13. Addison
13
Addison
S o, this was a date. Not only was he taking her to the gorgeous Italian restaurant she drove by every time she went to and from work, but he’d actually used the word itself. Addison was so glad she’d dressed up. She ran a hand over her purse and prayed she’d know if and when she should give him the book inside.
She thanked Noel as he held the car door open for her and waited until she was settled into her seat before closing it. By the time she was buckled in, he’d circled the car and was climbing in behind the wheel. “Nice car.” It was a Nissan—she only knew that because she’d seen the hood ornament—and a sports car with only two seats. It smelled good inside, like leather and men’s cologne, and she had to temper her desire to breathe in deeply of it.
“Thank you,” Noel replied, then started up the engine. It wasn’t as loud as she’d expected, which was a relief. They were a good fifteen minutes from the restaurant, and she didn’t want to have to shout to have a conversation in the car. Or not to be able to talk at all.
“So those were your friends.”
Addison looked over at Noel, glad when she saw him smiling, even though his eyes remained on the road. “They are. Juno was one of the first people I met in town, and although I’m super mad at her and plan to never speak to her again, I couldn’t imagine my life in Autumn Lake without her in it.”
“Could make things awkward if you never speak to her again.”
Addison sighed dramatically. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe I’ll forgive her tonight when I text her to let her know that you got me home safely.”
“Good plan.” Noel nodded. “You know, I think I like your friends. I’m a little jealous, I have to admit.”
Addison looked over at him, surprised by the admission. “You’re jealous? Of my friends?”
Noel shrugged. “I’m kind of a loner by nature,” he said. “Making friends doesn’t come easy to me.”
She frowned. “I find that hard to believe. You’re so… nice.” She cringed and turned away. Wasn’t ‘nice’ one of the most friend-zone words ever used in the history of romance? How could she fix her faux pas without making things worse? “I don’t mean you’re nice. I mean—” Realizing what she’d just said, she broke off.
“I’m not nice?”
Addison heard the teasing in his voice. She had to save face. “Of course, you’re nice, Noel. But not to me.” What? What on earth was she saying? Why did things sound one way in her head, only to come out completely wrong when she opened her mouth? “I mean, you’re very nice to me. You’re more than just nice. I—I didn’t mean to call you nice.”
“Well, then,” he said, drawing out the words a little. “What did you mean to call me?”
Addison sighed. Why did she always back herself into these corners? “I’m sorry. Sometimes I say things before I really think them through, and there’s no delete or undo button.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Noel agreed whole-heartedly.
Addison knew he referred to there being no delete button, but it sounded almost like he was agreeing that she spoke without thinking. She let out a rather unladylike snort, then slapped a hand over her mouth and nose, surprised and embarrassed at the sound.
Noel laughed out loud. He reached over and gently pulled her hand from her mouth. “Nope. There’s no delete button, remember? Besides, I kinda like that you’re comfortable enough to snort-laugh with me.”
He didn’t let go of her hand.
Addison didn’t try to pull away.
Noel continued. “I’m really glad you agreed to go out with me tonight.”
Somehow, even though he’d all but laughed at her, he’d done so in a way that put her at ease, that made her feel appreciated. “I’m really glad you asked me to go out with you tonight.” To her great relief, every word that came out of her mouth sounded exactly the way she meant it.
Although the parking lot was full, within minutes, they were seated at a table set with a cream linen cloth and hand-painted dinnerware. Music played softly in the background; Addison was pretty sure it was Dean Martin, but she was too embarrassed to ask, just in case she was wrong. Shouldn’t she know Dean Martin’s voice? Shouldn’t everyone in the world? Aromas of garlic and basil, butter, cheese, and red wine tickled the senses, and she couldn’t resist sniffing the air.
“Smells amazing, doesn’t it?” Noel asked from across the table. It was a booth for two, maybe four if people were comfortable with snuggling while eating. With the high backs on the seats, it felt quite intimate, and Addison suddenly wondered what on earth they’d talk about for however long it took to share a meal. Why, oh why hadn’t she researched topics of conversations for first dates before now?
Just when Addison was starting to panic, a pretty young woman approached their table. She wore black pants, a white shirt, and a black apron emblazoned with Bella Tavola across one of the pockets. “Buonasera! My name is Michelle, and I’ll be your server tonight.” She set a basket of ciabatta rolls on the table between them, along with bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and extra plates. "Bubbly or flat?" she asked, holding up a bottle of sparkling water in one hand and a decanter of iced water in the other. She deftly filled their water glasses, then after a brief discussion of the menu and the evening’s specials, she took their drink and appetizer order and left them to figure out what entrees they wanted.
“Do you know Italian?” Noel asked, peering over the top of his menu. The dishes were listed in Italian, but the descriptions were in English.
“Enough to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ and a few other niceties, but that’s all,” Addison admitted. “I’m embarrassed to say that’s all I know about most languages. I only really speak English.” She’d been all over the world, but had never been in one place long enough to take on anything more than a tourist’s trappings of those places. As an adult, she felt almost guilty for having had such vast exposure, and yet to have been so unaffected by them. She loved the fabrics and trinkets and memorabilia that decorated her home—she remembered vividly the street markets and bazaars where she’d found her treasures—but she would be the first to admit that they represented her presence in their world, not the other way around.
“I’m the same way. I’ve met a lot of people working for Carpe Diem who are fluent in multiple languages, and it’s pretty humbling. So, tell me. If you could learn one other language, which would it be?”
Addison pondered that for a moment, then said, “I know I should choose something more common, but I’d kinda like to learn Icelandic. Very few people in the world speak it, so it wouldn’t come in very handy, but it sounds so epic to me. Or wait. Maybe Norwegian. Such a magical language.” She swept a hand out in front of her. “It makes me think of snow queens and ice castles.”
“Wow,” Noel said, clearly surprised by her choice. “I would not have guessed either of those.”
“Are you making assumptions about me, Mr. Stewart?” she teased.
“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m just admitting that those aren’t the first languages that come to my mind, that’s all.” He lifted his water glass toward her in a quick salute. “I love that you surprise me, Miss Wedgewood.”
“Oh.” She was saved from having to come up with a response by the appearance of Michelle, tray in hand, bringing their bruschetta and crab-stuffed mushrooms and the house’s aranciata, a refreshing drink they made from fresh-squeezed blood oranges and carbonated water. They still hadn’t decided on their main courses, but Michelle encouraged them to take their time.
“Each course of an Italian meal is meant to be savored. If you’re focusing on figuring out what you want next, you’ll miss out on what is in front of you.”
When she’d gone, Noel rather philosophically said, “That’s not a bad rule to live by.”
Addison nodded slowly. “I was just thinking the same thing.” Under the table, she accidentally nudged his foot with hers, reminding her of her embarrassing response when they’d bumped knees the first time they’d sat across the table from each other at Shoot the Moon. “Oh—sorry,” she said, then took a sip of the tangy, sparkling drink.
“Are you playing footsy with me already?” Noel teased. They’d opted to share the appetizers, and he pushed the platter of mushrooms toward her. “Not that I’m complaining,” he added. “Here. You start.”
The food, all four courses of it, was as delicious as they’d hoped. The conversation, to Addison’s surprise, was just as wonderful. Not because they talked about anything exotic or unusual—they covered many of the basics of getting to know each other—but because they seemed to find that sweet, comfortable spot that kindred spirits shared where words flowed freely around the few and far between moments of comfortable silence.
Granted, she let Noel do most of the talking. Addison was a listener by nature, and she wanted to know all about him. She already knew all there was to know about herself, after all. In some ways, the exciting years of Addison’s life were in the past, and when she considered what she could contribute to the conversation that might make her sound more interesting, she came up blank. She was no longer that traveling vagabond child. She no longer went anywhere or did anything special, other than the few trips she’d gone on with her parents over the years since settling into Autumn Lake. Even her last excursion to Iceland; the most exciting thing about that had been sharing coffee and donuts with a handsome Viking while watching the Northern lights in the middle of the cold, winter night.
Okay. Even she had to admit when said like that, it did sound pretty exciting. But she didn’t think the scenario was quite the thing to bring up on a first date with another man.
To her relief, Noel didn’t seem to mind that she wasn’t exactly verbose. He wasn’t the kind of guy to brag about his accomplishments or to even talk too much; he just took it upon himself to keep the conversation going, and Addison appreciated that so much. Had she been responsible for such, the evening might have gone differently.
Noel’s years of working for the auditing teams for corporate allowed him to travel all over the United States, and he regaled her with stories about the places he’d been, from Florida to California, New York, to New Orleans. “Indiana is one of the few states I hadn’t been to. We have a hotel in Indianapolis, but they have their own internal auditing team.”
“Is that what you are now? Part of an internal auditing team?”
His expression fell flat for just a moment, and a tiny spark of unease settled in her stomach. “Yes,” he said. “Our team is small. Only me and one other person, plus our support staff.”
“I see.” She hesitated, then asked, “It sounds like a lot of work. Do you like it?”
“I like what I do, yes,” he answered after a heartbeat, but his response felt evasive, although she couldn’t put a finger on why she thought so.
“What about Autumn Lake?” she asked, wondering if she was pushing it too far. “Do you like living in our sleepy little town? It gets more exciting when the summer rolls around.”
Once again, he paused before answering. “I live in a furnished apartment on the fifth floor of the resort. Inside the resort are two restaurants. One is casual and more family oriented. They serve amazing breakfasts. One of these mornings, I’ll take you there. The other one, Lux Solaris, is fine dining. The chef is a magician. Both offer room service. There are clothing boutiques on the main level, a salon and a barber shop, a pastry and candy shop, and more. Even a pharmacy. Pretty much everything a person could need or want is ready at hand at Carpe Diem.”
Addison wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but she nodded encouragingly.
“To tell you the truth, I know very little about Autumn Lake. I feel a little like a prince in a tower over there.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t expected that. She could suddenly picture Noel, five stories up, standing on a balcony looking down upon the quaint villagers across the water. It was not a pleasant visual. It brought to mind the division between the locals—the Townies—and the WOOTS, as they called the wealthy out of towners. The general consensus among the Townies was that the WOOTS believed themselves to be far superior because of their financial status and looked down on the locals as beneath them. Her friend, Alex, who worked for a local construction company, had once told her, “It’s like they think of us as peasants to their nobility.”
Addison hated the notion that Noel might be of that persuasion. And if he were, then what was he doing out with her?
“I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been so busy just trying to sort out my job—among other things—that I haven’t made the effort to discover my new home town.” He sounded sincere, which made the unpleasant picture of him in her mind fade a little.
As gently as she could, she told him, “Well, you’ve been missing out. This is a special place full of special people.”
Noel looked her in the eyes and said, “I’m finding that out, and I intend to rectify it.”
Over decadent squares of tiramisu and tiny cordial glasses of chilled amaretto, Noel asked, “Do you have any pets? And please tell me you’re not a snake person.”
Addison shook her head. “I wish on both counts. I think having a snake would be cool, but I’m not cool. At least not cool enough to ever be a snake person, so don’t worry.”
Noel dramatically swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. “Might have been a deal breaker, there,” he said with a chuckle.
Addison smiled at his teasing, relishing in how much fun she was having. “I’d love a dog,” she continued. “But with my work hours, I don’t think it would be fair to the poor thing, stuck inside my little apartment all day. I’d spend the whole day at work worrying about the little dude.”
Noel nodded understandingly. “Dogs do love their outside play, I hear.”
“But a cat?” Addison went on, the secret thrill of the notion making her pulse kick up a notch. “Now that’s something I can strive for. I think I’d make a pretty good cat lady, don’t you? And cats are pretty independent; you don’t have to walk them, right?”
“Not that I know of. I’ve only had dogs before, so I’m probably not the person to ask.”
“Lucky,” she murmured, imagining a young Noel romping around in a big back yard with a floppy-eared pup. “I’ve never had a pet in my life. Not even a pet rock.”
“Never? Not even a fish?”
“Not even a fish. I haven’t even owned a plant, and I love plants to the moon and back. I’ve got this little bay window with a wide sill in my apartment, and every time I look at it, I think to myself, ‘That’s where I’ll put all my plants one day.’ But I still don’t have any because I’m just too afraid I won’t be able to keep another living thing alive. Crazy, right?” she said with a dismissive shrug.
“I wouldn’t call you crazy,” Noel assuaged her, but then he winked at her. “But I’d venture to suggest that you haven’t really lived until you’ve had a pet.”
“Exactly.” She pointed her fork at him, then took a sip of her water to wash down the last bite of tiramisu. “I agree whole-heartedly. But I still think I need to start with a plant or two. Then maybe a hamster.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought. “Never mind. I don’t think I’m a rodent person, either. A cat, I think. A very independent one.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me.”
By the time they left Bella Tavola, Autumn Lake was pretty much shut down for the night. The coffee shop was dark except for the warm glow of the light Juno always left burning in the window, and they were far too late to stop in and see Claire. Her friend was probably disappointed that she’d not met Noel, especially since the rest of the Garden Variety Lovers Club had done so at Juno’s, but Addison would make it up to her on the weekend. Noel had asked her to spend Saturday afternoon with him, giving him a tour of her home town, and she planned to take him to The Cracked Spine as the first stop on their date.
Partly because it was so late, but mostly because he’d swept away almost all of her insecurities about letting a stranger know where she lived, Addison let Noel not only drive her home, but also escort her up the metal stairs to her little deck to make sure she made it inside her apartment safely.
“Would you like to come in?” she asked after unlocking her door. Did that sound too forward? They’d already had after-dinner coffee with their dessert at the restaurant. They’d spent the ride back to Autumn Lake in companionable silence, almost as if they were just as satiated by the evening’s wonderful conversation as they were with the amazing meal. As much as she liked him, and she really did like him, she wasn’t offering him more than the chance to say their goodbyes inside, out of the brisk breeze that was blowing in across the lake.
Addison still hadn’t given him the book. She’d been waiting for just the right moment, and for whatever reason, they’d talked about everything, it seemed, except books.
Noel took her hand. His fingers were a little chilled, but it was late and the night had grown quite cold. “I’d love to, but I’m going to say goodnight here.” Then, like something straight out of a Jane Austen book, he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. Before letting go, he said, “I’m really looking forward to spending Saturday with you.”
For a moment, Addison stood there speechless at the gallant gesture. She opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again. At that moment, she had the vivid inclination to drag the man inside her lair and demand that he kiss her—her hand, her mouth, her neck—again and again. Was he a master seducer, or was he truly that much of gentleman?
“Thank you for the wonderful evening, Addison,” Noel said, his smile making her knees go wobbly. “It’s in my top three since moving to Autumn Lake.”
“Top three, huh?” she asked. “You’ll have to tell me about your first and second favorites sometime.” It was certainly top of the list for her. She couldn’t recall another first date like it. In fact, as far as she was concerned, all other first dates she’d had might as well have never existed.
Noel cocked his head at her and shoved his hands in his coat pockets. “Who said this one wasn’t in first place? I just said it was in the top three.”
A bubble of joy swelled inside her chest and she pressed a palm to her sternum. “You are too much, Noel Stewart. I really had a good time tonight. Thank you.”
Noel just nodded, then made for the stairs. He glanced back once, then started down.
Addison watched from her doorway as he disappeared out of sight. She heard his feet on the gravel parking area below.
Suddenly, she surged forward and leaned out over the rail. “Noel?”
He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, one foot on the lowest step, looking almost like he’d been about to come back up. “Yes?”
“I—I—um, do you like to read? We didn’t talk about books.”
Noel took one step up. “I do.” He took another step. “Funny you should ask. I just finished the first book I’ve read in way too long. I hadn’t realized how much I missed reading.”
Addison still had her purse hitched over her shoulder. She moved to the top of the stairs. “What kind of books do you like?” Were they really having this conversation right now?
Noel shrugged one shoulder. “I read lots of business and mindset nonfiction, but that’s for work.”
“Do you like it?” Addison took one step down the stairs and stopped, her hand trembling a little on the cold steel rail. “Those genres, I mean.”
Noel climbed two more steps. “I like to learn, so yeah. I guess I like it. But it’s not my favorite.”
“What’s your favorite?” Another step down. Now there were only three steps between them and they were nearly eye-to-eye.
“I read fiction to step outside my own life,” he began after a moment’s consideration. He slid his hand up the rail to cover hers. “I like stories about other times, other places, other worlds. What about you?”
Addison wanted to turn her hand over and lace her fingers with his, but she wasn’t quite that bold. “I—I’ll show you on Saturday,” she told him, hoping he wouldn’t ask what that meant. She wanted the tour of her town, every stop, to be a discovery for him. Now that she knew he liked books, she couldn’t wait to take him to Claire’s bookshop.
Noel nodded, his eyes locked with hers. “I can hardly wait. The books a person reads says a lot about them, don’t you think?”
“I do. Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I hope you don’t think this is too forward,” she started, then frowned. Now that she’d put it into words, he’d immediately start thinking just that. She shifted her gaze to the rail where his hand still covered hers.
“What?” Noel asked when she didn’t continue. “What is it, Addison?”
She bit her bottom lip, then decided to just be brave. Really, what was so scary about giving the guy a book? It wasn’t an expensive gift—nothing like the cost of the meal that he’d just paid for. It wasn’t a book on how to woo a woman or become a better man. It was just a book. One that would quite likely be a doorway through which he could step outside of his own life. “I have something for you.”
“You do?” He looked positively delighted. That bolstered her significantly.
Addison pulled her hand free of his—reluctantly—and opened her bag to pull out the book. “This is for you,” she said a little breathlessly, still nervous about the appropriateness of the gift. “I haven’t read this one, but I’ve read other books by this author, and I’ve never been disappointed.”
Noel took it from her, turned it over in his hands, and read the back cover quickly before holding the book against his chest. “Thank you. I didn’t think this evening could get any better. I was wrong.”
“Oh,” she said, the sound coming out a little gushy. “I should have given it to you sooner. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Noel said, moving up one more step, then another, until he stood on the step below her. With her heels on, she still had a couple of inches on him, but who was measuring? He reached up and smoothed a hand down the length of her hair, toying with the ends, his fingers brushing her shoulder and making her shiver with pleasure. He murmured, “If you had given it to me earlier, we might not be standing here right now.”
Addison’s heart raced at his nearness, beating inside her chest as if it wanted out, wanted to throw itself at the man inches from her. “If you’ve already read it,” she stammered, “I can exchange it for something else.”
“I wouldn’t care if I’d read it a hundred times, Addison.” The way he said her name felt like a caress. “I wouldn’t trade this book in for anything, because it’s from you.”
“Oh.” Why did she keep saying that? It made her sound dumb as a rock.
“I like it when you say that,” Noel whispered. Had he read her mind? “There’s a world of meaning behind that tiny little word, isn’t there?” Then he pressed his mouth to hers in a tender first kiss.
Addison didn’t even hesitate. She kissed him back.
Noel pulled away and moved one step down, putting a little space between them. “I’m going to say goodnight now, Addison.” And with that, he turned around and made his way back down the steps to the parking spaces below. He paused right before climbing into his front seat and held up the book. “Thank you for this. And I haven’t read it yet.”
A few moments later, his tail lights disappeared as he turned out of the alley onto the street and headed off into the night. Addison stood on the steps, her fingertips pressed to her lips, trying to hold onto the sensation of that oh, so sweet kiss.