As I approached the two steps towards the door and the tiny front porch of his beautifully built brick home, my heart was starting to race. It was interesting that for a Tudor home, it had a brick facade. It was still a little gloomy thought it felt like the sunshine was desperately trying to peek through the thick cumulus clouds. It didn't look like rain although there was a hint of that too, but I was glad we'd be inside while it was still daytime outside for roughly five in the afternoon. As I was getting to ring the doorbell, Nick incidentally opened the door.
"Dottie! I was going to get the mail, but I guess I'll leave it in the mailbox. Come in! Come in." The interior was a very modest art deco. Subdued, but still noticeable. "Welcome to my humble abode."
"Nick, this is beautiful!"
"And you haven't even seen the most beautiful part. A drink?"
"Uh, do you have French vanilla for coffee?"
"Cream or sugar?"
"Both please."
"I'll bring everything out to the terrace so you can put however much you'd like." A terrace?! How exciting! It wasn't just a standard patio. Totally sounds like him - romantic. He showed me through the living room where a French doorway led to the outside.
"Wow, you and your family must have put lots of work into this. It's really beautiful out here."
"Just a little bit of heaven. It isn't much, but it's home. Like I said the other day, you're welcome here any time you wish. and If you want friends over, let me know ahead of time." He slipped his hand in his pocket only to reveal a spare he had had made for me. "Mi casa, es su casa."
"Wow, that's really nice of you."
"Let me get your coffee going. Take in the views while I'm not out here." Boy was I gonna. But I was going to be fighting soft tears to do it. I was just overwhelmed with how he has treated me since the end of my senior year. I managed to compose myself and at least this time I wasn't wearing makeup. He preferred women go au naturale. Heck I even think he thought I looked cuter with my glasses on. My standard t-shirt and jeans may not have been sexy, but he liked me for me and I was okay with that.
~~~
"One French vanilla coffee, cream and sugar in the containers."
"I could see why you wouldn't want to leave home."
"Well you know how private a person I am. I do enjoy my alone time, but I would like to do so with someone special too." Dottie giggled in that cute way she did. "And maybe hear that now and again," I said as the giggling continued. "But you know more about me than a lot of people do now."
"I hope that a lot of that is going to include more of us."
"I think it will. As long as you don't make me chase you up my neighbor's weeping willow."
"It is a beautiful tree. Are those ponds natural?"
"The pond, no, its a part of the same system that goes with the fountain and reflecting pool." we sat there for about a half an hour while she finished her coffee and headed into the kitchen. As we made our way back inside and journeyed back through the living room to get into the kitchen, I sneakily grabbed the remote for the speaker to turn up the volume for the dinner music I had setup while getting her coffee ready. "You sneaky man," she remarked upon the music being within her hearing range. There's nothing worse than awkward silence.
"What, it's better than watching the news," I said, know I was right with all the negativity the reporters spew out all the time. Nothing wrong with traditional Italian music to accompany Italian fare in the belly. "More coffee or something stronger?"
"I wouldn't mind a glass of wine with dinner."
"One Napa Cellars Merlot coming right up!"
"I thought you didn't drink."
