“Of course I have,” I said. “We went to Disney when I was a kid.”
“Well, adult vacations have their own magic,” he said with a wink. “What do you think?”
I blinked a few times. Was he really suggesting I go to Florida with him? The very notion was ridiculous.
“I think you’re crazy,” I replied.
“Maybe a little.” He shrugged and looked down at his hands. “I just thought maybe…well, with what you were saying this morning…”
His voice trailed off and he looked out toward the window as I tried to figure out what I might have said that gave him the idea that I wanted to take a vacation at all, let alone with someone I had just met. I drew a complete blank.
“What did I say?”
“You said you never did anything spontaneously.” He looked into my eyes again. “I figured maybe you’d like to give it a try.”
I rubbed my hands on my jeans, annoyed with myself for whatever I had done to put such an insane idea in his head. At the same time, I envisioned myself lying on a beach with him at my side, half naked in the sand.
I shook my head to clear it.
“I don’t do that for a reason,” I said as I sat back in the chair and folded my arms. I needed to get a handle on my thoughts. “I have responsibilities here. I’m kind of expected at work on Monday.”
“Don’t you have vacation time?”
“Of course I do.”
“So use it!”
“To go to Florida? Now? With you?”
“Why not?”
I still couldn’t quite believe he was serious, but everything about him said he was. He was smiling but not in a joking manner. He was looking at me intently, waiting for my answer.
“Because I barely know you!”
“Perfect opportunity to get to know me better.”
I didn’t like the way he was using logic against me. I definitely didn’t like the part of me that was actually listening to it.
“That seems a little extreme for a first date,” I replied with a bit of a huff.
“Is that how you see it?” he asked. He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head to the side.
“Well, I…um…” His bluntness had caught me off guard, and I had no idea how to respond. Had I been presumptuous? I had just assumed he would see it as an intimate trip, but now I wasn’t so sure. “It’s just that, well, we kissed, and um…”
Aiden’s smile grew.
“I’d love for it to be an extended date,” he said, “but it wouldn’t have to be if that made you uncomfortable. I just don’t have anyone else traveling with me, and it gets kind of boring. It seems like you could benefit from a little excitement in your life.”
“You think I’m boring?” I asked.
“I think you’re bored,” Aiden corrected.
“And that’s a good reason to pack up and head to Florida?” I shook my head. Normal, rational people didn’t do these kinds of things.
“It’s not a bad reason,” he replied.
I realized I was staring at him again and quickly looked away. I had no idea how to handle this. I couldn’t possibly go on a trip with him on such short notice. He had to realize that, didn’t he?