She was very happy to learn that Mercury was ready to go after some recovery time. They woke up and had sex again. While basking in some afterglow, she said they should lean in for the weekend, since it would most likely not be happening again. Just sort of pretend this was a weekend long relationship.
He made her breakfast, they each had a shower, then they left for walking around downtown. He parked and they wandered around, grabbing coffee, and looked through record shops, and various other shops. He seemed to be amused by the fact that she talked herself out of every purchase. It got progressively more rainy and cold, and a shop they ducked into had a hoodie that declared "I'm cold" with a mountain range. He told her that the hoodie color, a slightly muted gem tone green, would go beautifully with her eyes. She bought it immediately, giddy.
They walked down to where their Shakespeare festival took place. It was shuttered and on break, there would be no shows that weekend. He walked her around the vacant buildings, telling her where everything took place, shows he'd seen in previous seasons. He mentioned that he was planning on buying them tickets to a show, but alas nothing was playing anywhere in town. She stated at some point she would love to see one, as the place looked like it would be quite festive right before a show.
They stepped into the gift shop where everything was on sale because they were moving locations soon. He was amused as she walked around, talking herself out of every purchase because she was excited about everything. Eventually she went to the register with a magnet for herself, and gifts for everyone else.
"You know, we should have a rendezvous." He said. "Meet back here at the beginning of October next year. Look at the fall colors, take in a few shows. Go to the wineries. Stay at one of the cozy bed and breakfasts down the road." She said that she doubted he would be single and willing by this time next year, but she would be willing to consider it. The thought was quite romantic, like Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight. He thought the idea reminded him more of One Day.
They moved the car and walked through the park a bit more, down to the new restaurant at the edge of the park. They split a giant soft pretzel and enjoyed some cocktails while continuing their epic conversation. They spent what felt like hours there, swapping stories and just "catching vibes."
Eventually they walked back through the park to the car. He tolerated her taking photos of leaves and moss. Then he drove around the neighborhood surrounding the park, checking out the multi-million dollar houses and deer just walking around the lawns.
They ended up back downtown, as his favorite bar had finally opened for business for the night. They walked past a fountain of bubbly water. He'd been talking about this all day, how it came from a natural spring and was considered a "delicacy" to the town. He insisted people loved it and would go by and drink it all the time.
What he neglected to tell her was that there was a lot of sulfur in it. He delighted in her nose crinkling and laughed when she tried to be nice and say that it was interesting. It was apparently a trick that locals liked to play on people who hadn't been there before. He took her hand and led her to his favorite bar for something that would wash the taste out.
The drinks were strong, and they became quite buzzed as they talked and flirted. He became more loose and happy, and finally agreed to share his quiz results with her. She gave him props for "finally letting them have fun" together. What he wanted was something outside of her experience, but she was willing to try. After daring him to fool around with her in the bathroom, which he declined, they headed back to his place.
His roommates were having a bonfire in the backyard, so they sat and drank whisky, talked theatre experiences as the ash fell around them. She thought they would stay out there for awhile, but he suddenly grabbed her hand and said they were turning in for the night.
The sex was fantastic, switching back and forth for dominance. It was absolutely the best sex they had so far because he seemed so into it.
Even though he wasn't really into snuggling, he opened the window and then invited her into his arms. She fell asleep unintentionally, and he did as well. It felt so warm, welcoming, and comfortable that as soon as she woke up, she kicked herself for really falling for him.
