EIGHTEEN
Nate
M y burger sizzles on the flat cooktop behind the counter at Nelson’s . I don’t have any work in the city today, but I couldn’t stay holed up in the house all day, so I walked here for lunch.
Last night’s NFL game plays on the TV above my head and just a few other customers mingle at the tables, but I’m the only one at the bar while Rob flips my burger.
He speaks over his shoulder. “So, word is you’ve been seeing that pretty girl quite a bit since we last talked?”
I unfold my paper-wrapped silverware and nod. “Rose. Yeah, we’ve been out a dozen or so times now.”
It’s been three weeks since our trip to the zoo, and Rose and I have seen each other almost every other day since then. I took her out to dinner a few times, she bought us lunch near the river and she introduced me to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I’d never been, and it was fascinating to witness her knowledge of the pieces displayed there.
We’ve had two more evenings alone at my place, and they both played out much like the first. I haven’t pushed to go further with her, and honestly, it’s been good for me too. I haven’t been with a woman since Amber, and this step feels like it’ll be a big one. Part of me still feels tied to the vow I made on our wedding day, but I’m trying to train my brain to realize I can move on now. Amber wanted me to.
Rob turns and raises a spirited brow. “That sounds kinda serious. You met her only a month ago?”
“It’s been almost two, but yeah, we’re having a good time.” I can’t hide my smile.
Rob slaps a piece of American cheese on the patty and squeezes ketchup and mustard onto the waiting bun. “A good time , huh?” he laughs.
I chuckle and take a swig of my Coke. “We’re taking it slow, Rob. Don’t let your imagination get the best of you.”
He shoves my finished burger across the counter and rests his elbow on the polished wood surface, studying me. “It’s so good to see you getting back out there. We’ve all been hoping for this…for you. Someone sweet.”
I nod. “She is. And things are going well, but we still have a lot to talk about…and sort through.”
“Of course.” Rob pulls a towel from his back pocket and scrubs at a spot on the counter. “What does she think about your…history?”
I take a quick bite of my meal and sit back. “She’s taken it really well, actually. But you know…things could change.”
“You think they would?” He peers up at me.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I can imagine she might feel like,” I wince, “a second choice. And that’s the last thing I want. Because that’ll never be the case.”
Rob smiles. “She’s gonna need that reminder, if things get that far.”
I take another bite and chew for a moment. I can do that. If Rose and I go the distance, I can show her I have my whole heart to give. But I shake my head and laugh again. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
“Sure.” Rob grabs a new order slip from his waitress and gets back to work at the stove. “What does Kara think of her?”
“Kara loves her,” I reply, taking another bite.
“That’s a good sign.” He puts another burger on.
“Absolutely.”
“That’s great that they get along.” Rob turns from the stove and eyes me closely. “But do you think Rose could be a mother to her?”
My heart tightens. I don’t know if Kara will ever want to refer to anyone else as “mom,” and I won’t force her to. That’s her choice. But I do know that she’ll need a mother figure in her life, eventually.
I think back to the night in the hospital when Rose sat with her for hours. She was a friend to her then, but motherhood is an entirely different journey. I know Rose wants children someday, but is she ready to jump into that role with a child who isn’t her flesh and blood?
“It’s a conversation we haven’t had, yet,” I reply. “Do I think she could? Yes. But I need to make sure that’s what she wants. Again, we’re taking it slow, so I’m not about to hit her with that question two months in,” I laugh.
“Fair enough.” Rob smirks, then he turns back to the stove. “Hey, my Ranger’s running a little rough since Saturday.” He juts his thumb toward the door. “Think you could take a quick peek under the hood before you head back home?”
“Sure thing,” I reply, swallowing my last bite and washing it down with the rest of my Coke.
I pull out my wallet but he stops me with his hand up. “It’s on the house.”
I shake my head and repocket it. “You keep giving me free meals and I’m going to eat you out of business.”
“Yeah, but if you can diagnose my truck for free, you’ve just saved me a couple hundred. I’d say it’s a smart trade.”
“Fair enough,” I echo his earlier words, then I stand and follow him out the door.
***
A week later, I’m sprawled out on Rose’s sofa, thumbing through a magazine filled with a bunch of models wearing all forms of nonsensical clothing.
“I’ll never understand high fashion,” I call toward her in the kitchen. “I mean, this woman looks like she’s wearing a shower loofa on her head.”
“It’s all about pushing the envelope,” she replies. “The designers know no one is actually going to wear those exact outfits, but small elements get picked up in trends for the year.”
I shake my head. “I sure hope I don’t see loofa hats on shelves this fall.”
Rose laughs from out of sight, and I hear a metal spatula go clanking to the ground. “Oops!” she yelps. “Give me like five more minutes. It’s almost ready.”
She’s making me dinner tonight, and I’ve been instructed to ‘not help one bit.’ So here I sit, reading fashion magazines and fighting to keep my mouth shut every time she sounds like she’s in trouble on the other side of the wall.
I told her I’d help her learn to cook, but she wants to try for herself first. I have no idea what she’s making, but it smells Italian, and I plan to love it no matter how it tastes.
I’ve been in her apartment only a few times before tonight, and just briefly, so I’m finally enjoying the opportunity to really admire it.
Clean lines and smooth surfaces. There’s not an ounce of natural material in this place, apart from the floor, which is a wide-planked white oak; bright and modern. It’s not often you see hardwood floors in newly built high-rise residences anymore. Too tricky to save if there’s a leak. Too much of a liability. But these are expensive units, so the landlord probably thinks a floor replacement is just a drop in the bucket.
Earlier, I took a quick peek out the window at the balcony that overlooks the city, but my stomach twists when I consider getting any closer to the edge. If I lived in a place like this, I don’t think I’d ever go outside.
While Rose cooks, I’ve also been getting to know her cat, Daisy. I swear she’s the same cat on those Fancy Feast commercials; fluffy, white, and perfectly groomed. She’s currently curled up next to me, having accepted my pets for just seven seconds before nipping my hand in a warning to stop. I’m not offended though. I may have grumbled the first time I learned that Rose had a cat—I’m strictly a dog person—but Daisy’s warm little figure pressed against my leg is pretty comforting.
Eventually, Rose comes around the corner looking amusingly disheveled. Her apron is splattered with what I can only assume is some kind of tomato sauce and her hair is pulled up into a messy bun that looks three minutes from coming undone.
With her hands on her hips, she blows a few strands of hair from her face. “Ok, it’s ready.”
“Great,” I chuckle, giving Daisy one more scratch as I push myself off the sofa and follow Rose to the polished white dining table. “So, what are we having?”
“Spinach and ricotta ravioli with tomato vodka cream sauce.” She peels off her apron and sinks to her chair. “And roasted garlic French bread.”
I take in the spread as I sit down. It smells delicious. “Did you buy the ravioli from that little shop on the corner? I’ve been thinking of picking some up.”
Rose’s eyes turn to mine. “No, I made them.”
I pause with my fork in my hand. “You made the ravioli? Like, the pasta part?”
She nods. “Yeah, wasn’t I supposed to?”
“ I’ve never made ravioli, or any kind of pasta for that matter.” I laugh. “Most people just pick it up at the store and maybe make the sauce. Homemade ravioli is not a beginner’s recipe.”
She wipes her hand across her forehead and stares at her meal. “Oh, well, I just figured buying it from the store would be cheating.”
I smirk at her. “You could have made me boxed mac and cheese and I would have loved it. But this looks really, really delicious.”
“We’ll see,” she sighs, pouring us each a glass of wine.
I cut into my first bite and then pop it into my mouth. Rose is staring at me, waiting for my reaction, so I chew slowly, trying not to let my expression give me away. But, it’s good . Really good. The ricotta filling is creamy and flavorful, and the spices she used for the sauce are the perfect compliment. The pasta is a tad chewy, but I know it’s probably hard to roll it out thinly enough to cook evenly. That’s one of the reasons I haven’t attempted making it yet.
I raise a brow at her. “I think you lied when you said you can’t cook.”
Her face lights up. “Really? It’s good?”
“Really,” I reply, taking another bite. “I’m going to need this recipe.”
She takes a bite for herself, chews for a moment, and then frowns. “It’s a little chewy, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s perfect.” I take a sip of wine. “But if you wanted, you could roll out the pasta a little thinner next time and that would probably help.”
She nods and continues to eat. “The flavor is good though.”
“I love it.” I tear off a piece of garlic bread.
We eat in silence for a moment before she speaks again. “My mom tried to set me up this weekend. I had to give her an excuse. Told her I’m going to a conference in Sioux Falls.”
I lean back with my glass. “Does she do that often?”
“All the time,” Rose sighs. “I’m going to have to tell her about us soon… I’m sorry I’ve been putting it off.”
“It’s ok.” I shrug. “I understand.”
She shakes her head. “Our first date was over a month ago. And…” She runs her finger around the base of her glass. “We haven’t talked about this yet, but…I’m not seeing anyone else…so are we…?” She pauses and peers up at me with the cutest blush spreading across her cheeks.
The corner of my mouth turns up, and I wait a few seconds for dramatic effect before I speak. “Would you like to be my girlfriend, Rose?”
“Yes.” She grins and clasps her hands in her lap in the most innocent way. I absolutely adore her.
“Sorry, I haven’t put a label on us yet,” I shake my head, “but I’m not seeing anyone else either. I deleted Blindly.”
“Me too,” she replies quickly. “And, yeah, I figured it went without saying that we’re you know, officially together . But I wanted to make sure.”
I simply smile at her for a long moment. She’s such the perfect mix of everything that makes her unique. She’s getting ready to help lead a billion dollar company, and she’s good at it. She’s confident and poised and assertive when she speaks with her clients, yet, sitting here in front of me, she’s afraid to ask if we’re exclusive, even though she knows full well that we are. I’m enamored by both sides of her. Falling for every bit in equal measure.
Falling.
Yep.
I bite back the admission and take a deep breath as I lean forward, pushing my empty bowl away. “Kara is going to a water park in Elk River with Maddy’s family this weekend.”
“Oh, I bet she’ll love that.” Rose grins, standing to collect our dishes.
“Yeah, so I’m kid-free for the weekend.” I watch her load our bowls into the dishwasher.
She shuts it slowly and turns to me with an upward tug of her lip. “That’s…”
“Would you like to visit my cabin up on the lake?” I say it before I can second guess myself because I’m ready to spend a weekend alone with her. Tonight has solidified that for me, and I’m dying to know if she’s ready too.
She dries her hands on a towel and then eyes me for a moment with that sweet smile still growing. But it’s only a short pause before she crosses the room and leans down to kiss me, sweet and firm. Against my lips, she says, “I would love to.”
When she pulls back, I rest my hands on her waist. “I can pick you up Friday night.”
She grins and slides onto my lap, straddling my legs as she wraps her arms around my neck. “The whole weekend together?”
“Mhmm.” I smirk.
She bites her lip and watches me with twinkling eyes. “What will we do with all that time?”
I slide my hands to her back, playing with the hem of her shirt, grazing her skin just barely. “I’ve got a canoe we can take out on the lake, board games if it rains…” I raise a brow. “We can have a campfire. I’ll chop us some firewood.” I already have a huge stack of it behind the cabin, but she doesn’t need to know that.
She lifts her own brow in return. “Oh, you’ll definitely receive extra credit for that.”