Austin took a step back and wrapped his arm around Maggie.
"What do you think?"
It was perfect. He'd spent all weekend putting it together.
"Um," she said. "It's very... big."
Austin deflated. Of course it was big. It was nine sets put together. This was several thousand dollars worth of Lego. The police station, the fire station, the townhouse and more.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's very impressive, it must have been a lot of work," Maggie continued, "I just wasn't expecting
this
when you said you had something I needed to come over and look at."
"The train actually moves," he said. "Here, let me show you."
"Um, maybe later, I've got a headache coming on and I think I want to lie down," she said, then planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
Austin wasn't sure if he'd done something wrong. He'd never been very good at reading people. He took a moment to appreciate her body as she ran off to the bathroom, presumably to get to the medicine cabinet.
Maggie had been the best thing that happened to his life this year. After thirty-four long years of being single, Austin had finally attained that which he once believed unattainable - a girlfriend. He'd had sex a few times, only once that he hadn't had to pay for - until now.
She was pretty, she was energetic, and she was so short she made him feel tall at 5-foot-7. She was almost a decade younger, but he'd done the maths to confirm it wasn't in the creepy zone. She was everything he'd ever hoped for in a woman and more, physically. She was slender, a little athletic, and her breasts, though not large, looked fantastic in her workout gear. She took great care of her long black hair, which looked good whether she had it up or down. He never tired of seeing her from behind, either, with a cute little arse that just made him want to reach out and slap it.
They didn't have that many interests in common, and he knew he could ramble on about his interests for way too long sometimes, but somehow, it seemed to just work.
This must have been what people meant when they talked about that spark some people had together. It wasn't a rational thing. It was chemistry.
Maggie called out for him, and he pursued her to the bathroom.
"The cabinet is right there in front of you," he said.
"Hmm," she said, rubbing her temples. "Well you know, there is something people say can help with headaches." She drew closer to him.
"The type of headache determines whether paracetamol or ibuprofen will work better, but you can actually take both at the same time because they work in different ways. There's no medical interaction, so it's safe," he said. "But I think staying hydrated is the main thing. I'll get you a glass."
She grabbed him and pulled him towards her.
"God you're so oblivious sometimes," she said, then kissed him.
Oh
, he thought.
She meant sex.
* * *
The doors unlocked as he pulled to a stop, and he gave her one final kiss before sending her on her way back to the accommodation. It was on campus at the university. She was doing her PhD, which meant her income wasn't spectacular, but she got by and had her accommodation paid for by a scholarship. If things got serious enough for them to move in together, Austin could more than make up for it.
He waited until he saw that she'd made it to the door and gone inside before he turned on the engine and started to move. A few moments later, he recognised somebody walking a little bit further down the street. He pulled over, wound down the window and leaned out.
"Hey, Doc Rob! Fancy seeing you here," he said.
"Hey man, how's it going?" the tall, tanned man said as he approached the vehicle. Are you here visiting Maggie?"
"Just dropped her off, actually."
Roberto grinned. The two men had been close friends since their first year of study here, all those years ago. Rob had a way with women, Austin didn't. He was tall and handsome, Austin wasn't. He had a fancy Doctor title, Austin just had a masters. All those years single had made scheduling events a breeze, at least.
"I'm glad that you two lovebirds seem to be really hitting it off. Do you think it's serious?"
"God, I hope so. I'm done being single."
"Hey, the single life ain't that bad if you know what you're doing. And you better be treating her well for the sake of my reputation," said Rob.
"I won't let you down," Austin said, giving a mock salute. "Nor will I ever doubt your ability to wingman again. Anyway, I've gotta go, talk more on the weekend, right?"
"See you then. And don't forget: you owe me big time!"
Austin smiled and nodded, then Roberto continued walking past the car and waved a goodbye. As Austin slowly accelerated down the street in the twilight, he glanced up at his mirror and noticed something odd. It looked like Rob had just walked straight up to the door on Maggie's room. His eyes darted back and forth between the road and the rear view mirror. He couldn't be totally sure of it.
He tried to dismiss the thought.
