Charisma #5
“I ain’t done. You’re here because you want to move to a new place to have a new market where nobody knows you and you can make it on your own without having to use their resources.
Either that or you were expecting to save up money from working to make your way to New York and see where that would lead. ”
“Maybe you know me after all.”
“You don’t have to say anything else. I don’t want you beholden to me.
I would never want our love story to start off with me having to leverage my power over you to win you.
I want you free to move about in order to see what’s right in front of your face.
Having sex with someone isn’t some immortal sin that you don’t come back from.
Your thinking has already separated you from that and them.
It’s the reason why you’re afraid. It’s because you know they wouldn’t accept that part of you that’s deconstructing.
So in a sense you gotta come out of the closet too, Charmy.
He ain’t the only one hiding shit, and it don’t have nothing to do with that procedure you had.
You are minimizing the talent that you have for what? ”
“My parents always wanted me to be more focused on what would make money. Having a career and this just being my hobby.” I knew they meant well which is why I never held any ill will toward them and their ideas.
It made me work harder to have a nest egg so I could take the time off and do exactly what I was now.
Nate sucked his teeth like their wanting me to not have my head in the clouds personally offended him. “Who else do you have?”
“My older brother and he’s married. They both go to church and went to college and did all the right things.”
“But I bet if I met your brother he’d be guilty of whoring, drinking, and a whole lot before they got married.”
I knew what he was trying to say and I understood the point he was trying to make. He wanted me to see that no one was perfect and I got that. But I was still worried they would see me differently.
“I hear you. It’s just hard to get over the fear I’ve been holding for so long you know?”
He nodded and was back to stroking my cheek.
“Come with me. We’re supposed to be relaxing and getting away from work.”
“Where are we going?”
His grin was back and I was grateful that my news wasn’t weighing on him so hard. “We about to have a little getaway.”
I looked around the grassy area that led to the woods. “What kind of getaway?” Cause I wasn’t opposed to having some fun out here but I didn’t want to end up with mosquito or ant bites in strange places being fast.
“It ain’t like you’re thinking, Freaky Fairy. You asking too many questions. I want you to trust me. Can you do that?” He wrapped his fingers through mine waiting my answer.
“Of course.”
That brought a smile to his face and mine and he tugged me toward the bank of trees. I felt lighter than I had in a minute and it felt good to share the worst thing about myself to someone else and not be judged.
There was a path that had been worn through the trees but instead of questioning where we were going I put my trust in Nate and followed where he led. The trees cleared not too long after we headed in this direction and now I understood why he was attracted to this part of the property.
“A lake? I didn’t realize there was a lake out here.”
“It’s the main reason I wanted to get my hands on this property. This type of water supply in Texas is invaluable. We’ve got water on the family land too. Our ancestors protected it with their lives and lost a few behind it too.” Nate’s voice turned reverent and I could see the pride in his voice.
“I hadn’t thought of the sacrifies it took for your family to keep the land. It’s a miracle that you all were able to keep it.”
I was focused on him watching how the light played over his handsome face.
Nate was an incredibly attractive man and watching the sun dance across his face only highlighted it.
“That’s why I’m so proud of it. The way that people have tried to discount what it took for us to hold onto it for this many generations.
It’s remarkable with us to have made it through reconstruction the way that we did. ”
He turned to me then and I leaned up and pecked him on the lips. Anything more seemed to be too much for the moment but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to make contact with him in more ways than I already was.
“You should be proud. Very few people could say the same.”
“True. So can I take you on a boat ride?” He nodded toward the water and I saw something that looked like a canoe or a rowboat sitting on the bank.
“You being romantic?”
He pulled me closer to him and I went happily. His head bent to rest on the top of mine before he kissed the side of my face. “Trying. I got a pretty lady I’m trying to impress.”
“Impress?”
“Yeah. I want to give her a preview of the rest of her life. Think it’s a good idea?”
I stood facing the water and couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.
“Yeah…I think she’d like it a lot.”