AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shrugged. “I wanted you to have these. Now you do.”
A short while later, I was in my kitchen thinking I should heat those brownies. I put them in the oven on low heat. I was actually a little hungry and should’ve thought to grab some takeout or swing by the grocery store. I lifted my phone to make a note in my calendar to remember to go to the store tomorrow after work. I lived and died by my calendar.
As I set my phone back down, I happened to glance up and look out toward the lake. Alice was walking down the dock with a basket held in her hand. I watched her reach the end and sit down. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but I was curious.
Impulsively, I lifted my phone and texted her.
Me:It looks like you’re having a picnic on the dock. I have dessert.
A moment later, my phone vibrated with her reply.
Alice:I am having a picnic. I have enough for two. If you bring dessert, I’ll share.
Maybe it was stupid, but I didn’t really care. I grabbed the warm brownies out of the oven, snagging a kitchen towel to wrap around them to help retain the heat. Moments later, I walked through the trees and down the hill to the dock, a sense of anticipation humming inside.
I didn’t want to contemplate the way Alice made me feel more alive than I’d felt in years. Even when I was firefighting in risky situations, everything felt muted. This was helpful in a crisis because I could keep my focus where it needed to be. Until Alice, I hadn’t realized a part of me missed feeling something, feeling anything. Yet the mere existence of her broke through that fog and numbness. In turn, it amplified my emotions. Because I was afraid, afraid to let anyone matter too much.
It’s just dinner,I told myself as I felt the soles of my feet with each step walking along the dock.
Alice was sitting cross-legged and smiled as she glanced over her shoulder, calling, “Hey there!”
“Hey, yourself,” I called in return.
My pulse sped, thundering hoofbeats inside my chest as I stopped beside her. She’d spread out a blanket and had a bottle of wine with a tray of cheeses and meats, crackers, and a small bowl with some kind of dip. The scent of fresh bread wafted to me.
“That smells good,” I commented as I lowered myself to the blanket and stretched out my legs.
“What’s that?” she asked as I set the brownies on the blanket beside me.
“Gram’s brownies with caramel. I thought I’d keep them wrapped in a towel because they’re warm. I put them in the oven a few minutes ago.”
“Oh yum,” she breathed. “I’ve had her caramel brownies before. They’re amazing.”
I chuckled. “I know.”
We smiled at each other for a moment. I didn’t know what to do with the feeling of—the only word I could put to it was intimacy—between us. We’d just met a mere week and a half ago. And maybe the first time I saw her, she was bare-ass naked, but that wasn’t it. There was a sense of comfort when I was around her. That in and of itself was unsettling for me.
She swung her hand in an arc over the blanket. “I have charcuterie, dip, and freshly baked bread.”
“You made all this?”
“Well, I didn’t make the cheese and the meats for the charcuterie, but I did make the pretty arrangement.” She moved her hand over the platter with a flourish, glancing up at me with a grin.
“Looks very good,” I offered
“I also made the bread. It’s just a loaf of basic white bread, my favorite. It’s nice and soft. I have an olive oil drizzle with basil and red pepper, and an artichoke cheese dip.”
“Nice,” I murmured.
“I needed something to eat. My parents and I used to come down to the dock and do stuff like this. I thought I would celebrate my first week at the vet clinic. I hope you like red wine. I have beer up at the house if you prefer.”
I shook my head. “We don’t need to walk back up. I have beer at my house too. I’ll take some wine.”
She glanced into the picnic basket, offering, “I even have cups. I didn’t know you were going to text me, but this little basket still had all the picnic stuff from when my parents were around.”
“I’m sorry they’re not here,” I offered.
She gave me a polite smile. “Thank you.”
