#bergen_county

She turns purple again, looking down. "I... I've never... dated. I mean, I'm not..."

"I like you!" She blurts, and blushes harder.

Adam reaches for her hand. "I like you, Sam. Dagmar." The last name softer.

"I..." He takes her hand, and she looks rather flummoxed. "Don't you want someone pretty?"

"You're pretty."

A little crease between her eyebrows. It... didn't ping? He means it?

He means it.

"Oh.... you mean it." Softly.

"I... I'm not sure.. I mean I... I've never dated anybody..."

"Yeah, but.... it's ok if you're not.... I mean.... It's ok."

"I don't want to, like, do it wrong..."

"Do what wrong?"

"Dating?"

"You tell me what you want.... and... we talk about it?"

She bites on her lower lip and nods.

"I... I like hanging out with you." Bold statement there, Cotton.

Adam nods, grins " So... what do you want to do right now"

"Well, finish this ice cream..." A gentle attempt at a joke.

"Yeah." He offers a taste of his ice cream.....

BLUSH,

And... nervously, like she's breaking a rule... she tastes it off his spoon.

Adam waits, lets her taste..... and then finishes his spoon.

"Strawberry?" Fair's fair, right?

"Thanks." And he takes a ...taste of her spoon.

His green eyes lift to hers. "So.... we know? If it's just between us.... I get you have other things but...... Ssss....Dagmar. I like you."

She ducks her head. "I... well, I don't get it, but... but, I mean, like... it's nice."

"You're nice."

"Sam, Dagmar... you want to go out? Like... on a date?"

Oh, she's just purple now.

A tiny nod.

"Ok....." Soft. "So... a movie? Or something?"

She bites on her lip. "I like movies, yeah."

"Ok, so..... movies. Sometime. Cool."

"Cool." A shy smile.