will you be mine?"

Zach's voice is nothing but a whisper, but I clearly understand every single word.

My eyes widen and I swallow down the popcorn. I surely did not expect that question tonight. Before I can think of an answer my mouth bubbles out the words on its own.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend, Zach!"

Zach beams at me and cups my face in his hands.

"You don't know how happy you just made me, Livie!" And with these words he moves his face closer and kisses me in the most tender and soft way I could ever imagine. I instantly melt into his kiss and feel like our bodies just became one in that exact moment.

Well, I guess I have a boyfriend now!