Hanna stepped off the train. She had her luggage in hand, and her heart was fluttering madly in her chest. Where was he? Then she saw him. Tall, blonde, and tan, Jeremy looked exactly like the pictures he'd sent her. She had been quite sure he was the real deal, but you never really knew with online dating. She hoped he was equally pleased with her appearance. He stepped forward, smiling broadly.
"Hanna." It was almost a question, as if he wasn't quite sure.
"Jeremy," She smiled back at him, extending her hand for a shake and then immediately cursing herself for being too formal. That was no way to start their first weekend together! Jeremy ignored her hand, though and went in for hug.
"I can't believe you're finally here!" he squeezed her against his warm chest.
"I know, I know," said Hanna, her arms encircling his waist. "It's finally happening." They'd been trying to meet up for the last two months, but with his work, and her work, they'd been unable to coordinate schedules. Till now. "It's so good to see you in person. I was half afraid you wouldn't show."
"Are you kidding me? All the phone calls and the texts and the pictures, and you think I'd miss an opportunity to spend real time with you? You're crazy. Come on, let's get out of here." He picked up her bags for her and slipped his other arm across her shoulders, guiding her to the parking lot. It was a short drive to his house, made even shorter by their conversation. Jeremy pulled into his drive and Hanna admired his house. It was small but well-kept. He took her bags for her again and unlocked the front door, ushering her inside.
"Here we are, home sweet home." He swept his arm across the living room in an expansive gesture.
"It's lovely. Truly." Hanna honestly wouldn't have cared if it was a mess, she just wanted to stare into Jeremy's eyes for hours.
"And down here is your room for the weekend." Hanna pressed her lips together nervously. She'd asked for the spare room. Despite the hours of conversations she and Jeremy had had, this was sort of their first real date, and she didn't sleep with guys on the first date. Fortunately Jeremy had seemed fine with it, reassuring her that the only thing that mattered was her comfort. The rest, he'd said, could wait. She hoped he meant it. He placed her bags in her room and left her to 'settle in' as he put it, suggesting they meet in the living room in half an hour to go out for dinner.
Hanna looked around her room. Though it was minimal, it looked comfortable enough. There was a bed, an old one, by the looks of it, but a bed nevertheless, a chair, and a dresser. The walls were paneled halfway up with a dark wood, textured and knotty. She sat on the bed for a minute, taking everything in. She gazed ahead of her, excitedly thinking of the weekend stretching ahead of her with Jeremy, when her gaze alighted on something. One of the wood pieces making up the paneling appeared to have a round hole where a knot might have been at one point. It almost as if light were coming in through the hold, but it was hard to tell. She kneeled next to wall and pressed her eye to it, but still saw nothing. She shrugged it off, and began to unpack her clothes, trying to decide what to wear for dinner.
Hanna selected a short, flirty flower print sundress and hoped they weren't going anywhere too formal. She left her room and went to the living room to wait. Jeremy wasn't there yet. She began to wander around, acquainting herself with his house. The family pictures on the fireplace mantel she took as a sign that he must have a good relationship with his parents. She went back down the hall to her room, intending to grab her lipstick just in case she needed a touch up while they were out, but then she paused at the door of the room next to her. Jeremy hadn't included it in his brief tour, and she wondered what as inside. She opened the door and stepped in. It appeared to be his office, a desk piled high with papers and a laptop suggested. It too was minimally decorated, save for a painting of a ship at sea, hung oddly low on the wall. The top of the painting only reached about hip height. It seemed very strange to her. She turned to leave, then paused. The painting was on the wall which connected to her room. She strode over to it and lifted it. There was a hole in the wall, and when she pressed her eye to it, she could see the spare room bed. Dropping her hands and letting the painting fall back into place, swinging wildly, she sat up. Perhaps this was just coincidence. She couldn't believe Jeremy would put up a peephole. More than likely this was some construction mishap and he'd only hung the painting over it to hide the ugly mark in the wall. Maybe he didn't even know you could see straight through! Comforting herself with these thoughts, she returned to the living room just as Jeremy walked out from the bathroom.