sip of water and cleared his throat before he continued. “So how do men feel about romance and marriage? Well, I have never been married, so I can’t speak to that, but I can tell you I believe in it. I believe in a partnership in love, life, and romance. I think romance is the battery that keeps the relationship charged, if you will. The reason men act callous about romance is to give the appearance of being manly or macho, but personally I think that deep inside men love it; the thrill of being able to make a woman melt. They love the excitement of having a woman make them feel alive. I can’t speak for all men, but I know the thought of being in love is exciting for me . I personally have never been in love. I’ve been in like …I’ve been in lust , which I had confused for love at one time, but I know now for sure it was lust. The possibility of finding love one day excites me; gives me something to look forward to. Whoever she is, I look forward to getting to know her, and I can’t wait to meet her.”
Once David finished his speech, smiles beamed on the faces of some women as they gleaned more insight not only about men but about David. Others looked contemplative as they reflected on their own past loves. The room was silent.
Hendra piped up. “Being that you could probably have any woman you wanted --- and probably have….” a few women tittered and David chuckled, “…how do you know if someone truly loves you? How would you know if she was really there for you or just with you because of who you are?” Hendra asked, genuine concern furrowing her brow.
Charlotte and David stole a quick glance at each other, the memory of their earlier conversation still on both their minds.
“I would hope I could get to know a person well enough to be able to see true love for me in her eyes. I chose this life knowing there would be sacrifices; maybe that’s one of the sacrifices. Will I be absolutely sure that the one who says she loves me really does and not for my money or fame? But doesn’t everyone wonder ‘does this person really love me ?’ I just have to hope that I will be blessed to find the person who loves me for me and that I can grow old with and be with her… until the end,” David said as he shoved a piece of bread into his mouth.
Karen looked at Charlotte, who was looking at David. She snickered to herself as she picked up her glass of wine. “Well, David dear, I hope you find the person you are looking for. Just make sure you let us know when you do, because we want all the juicy details!”
Emma leaned over and touched David’s hand. “Honey, you don’t have to look, because I’m sitting right here. My end is coming a lot sooner than yours, but I can promise you that you will enjoy it while it lasts!”
“I have no doubt,” David laughed. “You really are too much for me, Emma.”
“You don’t know the half of it. But if you want to find out,” she winked, “you let me know.” David kissed Emma’s hand and in spite of all her cool come-on’s she blushed.
Charlotte marveled at the scene in front of her and was proud and happy she’d been able to give David this opportunity. Dinner marched on with stories of first dates, bad dates, blind dates, and dates that never should have been. The entire group was in stitches the whole night, and David took his fair share of teasing from the ladies. However, he gave as good as he got, and Charlotte could see that he enjoyed the ladies as much as they enjoyed him.
David’s words about love stirred in Charlotte’s head as she observed him talking and laughing with everyone. Her insides felt tight, and her breath raced a little. She couldn’t fight it; she was falling for him in a big way. The realization made her feel foolish and excited at the same time.
People began to trickle out of the dining room but not before offering Charlotte and David their condolences on having clean-up duty. They waited until they were alone before
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