A Small Miracle Happened Read Online Free PDF Page B

make the place over with himself as the centerpiece. It was a habit of his, and a bad one. You only met this guy two days ago. Don’t start picking out china, doofus. You’ll scare him off.
    When Chris set out the food, Dan forgot all about the decor. The chicken was fried but not greasy, and redolent of garlic and rosemary. The salad included fresh greens and tomatoes, with a tart dressing that hadn’t come out of a bottle in the fridge. Really? This guy made his own salad dressing?
    And there were latkes. Latkes with applesauce and sour cream. Dan almost wept at the sight. If he could choose just one comfort food, this would be it. And Chris had gotten the recipe right. They were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, but not too thick. The smell and taste of them spoke of home and family.
    “These are wonderful,” he said when he came down to earth enough to remember his manners.
    Chris’s expression of anxiety eased into a smile. “Like your mother used to make?”
    Dan laughed. “Father, not mother. Mom is as bad a cook as I am. And these are really close to Dad’s.” He speared another one, telling himself not to overindulge on the latkes because that chicken was simply amazing, and he wanted to eat every bite. “When I was little, my father worked evenings a lot, and we used to mark the calendar with the nights of Hanukkah he’d be home, because we knew we’d get latkes on those days.”
    “Latkes,” Chris repeated. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to say that. I wondered if the T was silent or something. And they’re probably off because I couldn’t find any matzo and had to grind up soda crackers as a substitute. If you can get your dad’s recipe and some real matzo meal, I’ll try again.”
    “My dad would love to share recipes with you. If the baby wasn’t due, he’d do it in person.”
    “I’d like that. By the way, who’s the baby? I mean, whose baby is it? The one you keep mentioning.”
    Surprised, Dan ran earlier conversations through his head. “Didn’t I tell you? My sister is pregnant. Ready to pop, actually. My parents are staying with her. That’s why they didn’t come visit me when they realized I didn't have enough vacation hours saved to go to them.” He sighed, putting as much drama as he could into the sound while casting a flirtatious glance across the table. “So I’ve been forced to spend my time teaching a really sexy gentile how to play strip dreidel.”
    In that cute way he had, Chris looked simultaneously pleased and embarrassed. “It didn’t take me days to learn.”
    “True. You’re a natural.” Dan dropped his head, then looked up through his eyelashes. “We could play again tonight.”
    “Maybe tomorrow. I have something a little different planned, if you’re willing.”
     
    Chris had latched on to the Hanukkah theme of using oil, and had two bottles of different scents on the bedside table.
    “I thought it wasn’t safe to use oil because it could break down a condom.” Dan paused. “I don’t do it without one. I’m negative, but—”
    “So am I, and I’m careful too. Mind out of the gutter, Dan. I was just going to give you a massage with the oil. If and when you want more, I’ve got regular lube and condoms.” But from the look in Chris’s eyes, his mind had dropped to the gutter too.
    A massage? Dan stripped eagerly. The bedroom was decorated with the same simplicity and lack of style as the rest of the condo. The bed didn’t even have a headboard, but the mattress was covered with clean white sheets, half a dozen pillows, and a really nice duvet in midnight blue. Before lying down, Dan insisted on bundling the duvet aside so it wouldn’t get ruined by the oil.
    Dan melted into those pristine sheets the moment Chris’s big hands landed on his shoulders. Tension he hadn’t realized was there fled at the firm touch. “Where’d you learn how to do this?” he asked at last.
    “I learned for a boyfriend. Well, I