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Chapter Seventeen
Today was the earlyclose day. Normally, Austin would use today to catch up on admin work but this evening he had another agenda.
Leaning against his truck outside of Claudia’s boutique he waited. He hadn’t been this nervous since he took a girl out to the prom. Then like a breeze of fresh air Claudia came out. She looked around suspiciously and then walked over to him against the car.
“Why are you out here?”
“Waiting for you?”
“Be-cause?” she said rolling her hand to get him to speak quickly.
“Lately I’ve showered you with gifts and I’m thinking you need something else. I shouldn’t be surprised because you’re a special kind of woman. “
“what are you talking about?” Claudia asked him.
“I’m saying that I would like to take you for a walk. In public and just somewhere so we can talk and be with each other.”
“And I would do this because?”
“Because I believe that people should be friends before they are anything else. I’m asking you if you would take a walk with a friend.”
He could see her trying to determine if this was a trick. Then he saw her take a breath and accept the words he had said and then she nodded.
“Let me lock up and I’ll be right with you.”
When she turned to lock up the store Austin wanted to fist pump and yell she’s going out with me finally! When she came back he had the door opened for her to get into the car. They drove in silence. Claudia was unlike any other woman he had previously met and that was what made it so scary. He recognized how precious she was, and he wanted to make sure she knew how much he appreciated her as well.
So, he thought the safe thing was to go with her in a public place but as he sat down with her in his car he realized how foolish he was. It wasn’t where he was that mattered. She affected him so that he his thoughts always went to the future and how they would fare well with one another.
It was too late to turn back and when he had looked over to make sure she was okay he saw that she had closed her eyes and was relaxing. She looked like an angel. He focused on the road and his hands tightened around the wheel. How was it this woman was able to affect him, and she hadn’t even spoken. Austin had been in fashion around women who had tried to get his attention and it had all been for naught. Here he was sitting next to a woman who just had to be drew him like a bee to pollen.
It took a moment for her to realize the car had stopped.
“We’re here?” she said groggily.
“Yes, I figured we take a short walk through the park and then I’d take you home.”
“Just a walk?” she repeated. Austin smiled.
“Just a walk.”
She gave him a radiant smile and then nodded as she got out of the car. When they were both outside of the car and next to one another she looked at him oddly and then shook her head.
“What is it? Remember we are friends. We have no secrets.”
“I’m thinking Austin that once I start to sweat you will think twice on this walking thing or if I am too slow you may be the one who is left unhappy,” she said with a smile.
Austin shook his head.
