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White Collar Affair - Pt 04
I went back to my apartment, looked at my phone, and saw a message saying he wanted to meet again. I felt my heart would explode. He had given me his private phone number which meant we could talk freely without hiding. To my surprise, he asked later that evening if I wanted to go for a walk on Sunday morning. There was a hill nearby he often went to with his dog. I wasn't a big fan of outdoor sports, but I was more than happy to go with him. I remembered that time a saw him with a husky dog, but I didn't want to mention it. We said goodnight and then we didn't talk until Sunday.
***
That morning, the weather was very nice. A bit frisky but the sky was clear except for a few clouds. I had a light breakfast and got ready, just like I usually did before I meet a guy but, for the longest time in a while, I was very nervous to meet up with a man. Although I'd had many random and often dangerous encounters with strangers, meeting Robert outside work seemed different. I knew it wasn't a date, but it was the closest thing. I zipped my green hoodie, fixed my shorts, and headed towards the door.
The park was a few blocks away and there were some hills next to the park, people used to go for a walk or ride their bikes there. As I got there, I took my phone from my shorts 'pocket and texted him. The time was 9:30 a.m. which was a bit too early for me. A few minutes later I waved toward him.
He looked hot as usual. He was wearing some loose grey shorts and a navy sleeveless hoodie that revealed his strong arms. Robert walked towards me with a fluffy husky dog on a leash.
"Hey, you made it. I know it's a bit early, but the view is worth it."
"Hi, there..." I greeted the black and white husky, that was as tall as my hips.
"His name's Apollo."
"That's a cool name. Can I pet him?"
"Sure, he may look mean but he's a fluff ball." He added, and I thought about how some dogs are exactly like their owners which made me smile.
I proceeded to scratch behind his soft ears. He seemed to enjoy and rubbed against me for more pets.
We began walking up a road uphill. Now and then we would see some people on their bikes. Aside from the occasional runner, we were mostly alone, which I appreciated. There were many trees and dark green bushes on the hill that contrasted with the man-made narrow roads.
We walked and talked about life. He told me about how he loved nature and the outdoors. He was the type of guy that dreamed of going camping on the weekends. He admitted he wanted to become a forest ranger or a mountain guide when he was younger. Immediately, I pictured him in a ranger outfit and smiled.
That caught my attention and I asked how he ended up in an office job. He said that life happens and after he had a daughter, he took an entry job in a tech company and worked his way up. His good leadership skills lead him to the job he had now at our company.
As we walked uphill he then started asking me about my life. I told him I was more of a homebody, someone that prefers to watch movies or invite people over. Sports were never my thing. For a moment I thought about how I was more of a nerd in high school, but I didn't want to admit it. Though he seemed like the type of guy who didn't care if you were a jock or nerd in school.
***
After walking for about an hour, we reached the top. I saw his blue eyes contemplating the city. My heart was pounding from exhaustion but also from seeing him smile like that. He seemed genuinely happy, unliked I hadn't seen before. We took a few pictures from the view, and he saw me uploading a story to my Instagram.
"Are you on Instagram?" I asked as I saw him looking down at my phone.
"Nah, I don't really use social media. I just use it to network and stuff."
"Besides, don't you get tired of sharing stuff ...all the time?"
"Mmh... yeah sometimes... but it also helps me keep up with my family and friends, so... pros and cons I guess"
"Yeah... you're right ..." Robert smiled and looked at the ground while we continued walking.
"What are you smiling about?
"It's just that my daughter loved taking selfies with Apollo before the whole divorce thing...She was always on her phone and I would scold her for that...Now I kinda miss that..."
He looked at his dog and caressed his soft white and black fur.
"I understand..." I didn't know what else to say. I wanted to know more about him but I didn't want to pry.
"Anyway, things are better now, and we have plans to meet soon." He said showing me a kind smile.
"That's great!"
"Yeah, I think she is more excited to see Apollo than me..."
"Haha..." We laughed and continued walking downhill.
He made fun of how I was in such bad shape. I was panting all the way to the top, some drops of sweat falling down my neck. Even though he was 18 years older, he could beat me in a race. Robert probably played sports when he was a teen, he had that kind of strength you build up over the years. I had always been scrawny and had finally put on some weight and muscle in my late twenties.
We arrived back at the park and then I looked at him thinking if we would do something more than this. I mentioned I needed to shower, and then he said what I was hoping he would say.