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I nod and get to work preheating the oven and dicing up the potatoes. I season the steaks, peeking at Blake as I work.

“How was your day?” I ask.

“Fine. Boring. I worked and talked to my friend Jade for a bit. Planned our date.”

“What do you have planned?”

“I’m not telling. It’s going to be a surprise. Just be ready for the best date of your life.”

“All right.” I grin as I add the steaks to the pan.

“I mean it. I’m going to win this bet easily.”

My stomach flips. I turn so she doesn’t see my smile drop and realize something is wrong.

The rain picks up, heavy drops splattering against the windows. A flash of lightning lights up the forest surrounding my place, and I look over at Blake to see her watching the storm.

“Do you like the rain?” I ask.

“Love it. It makes everything feel so cozy. What about you?”

“I’ve never minded it. I’ve never minded anything except the heat.”

“Yeah, same. The weather has been good here so far.”

I nod, flipping the steaks in the pan.

“Where were you stationed?”

“Fort Benning, Hunter Army Airfield, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Then I did a few deployments overseas.”

“Where are those bases?”

“Fort Benning and Hunter Army Airfield are in Georgia, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord is in Washington.”

“Which was your favorite?”

“Lewis-McChord. I liked the weather there more. And I had a lot of friends.”

“You miss it,” she says softly.

I nod tightly. “Yeah, but I miss it less and less every day.”

The timer goes off, so I pull out the potatoes and add the steak to the oven for a few minutes.

“Still okay with just water?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

I nod and blanch some broccolini while I prepare our plates and grab water for myself. I pull the steaks out and make up two plates.

“Dig in!” I tell her as I slide onto the stool next to her.

“It looks great. Thanks.”

We cut our steaks, and Blake moans as she takes a bite. My cock hardens in my pants. I clear my throat and try to focus on my food.

The lights flicker as the storm picks up, so I light out the candles I bought from the store this afternoon.