(thank you to all those who read the first chapter and requested more)
Brianna called Ken the next week to update him on her life after their weekend.
"Hey Ken, how's your week been?"
"Not too bad Bri. I've thought about you often since our last meeting. I've been fairly busy with work, but I've been wondering when I can get away for our next rendezvous. The last one was awesome."
"Well, I have some vacation time coming up. I'll see when I can get it scheduled and let you know, and maybe we can work out something. Ken, you brought out a lot of feelings that had been pent up inside of me since Paul passed away. I always loved him, and I hope you understand, but he still holds a special place in my heart, and he probably always will, but I want to fill that void that I do feel now that my arms are empty again. You are very smart, witty and fun and I do enjoy our conversations. But if I bring up Paul, I hope you will not be mad at me, as I will not compare you to him, but I have a lot of memories with him, and circumstances that may come up could cause me to mention him in a memory".
"Brianna, that is perfectly fine. I understand completely and I've found that I still have to deal with my past life with Kathy, so no, I will not be mad at you for anything that might come up about your life before we met. I want to know more about you and understand what makes you tick. In that way I can strive to make you happy and to see that gorgeous smile of yours light up before me."
"Good, I'm glad we got that out of the way. Well, I am at work calling you on my cell, so I had better get busy again, or my boss will shoot me. I'll call you later when I get the chance to speak to Craig and find out what days he'll let me take off."
"Thanks Bri, talk to you later. Bye"
"Bye Ken".
It was the following weekend when they both found time to catch up with each other again. Brianna let Ken know that she had a choice of the next Fridays off, as her work allowed her to take her days separated, instead of having to take a whole week. And she hadn't been using her vacation much, so she had almost 2 weeks worth of time saved up. They discussed the pros and cons and decided they couldn't wait no longer and would meet up the following Friday, and spend a 3 day weekend together.
It was Ken's idea that they go up to Savannah, Georgia and do some sightseeing, and maybe ride out to the beach at some point while they were there. He had always wanted to visit Savannah, as historical places interested him. But had never gotten to go because of Kathy's disinterest in history and she never wanted to travel very far. Brianna agreed that it was a great idea, so they decided to plan to meet there around supper time, and just like last time, Ken made the reservations for the hotel.
Both of them were busy with work so that the week went by pretty quickly. They did have time to chat a couple of times during the late night in the middle of the week, but both agreed that it is more fun to be able to talk in person.
Friday arrived, and they both headed for Savannah. Ken had booked a room for the weekend at the Azalea Inn and Gardens in the downtown district, and they agreed to meet there. Brianna arrived first and as she was coming up the stairs she heard a familiar voice and turned to see Ken walking up the sidewalk. As he approached he took her arm and they went up the stairs together. As they reached the top Ken turned her towards him and gave her a hug and a kiss, whispering in her ear "It feels good to be with you again."
It didn't take long for them to check in as the Jacobson's met them in the foyer and took them to their room, with Jake helping Ken haul the luggage from the cars while Brianna got acquainted with her surroundings. Ken got the hanging clothes to the closet and they both settled down in the chairs on the balcony to rest for a few minutes and to watch the street traffic pass by.
"Ken, thank you so much for taking care of the plans for this weekend. This place is perfect for our little getaway."
"I'm glad you liked it. I found it on the internet and the accommodations seemed really nice, and the owners on the phone when I called to reserve the room were really helpful and efficient. Plus it is downtown so we can get around pretty easily with the horse drawn carriages. Speaking of which, how would you like to go take a ride in one and let's see the sights around the neighborhood we're in. That way if we want to know what is nearby, we'll have an idea."
Ken called downstairs and Jake said he would hold one of the carriages that were outside the inn for them. Brianna led the way, with Ken walking by her side. That was one thing that Ken liked about her. She was independent with leadership capabilities, yet she also seemed to enjoy letting herself be pampered by him too.
Ken helped Bri up into the carriage, then climbed up beside her and told the gentleman that they just wanted to ride, no fancy tour guide needed, just to see the sights and then maybe tomorrow they would get the official tour. For now they just wanted to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights.
Brianna looked up at Ken as he talked to the man and she smiled. He was so much like Paul in that he wasn't wishy washy and was able to take the lead out in public, as well as in private. She snuggled in close to Ken on the seat and laid her head on his shoulder. The air was nice, but a little cool, so Ken tugged on her sweater until it was wrapped around her a little bit better to make sure she stayed warm on their ride.
"Hey Ken, isn't that Paula Deen's restaurant over there? I would love to eat there sometime. She is my favorite cook and I love to watch her shows when I get the chance."
Ken filed that away for future reference, making a mental note to slip away some time and make a reservation and surprise her.
"I hope you are enjoying this. There is a bar up ahead and it was a long drive and I could sure use a drink. Would you mind if we stopped in there?"
"I don't mind at all. Actually I was thinking the same thing."
"Driver, if you don't mind, would you let me and her out at that pub up ahead. If you'd like, you can check back by in about an hour, or we will grab another carriage if you don't."
The driver stopped and helped them both down from their seat, and Ken held the door open for Brianna and as they walked in, they noticed the quaintness of the place. The sign overhead said Churchill's Pub. It reminded him of a British style establishment that he had seen on the travel channel at one time.