First Time For Everything: ON HOLD

Chapter Four

"Did I mention that you look amazing?" Tom repeated for the hundreth time. I laughed, nodding in response. "Hmm. Seems like I can't help but to tell you again," he grinned.

"And again and again and again until Kingdom come," I teasingly added. He simply shrugged, though I could tell he was slightly embarrassed. I tucked my hand in the crook of his arm. He looked down, a tad shocked at my action, but he didn't pull his arm away. I smiled to myself. This is how it ought to be, I thought to myself. "So where to first?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in curiosity.

He looked down and smirked. "It's a secret. All will be revealed in due time."

I squeezed his arm playfully. "It's a good thing a like surprises, otherwise I'd-"

"You'd what? Badger me to death about it?" He chuckled.

A mischievous grin spread over my face. "You know, that's not that bad of an idea..."

"Oh no. You're not-"

"Where are we going? Are we there yet? How close are we? How much more do we have to walk? Is it a fun place?" I asked question after question in rapid succession until Tom finally had enough and clamped his hand over my mouth. Whoa. His hands were incredibly warm, like a good fire. Images of a warm, toasty fire flashed in my mind. That is before my brain let my primal nature take over and twist the images into...other images. I shook my head, heat flooding my face. But Tom didn't notice.

"I'm on my last leg here!" he joked. "Besides. We're at our first destination," he added, motioning around us. God bless this man!

Times Square in all it's night-time glory surrounded us. I couldn't help the Cheshire-cat-like grin that sprea across my face. Tom had managed to take me to one of my favorite places in the entire world and he didn't even know that. I blinked back the happy tears that pooled in my eyes. I towards Tom who was staring at me, his eyes full of joy and... affection, maybe? Nah. That couldn't be it.

Not thinking twice about the emotions in his eyes, I slammed by body into his in the tightest bear hug I could manage. I accidentally knocked the breath out of him, but his arms wrapped around me and squeezed me. "Thank you!" I whispered excitedly into his ear.

"Er, you're welcome?" he mumbled back.

I pulled back a little so that we were looking each other in the eye. "This," I motioned around us," is one of my favorite places in the entire world," I explained.

Tom grinned proudly. "Well I'm glad I managed to do something right!" he joked, squeezing me in a quick hug. I swatted his shoulder. "Now to continue our tour!" With that, he grabbed my hand and led me all around the Square, pointing every which way, telling stories about each place.

After my fill of Times Square, we made our way down Broadway. When I saw the massive Madam Toussad's Wax Museum hand-held sign, my breath caught in my chest as wonderment swept over me. I yanked on Tom's arm, interrupting his tale of how he almost fell in a manhole. "May we please, please, please go in?" I begged him, batting my eyelashes for good measure. He looked up at the builing and his eyes (I kid you not) bulged out of their sockets as his body tensed up. The color drained from his face. "Um. What's wrong?" I asked nervously, tugging on his arm.

He looked down at me, utter disbelief on his face. On its own will, my hand found it's way behind my ear. "You wa-want...t-to go... in there?" he stammered, his voice cracking on the last word.

Where's a lightbulb when you need it? I thought to myself as I finally put two and two together. I tried my hardest not to, I really did, but the giggles still fell out of my mouth. "You're afraid of wax figures?" I managed to ask in between giggles. He swatted my forehead with his palm. "Ouch! What was that for?"