Page 55 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

“Is that… a good thing or a bad thing?”

He considers that. “A good thing. Sort of cathartic, you know? But most of all, I feel safe with you, Hal. And I can’t tell you how important that is to me. It’s fucking everything.”

I swallow hard.

Okay, Hal. It’s now or never. He basically just gave you the perfect opening. Don’t you dare waste it.

I lock my eyes on him while I clutch the edge of the bartop with one hand, fearful I might fall off my stool because I’m so nervous.

“You’re special to me too, Skylar. So special. I know we’ve only been officially dating for a day, but I’m”—I swallow back the nervous lump in my throat—“but I’m falling for you. So hard.”

His eyes widen.

I feel my cheeks warm under his stupefied gaze. “Shoot. I probably confessed that way too soon, huh?”

His lips twitch and his eyes sparkle at me. “Maybe a little. But it’s cool, cuz I’m kinda falling for you too.”

I honest-to-goodness gasp. “R-really?”

My heart pounds like a bass drum in my chest, and I’m lightheaded suddenly.

It wasn’t an ardent declaration of undying love, but I don’t need it to be. Just knowing Skylar’s feelings for me are heading in the same direction as mine is more than enough.

“For real,” he says, then lets out a shaky breath. “Fuck. This is all kinds of overwhelming. But in a good way,” he hurries to add.

My sweet, little penguin.

“Some force in the universe brought us together for a reason. I wholeheartedly believe that.”

“Destiny, huh?”

Romantic penguin destiny all the way!

To my surprise, Skylar reaches out and takes hold of my free hand in his. Then he lifts it to his mouth and places a gentle kiss on the back of it.

He nearly makes me swoon like one of Ryder’s romance heroes on the spot.

“Fuck, Hal. You’re one of the most open and honest guys I’ve ever met. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and that’s real fucking brave.” His voice turns hoarse with emotion. “Thank you for telling me how you feel. Let’s keep taking it slow—I think that’s what we both need. Besides, spending more time with you and getting to know each other better still sounds damn good to me.”

My heart does a pirouette in my chest, and my whole body tingles like it’s electrically supercharged.

I nod. “Me too. All I ask is that we keep being open and honest with each other, and we can talk about any problems or uncertainties together. Communication is the key to a successful and long-term relationship. I’ve seen it with so many of my friends who’ve found their life partners.”

Skylar’s eyes go wide, and I realize I may have gotten a little too enthusiastic. “Life partners?”

Smooth, Hal. Way to stick your big hairy foot in it. Jumping from falling in love to permanent commitment—are you trying to scare him off?

I take a gulp of my Shirley Temple for courage. Now that I’ve said it, I won’t backtrack.

“That’s what I’m looking for, and I hope we can become that for one another,” I say, bravely soldiering on.

Skylar’s voice shakes when he says, “I don’t know that I’ve ever thought I would be that for anyone, that anyone could want me for life.”

Time to really put my heart on the line. “I’m not the kind of guy who would court someone I wasn’t serious about. With the way I’m wired, so to speak, I don’t do casual. My dream is to find the one I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with, just like penguins do. I can’t predict the future, but I believe we have the potential to be precisely what each of us needs most in a life partner.”

Skylar’s mouth drops open. “Wow, I⁠—”

A strange wind picks up out of nowhere inside the bar, interrupting Skylar as it blows napkins and debris around. A strange, crackling energy pulses in the air and makes my hair—and I have a lot of it—stand on end. Instinctively, I pull Skylar into my arms to shield him with my much larger body.