“You’re right. Okay.” She clears her throat and continues, “I admire your positivity because as someone who spent the last few years living in a household where everything was negative, where nothing was done right, where complaining was the number one role of communication, you bring such a light to a dark, dim world. You’re able to see things for their beauty rather than their flaws. You’re able to find growth rather than encourage the regression. You’re able to take an uncomfortable situation and put a fun twist on it. You don’t let people hold you down, nor do you hold them down yourself. You lift them up. And you stand up for those who need it. I’ve never met anyone like you before.” Her thumb strokes against my neck. “And I’m really happy that I did.”

I rub my hands up her sides. “Thank you, Scottie. That was incredibly nice of you.”

“I mean it,” she says with a smirk.

“I know you do.”

Then the music ends, and Sanders calls out. “Okay, rotate seats.”

Scottie gets off my lap and takes my hand in hers as we move over to the next chair. I take a seat first, and once again, she climbs onto my lap, but this time, there’s no hesitation; she almost seems at home as she sits on top of me. And I like that.

I like that a lot.

The music starts, and I pull the card from the side of the chair and, once again, read it out loud.

“Cup your partner’s cheek, bring your foreheads together, and whisper what you like most about their body.” I look up at Scottie. “Huh, this is a bit more intense.”

“It’ll be fine,” she says with a wave of her hand.

So we both grip each other’s cheeks, my palm to her soft skin. Then together, we touch our foreheads, the position oddly comforting given how close we are. I stare into her eyes, our noses nearly connecting.

She wets her lips, and then I do the same as a spark of electricity seems to bounce between us.

Yeah…way more intense.

She goes first and surprises me as she says, “You have the nicest stack of abs I think I’ve ever seen on a man. Like, incredible. Defined. Sexy. Just hard not to stare at.”

I can’t hold back my smile. I know this is hard for her, offering compliments. A part of me thinks it comes from years of little communication with her ex, but I love that she was able to jump right in and offer me a compliment. And a fucking good one at that.