she said as I pulled my jacket on. It was absolutely pouring outside, but I didn’t argue.
The overhang above the door just barely covered the front stoop, and both of us got soaked trying to get out of the way so the screen door could close behind us. After it did, we huddled back beneath the overhang in an effort to avoid the rain that was being blown around in violent spurts. Emily looked up at me with water dripping from her hair.
“Sorry about that,” she said, nodding her head back toward the apartment.
I smiled a little and asked, “Does she ever talk?”
Emily laughed. “Yeah. She’s just a little bit, ummm . . . socially challenged, you know?”
I laughed, too, and then Emily looked at me earnestly and said, “Thank you for taking me out for my birthday.” Her eyes were shining in the glow of the porch light. “I really had a nice time.”
“Good,” I said, still smiling. “I’m glad.”
We looked at each other for a moment and then she said, “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come over for dinner Friday night?”
“Yeah,” I said without hesitation. “I’d love to.”
“I’m not promising anything too wonderful,” she said. “But I’ll try my best.”
“I’m sure it’ll be great,” I said.
“And I happen to know that she won’t be here . . .” Emily nodded her head toward the apartment again to indicate Denise, and I gave her another smile.
A particularly strong breeze sprayed both of us with cold rain.
“I’d probably better go,” I said.
Our faces were close to each other again and after only a slight hesitation, I moved even closer. She closed her eyes. As I bent my head to press my lips against hers, I could feel her hands against the small of my back, pulling me closer. Even though freezing cold rain was spraying us, all I could think about was how incredibly warm and soft her mouth was against mine.
Another gust of wind sent a cascade of water across our faces and we broke apart, laughing.
“Good night,” I said, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her. After all of my weight-lifting the day before this actually hurt quite a lot, but I hardly noticed.
“Good night,” she replied, hugging me back.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” She smiled happily.
I headed out into the rain to the car, and when I looked back, Emily was still standing on the stoop with a smile on her face. She stayed there until I drove away.
By Friday evening I had lifted weights two more times and also gone running twice. I was barely sore anymore but smelling sporty once again when Emily opened the door to her apartment to let me in.
Denise was passing through the living room as I stepped inside. Her hair didn’t look any different than it had the first two times I’d seen her so I came to the conclusion that this was her usual style. As Emily took my jacket from me I gave her a look of dismay, but she returned it with a knowing smile, indicating that I didn’t need to be worried.
“Hey, Denise,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Going to Winston,” she replied.
“Ahhh,” I replied. Those were the only three words I got out of her before she disappeared into her bedroom and I couldn’t help but grin at Emily.
“You can sit down,” she offered, and I took a seat on one of the stools at the counter.
“It smells good,” I said. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe just cross your fingers that it tastes as good as it smells.”
“What are you making?”
“Calzones.”
“Hmmm. Impressive.”
“Well, we’ll see,” she said. “I’ve never made them before.”
She washed and cut vegetables for salad while we talked about our week. I didn’t tell her that I’d been exercising for the first time in over a year, but I did tell her that I had applied for some jobs.
“Where’d you apply?”
I named off about five places, all of which were looking to fill positions that did not require a college
The overhang above the door just barely covered the front stoop, and both of us got soaked trying to get out of the way so the screen door could close behind us. After it did, we huddled back beneath the overhang in an effort to avoid the rain that was being blown around in violent spurts. Emily looked up at me with water dripping from her hair.
“Sorry about that,” she said, nodding her head back toward the apartment.
I smiled a little and asked, “Does she ever talk?”
Emily laughed. “Yeah. She’s just a little bit, ummm . . . socially challenged, you know?”
I laughed, too, and then Emily looked at me earnestly and said, “Thank you for taking me out for my birthday.” Her eyes were shining in the glow of the porch light. “I really had a nice time.”
“Good,” I said, still smiling. “I’m glad.”
We looked at each other for a moment and then she said, “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come over for dinner Friday night?”
“Yeah,” I said without hesitation. “I’d love to.”
“I’m not promising anything too wonderful,” she said. “But I’ll try my best.”
“I’m sure it’ll be great,” I said.
“And I happen to know that she won’t be here . . .” Emily nodded her head toward the apartment again to indicate Denise, and I gave her another smile.
A particularly strong breeze sprayed both of us with cold rain.
“I’d probably better go,” I said.
Our faces were close to each other again and after only a slight hesitation, I moved even closer. She closed her eyes. As I bent my head to press my lips against hers, I could feel her hands against the small of my back, pulling me closer. Even though freezing cold rain was spraying us, all I could think about was how incredibly warm and soft her mouth was against mine.
Another gust of wind sent a cascade of water across our faces and we broke apart, laughing.
“Good night,” I said, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her. After all of my weight-lifting the day before this actually hurt quite a lot, but I hardly noticed.
“Good night,” she replied, hugging me back.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” She smiled happily.
I headed out into the rain to the car, and when I looked back, Emily was still standing on the stoop with a smile on her face. She stayed there until I drove away.
By Friday evening I had lifted weights two more times and also gone running twice. I was barely sore anymore but smelling sporty once again when Emily opened the door to her apartment to let me in.
Denise was passing through the living room as I stepped inside. Her hair didn’t look any different than it had the first two times I’d seen her so I came to the conclusion that this was her usual style. As Emily took my jacket from me I gave her a look of dismay, but she returned it with a knowing smile, indicating that I didn’t need to be worried.
“Hey, Denise,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Going to Winston,” she replied.
“Ahhh,” I replied. Those were the only three words I got out of her before she disappeared into her bedroom and I couldn’t help but grin at Emily.
“You can sit down,” she offered, and I took a seat on one of the stools at the counter.
“It smells good,” I said. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe just cross your fingers that it tastes as good as it smells.”
“What are you making?”
“Calzones.”
“Hmmm. Impressive.”
“Well, we’ll see,” she said. “I’ve never made them before.”
She washed and cut vegetables for salad while we talked about our week. I didn’t tell her that I’d been exercising for the first time in over a year, but I did tell her that I had applied for some jobs.
“Where’d you apply?”
I named off about five places, all of which were looking to fill positions that did not require a college
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