Day Two: First Dates (Part 2)

That evening, I picked up Florence for our one-on-one date."You look great, Florence."
"Thanks." She smiled shyly.
"It must have been heaven to have the mansion to yourself this afternoon."
"It was certainly quiet without the other girls arguing, and it made it much easier for me to dream about our date this evening."
I blushed and squeezed her hand.
"I dressed warmly like you asked. Where are we going?"
"The Ice Cafe. Have you ever been there?"
"Is that the restaurant with the ice rink out back?"
I nodded. "That would be the place."
"Wow." She beamed. "That should be fun, but I have to warn you that I haven't ice skated in years."

 

Florence wasn't kidding. She fell as soon as she slipped on the ice. "I told you I was rusty!"

"Don't feel bad. It's like riding a bicycle." I reached down to help her up.

We skated towards the center of the ice.

I showed off a cool move on my own,

and landed on my butt. "I guess you're not the only one who's rusty, Florence." It was her turn to help me up.

Florence took my hands in hers. "Maybe if we hold on to each other, we'll have a better chance of staying upright."

"Sounds good to me." We twirled around together in a small circle.

I looked into her eyes which were gleaming in the moonlight. "This is really nice, Florence."

"Yes, it is."

We were in our own little solar system, revolving around each other like dual stars.Like gravity, the urge to kiss her was drawing my lips closer and closer to hers. I leaned in,

and knocked us both off balance. "Epic fail," I groaned into the ice.

Florence was laughing good-naturedly. "Maybe it's time for dessert?"

"Don't have to ask me twice." We headed inside the warm cafe and were quickly seated.

It didn't take long for our Baked Alaska and champagne to arrive. "Florence, I'd like to propose a toast to us, to a lovely evening, and to one of the best dates I've had in a long time." We clinked glasses.

"Garrett, this evening is turning out even better than I imagined. Being out there on the ice with you was magical. It felt natural and safe."

"You felt that too?" I was thrilled.

"Garrett, I'll be honest with you. I'm not the type of woman who falls easily, and certainly not for a man who's dating six other women. But my good friend Malcolm says I need to fight more for what I want."

"I think you're worth fighting for." 

This time, I reached for her hand.

"This friend of yours, Malcolm, sounds like a wise man. What other advice would he give you?"

"Take the skates off before you kiss." And with that, she gave me a soft, but passionate kiss.Any lingering cold from the ice quickly melted in her warmth.

"That Malcolm is a bloody genius." The rose ceremony was to start in a couple of hours, so we reluctantly had to make our way back to the mansion.

I gave her one more kiss before helping her into the car. There was no doubt in my mind who was getting the first rose.

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I have to say that I *love* the twirl interaction on the ice rink! Florence and Garrett were so adorable twirling together. The Ice Cafe is going to be a permanent fixture in Bluewater Villages, so don't be surprised if it pops up in future updates.


I hope Florence wasn't behaving out of character. I see her as being a very passive person, and I would like to see her blossom (pun intended) into a more assertive woman during this process. With the likes of Jessica, Nina, Cassandra, and Chloe to contend with, she can't be a wallflower if she wants to capture Garrett's heart.