LITMIR.BIZ

       seven

      When I got in the house I rushed to my room, shut the door and crash-landed on my bed. I picked up my cell phone and called Lauren.

      “Oh, my God, Lauren! You will not believe what happened tonight.” The words rushed out of my mouth faster than I could form them.

      “Calm down, Anna. You sound like you’re hyperventilating,” Lauren said.

      “Okay,” I said and took several deep breaths before I spoke again. “Jeremy asked me to the holiday dance.” I squealed like he had asked me to marry him. I imagined Lauren had pulled the phone away from her ear to prevent her eardrum from bursting.

      “That was sudden. How did it happen?” Lauren asked once I calmed myself down.

      “It was so romantic. He walked me home and asked me if I was going to the dance. I gave him a big hint by saying that I was waiting for the right guy to ask me. He picked up on it and asked me,” I said, feeling as weightless as a snowflake.

      “That’s wonderful,” Lauren said.

      “Wait, there is more. Girl, I asked if we would be going as friends or if we would be going as a couple.”

      “Oh, my God! What did he say?” Lauren screeched. I could tell that she was sitting on the edge of her seat in anticipation, waiting for my response.

      “We stopped walking, looked at each other, and then he asked me to be his girl,” I squealed.

      “Are you for real?” she asked.

      “Yes. And it was such a romantic moment. He kissed me and it was perfect,” I said.

      “So you guys are official now?” Lauren asked.

      “Yes.”

      “Cool. You should update your relationship status,” Lauren suggested.

      “That’s a good idea,” I agreed with her.

      “So what are you going to wear to the holiday dance? It’s only two weeks away,” Lauren said.

      “I have no idea, but I’ll figure something out,” I said confidently. Before Lauren could say another word, I was notified that I had an incoming call. “Hey, Lauren, let me call you back. I have Jeremy on the other line.”

      “Okay. I’ll talk to you later,” she said and hung up. I clicked over and answered Jeremy’s call.

      “Hey,” he greeted me.

      “Hey to you, too,” I said, shaking hair out of my eyes and feeling butterflies prancing in my tummy.

      “My older brother and his girlfriend are going ice-skating downtown at Millennium Park tomorrow evening. He told me that if I had a date he’d let me tag along with him. So, I was wondering if you’d like to go.”

      “Um. I’d have to ask my parents, but I’m sure they would be okay with it,” I said, peeling back the bedcovers.

      “Good. We can pick you up around six o’clock,” Jeremy said.

      “Wait. I don’t have any ice skates and I don’t know how to do it. Do you know how to ice-skate?” I asked nervously while I took off my earrings and placed them in the jewelry box on my dresser.

      “Yes. I know how to ice-skate. My brother taught me how. He used to play hockey and his girlfriend is a figure skater.”

      “Wait. How old is your brother now? I vaguely remember him going away to college when we were in eighth grade.” I opened up my drawer and removed a pair of purple pajamas.

      “He just turned twenty-one and he’s a senior at the University of Colorado,” Jeremy explained.

      “So, are you going to teach me how to skate?” I asked.

      “I’m going to try.”

      “You can’t let me fall. I hate falling on my butt,” I said. I exited my bedroom and walked down the hall to the bathroom so that I could take a shower. I was thankful that no one was in there. I turned on the shower to give the water time to warm up and drew the shower curtain closed so that water wouldn’t spill on the floor. Realizing that I had left my house slippers in my bedroom, I walked back to retrieve them.

      “I’ll hold on to you.”

      “You have to promise to hold me close,” I said, recalling the scent of his cologne from the night of the school holiday concert.

      “I will,” he agreed. We talked for a little while longer before saying good-night. Once I ended my call with him, I went back to the bathroom and took a shower and prepared for bed. When I was done I came back to my room, rested on my back and smiled. I looked forward to cherishing every moment with him.

      The following evening we arrived at the ice rink. It was located on Michigan Avenue in the heart of downtown Chicago. The trees along the sidewalk near the oval ice rink were decorated with white Christmas lights. Skaters were leisurely gliding around the rink. There were couples holding hands and parents teaching toddlers how to keep their balance. Holiday music was being played and I suddenly felt the spirit of Christmas fill my heart as I sang the words to “This Christmas.” We went inside the ice-skating facility and rented skates and then sat down to put them on. Jeremy’s brother and his girlfriend were eager to get out on the ice and raced ahead of us.

      “Are you ready to do this?”

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