Moments later, a glass-walled shack appeared in front of us in a clearing, surrounded by metal bistro tables and chairs. The sign out front read Uncommon Coffee Co.

“Oh no.” I shook my head. “If I drink coffee this late, I won’t sleep tonight.”

“Cool your jets, Grandma. We ain’t here for coffee.” Chase pulled the door open and gestured with an open palm for me to enter first. The heavenly scents of coffee and chocolate filled the cafe, which was decorated in reclaimed wood, giving it a rustic, hipster charm. A chalkboard menu displayed its offerings in pastel shades of the rainbow behind the counter.

“We’re here for that.” He pointed to the left-hand side, where a pink handwritten header read, World’s Best Hot Chocolate. Listed beneath it were original, dark chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint bark, salted caramel, raspberry truffle, peanut butter cup, roasted coconut, hazelnut twist, and spiced gingerbread.

“This is incredible.” I happened to love hot chocolate. It reminded me of skating rinks and bonfires in the winter. Of gliding along the ice, watching my breath plume in front of me, beneath a sky blanketed with stars. Of that blissful, fleeting feeling of being free.

“The salted caramel is almost as good as a blowjob,” Chase said.

I shot him a look. “TMI, Carter.”

“What?” He shrugged. “Just saying.”

“We need to get you a mute button.”

“Anyway, it’s good. You could get tea or something gross instead if you want.” He waved to the menu board vaguely. “But I don’t know how anyone could turn down hot chocolate.”

“Hmm.” I hummed, still waffling between original and the salted caramel. The heavily pierced and tattooed barista at the counter waited patiently while I hemmed and hawed. The flavors did sound good, but it was hard to beat a really amazing cup of classic hot chocolate.

“Know what you want?” Chase asked, stepping up to the register.

I grabbed the zipper of my tan leather crossbody bag. “I can pay—”

“Yeah, no,” he said. “What should I order for you?”

Was this how it was going to be? Maybe I’d actually met the only person on earth more stubborn than I was.

“Salted caramel.”

He winked at me. “Good choice.”

We collected our drinks before heading back outside. The cocoa was every bit as good as he promised; the sweet milk chocolate was perfectly balanced by the slight savory undertone of the caramel.

As we wandered along the path, the sun began its descent below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of dusky violet and warm pink. Leaves crunched beneath our feet, and a slight breeze picked up, rustling through the trees and ruffling my hair.

“This is the second date-like non-date we’ve ended up on,” I said, clutching the red paper cup in my hand. Probably more date-like than anything I had done with Luke in ages, come to think of it.

“It is?”