“I thought it would be a good idea if we started with something simple,” Nick said, pulling up to a small building on Lake Union.
He jumped out of the car and ran around to open the door for her. Holly got out before he got there and looked around, trying to figure out where they were going. He grasped her hand.
“Wait, what are we doing?” She stopped when he started toward the building with the Kenmore Air logo on the side.
“We’re doing an air tour of Puget Sound.”
Holly’s jaw dropped. “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s too extravagant.”
“Fine, I’ll say I got a Groupon if that will make you feel better. Besides, I’m new in town and this is a great way for me to get the lay of the land. Right?”
Holly shook her head. “I…”
Nick tugged on her hand. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”
Before she could think of another reason to say no, he whisked inside where an attendant greeted them before leading them out to the dock.
“Ladies first,” Nick said.
Holly climbed into the small plane and put on the headset the pilot provided for her. She looked around, her stomach feeling a little jumpy. The few times she had flown was on a commercial plane; she’d never been in a plane this small before.
Nick got in and they sat shoulder to shoulder in the small compartment. Their gazes met, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he put his own headset on. Once the pilot gave them the safety instructions, he started the motor and the plane bobbed along the waves of the lake, picking up speed as it gradually lifted into the air.
No, this was no giant jet at all.
Holly gasped and grabbed Nick’s hand when her stomach dipped as the ground dropped away.
His voice crackled through the headset. “Are you okay?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and looked out of the window at the blue-gray waters of the lakes below. It was one of those rare winter days when the skies were crystal clear and the sun made a surprise appearance.
Nick tapped her shoulder and when she turned around, he was looking at her with a serious expression. “I have something to tell you. We are celebrating a holiday today.”
What was he doing? Holly tried to pull her hand away, but he trapped it between his.
“Happy International Civil Aviation Day,” he announced.
She stared at him for a minute while her brain processed what he just said. Then a bubble of laughter burst out. She shook her head, unable to contain her grin.
“It’s not dancing, skiing, kayaking, or stargazing, but I figured this could count in the ‘all sorts of things’ category.”
“This definitely counts as all sorts of things,” she agreed.
They spent the next forty-five minutes flying over the San Juan Islands, with the pilot pointing out different landmarks along the way, some of which Holly was unfamiliar with. When the pilot instructed them to prepare for landing, she gave Nick a questioning look.
“Lunch,” he announced.
The plane descended onto the water and the pilot announced that they arrived at Orcas Island. The largest of the group of islands known as the San Juans, it wasn’t as densely populated as many others. Holly thought about taking the ferry to visit one day but it didn’t seem like it would be fun to visit alone. She glanced at Nick. He was the last person she imagined taking this trip with, but as the plane taxied to the dock, she was happy to share this experience with him.
Nick got out, reaching for her arm as she followed suit, her legs wobbling on the dock. The motion of the plane combined with the gentle sway of the dock had her clutching her middle.
“Come on, let’s stretch our legs a bit. It’s less than a mile into town and it will give our stomachs a chance to settle before we eat.”
“I’ve wanted to come here ever since I moved to Seattle,” Holly said, taking in the natural beauty that surrounded them. Dense evergreen forest covered most of the land, with just a few small towns dotting the island. It was even more enchanting in person than what she had seen in pictures.
She tugged her hat down over her ears when the breeze picked up. “Now I know why you told me to wear something warm.”
Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I was really worried it was going to rain. I was watching the forecast for the last week with my fingers crossed. We’ll definitely have to come back here in the summer when it’s warmer.”
Holly’s heart jumped at that. He was so excited about this. Nick was enthusiastic about everything—he always had been. It was one of the things she had always liked about him.
She had never been that carefree, mainly because she couldn’t afford to be. Caution had been her watchword most of her life.
It didn’t take long for them to reach town. They wandered in and out of a couple of shops, Nick’s enthusiasm for all the local crafts was infectious. At each stop he offered to buy her something but she declined. There was nothing he could give her that meant more to her than having this time together. He bought a beautiful bowl for his mom at a pottery shop and a book for his dad on the history of the islands at the local bookstore before they settled in at a restaurant with a view of the water. They took full advantage of the local seafood and shared an enormous bowl of clams seasoned with butter and garlic.
Lunch had never tasted so good. She knew it wasn’t the food, the wine, or the setting. It had everything to do with the person sitting on the other side of the table.
Nick laced her fingers with his on the way back to the dock. Their seaplane hadn’t arrived to take them back yet, so they walked along the shore for a little way looking at sea shells. She watched in amazement when Nick pointed at a seal that had poked its head out of the water, watching them with large black eyes. It was getting dark—the days were markedly shorter this late in the year—and when Holly saw the lights of the plane in the distance, she was torn, suddenly not wanting the trip to end yet.
Nick stood in front of her and ran his hands up and down her arms.
“I wish we had more time. Thank you for coming here with me today.”
He leaned toward her and she knew he was going to kiss her.
Holly took a deep breath. This was going to be awkward. But could it be more embarrassing than if Nick kissed her and having him think she was a really terrible kisser instead of just completely clueless?
She exhaled and leaned back. “The thing is… The thing is this is my first date ever, so when I say I don’t kiss on the first date, it’s not because I’m being old-fashioned, it’s because…I’ve never kissed anybody.”
Holly didn’t know what she said next, so she just kept nervously talking until Nick gently grasped her by the shoulders. “Holly, stop. You’re not going to scare me away, no matter how hard you try. I’m sorry that you missed out on all the firsts you should have had back in school. Your first dance, your first date…your first kiss. But I’m selfish.” He laughed softly. “My mom would tell you I always have been. Now I get to be the one who gives you some of those firsts…” He moved his hands down her arms and took her hands in his. “If you’ll let me.”
She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. “I…” She let her forehead fall to his chest and exhaled.
Nick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured.
Her voice was muffled in Nick’s chest. “A guy never said that to me, either.”
“Another first for me.” He stepped back and lifted her chin until his eyes met his.
“I don’t want to do anything to ruin this day,” he said. “And you’re right, you shouldn’t kiss on the first date.” He smiled. “Not even me.”
Nick glanced over her shoulder. “The plane’s here. It’s time to head home.”
On the way home, the confines of the plane felt much smaller. The dimensions hadn’t changed, but her awareness of Nick had. Each time he shifted and his leg or shoulder brushed against hers, Holly felt a tingling that spread through her body.
She was frustrated with herself for not letting him kiss her. Her cautious nature once again getting in the way of her enjoying her life.
“Wow, what an amazing view,” he said, squeezing her hand as the city lights came into view.
Seattle on a clear winter evening was an incredible sight. The Space Needle glowed in shades of blue and white, welcoming them back as the plane descended onto Lake Union.
They thanked the pilot and Nick escorted her back to his car.
“Everything all right?” he asked after Holly sighed for the second time on their way back to her apartment.
“I’m just sorry to have the day end,” she said with a smile. “Thank you for asking me out.”
“We have three more dates. This is just the beginning.”
He pulled up to her apartment and jumped out to open the door for her and walk her to the stairs.
He reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “I had a great time today. Happy International Civil Aviation Day.”
Nick reached into his pocket and handed her a small package wrapped in paper with little airplanes on it.
Holly turned the box over in her hand. “What is this?”
“Just a little something for you to remember our day.”
Still mystified, she carefully peeled the paper away from the box and folded it, tucking it into her pocket. Then she lifted the lid off the box and gasped when she saw the gold necklace with the tiny airplane charm.
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “It’s beautiful, Nick, but you shouldn’t have.”
“Like I said, I wanted you to have something to remember today.”
She’d never been given a piece of jewelry before.
He leaned toward her, his warm breath fanning her cheek. “Good night, Holly.”
Nick pressed his lips to her cheek before he returned to his car and drove away.
Holly looked from the necklace to where Nick’s taillights had just disappeared and back to the jewelry again. She was in serious danger of being swept off her feet, and it was only the first date. What in the world was Nick going to come up with for the next one?