“Definitely the beef vegetable,” he said, setting out two cans and the bottle of wine.
“And I’ll light these candles,” she said, placing them on a small coffee table in the middle of the room.
The storm outside was unrelenting, and the wood stove struggled to keep the room warm. The hot soup was welcome. And after Adam opened the wine, she felt herself forgetting about the chill and her apprehensions about being alone with him.
Spending the evening talking, she realized how pleasantly surprised she was about being stranded with him. The fact was she always enjoyed being around him.
“It seems the fates have forced a second date on us,” Adam said.
“Excuse me?” Joy laughed, feeling giddy from the wine.
“Yeah. Look around. A cozy little place to shelter from the storm. We have a candlelight dinner with gourmet food and excellent wine.”
“Ah, those things are true. But is this a second date? I’m not even sure we had a first date. And what’s this stuff about the fates?”
“Admit it. We had a first date. I know you didn’t forget that kiss.”
Joy felt her blood rush to her face. Unable to argue the point, she simply shook her head. “How could I forget?”
“And here we are. Is it just accidental? Or is there an unseen force in the universe pushing us together?”
“The fates. Do you believe in that sort of thing?” she asked.
“Definitely. There are no coincidences in life.”
“And what if you don’t agree with what these fates or whatever have in mind? I don’t know if I like not having free will.”
“We always have free will. I just think the universe guides us as long as we’re willing to pay attention to it.”
Joy sipped her wine, slightly amused and wondering if the wine was making him philosophical. “And what are these fates telling you now?”
She expected some smart-assed response. Instead, he leaned forward, cupped her face, and kissed her.