AllFreeNovel
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I feel a twinge of guilt as Sidney showers me with praise. “I’m not a paragon of perfection, you know, Sidney? I’ve made my share of mistakes in the past.”
She stretches up on her toes and kisses my cheek. “You’re perfect for me.”
We complete the chores and spend some time rearranging the kitchen cabinets for her to have easier access. Having lived alone for so long, I have never given any thought to the height at which things are in the house. But when I found her standing on chairs to reach things, I immediately brought in the step ladder as a temporary fix.
I leave her to wash her hair upstairs and go to the garage. There are a bunch of boxes with stuff that I have never gotten around to sorting since I moved there. Over time, I have been getting around to some tasks. I pull out a box of pictures I’ve been meaning to go through and hang around the house, but I never got the motivation or the time. Having Sidney here makes this house feel like a home for the first time, and I want it to look like one too. I know I’m not doing this now, but I want it done soon rather than later, so I place the box by the kitchen door as a reminder. I know myself well enough to know when I have tripped over it often enough, they’ll get hung.
I head upstairs to find Sidney sitting with a blow dryer and brush as she dries her hair. I lean against the doorjamb.
“Would you like to go out tonight?”
She turns to look at me. “Out? As in leave the house with you for something other than work?”
I laugh. “Yes.”
“You mean like a date?”
“That’s the sort of thing couples do, right?”
She goes silent as she stares at me. I walk over to stand behind her. I place my hands on her shoulders, massaging them slightly. She looks up at me.
“Are we a couple?” she asks softly.
“We’re seeing each other exclusively, and now we live together. And if you say yes to tonight, that could be considered a date. I think we’re definitely heading in that direction.”
“Okay. I would love to go out tonight.”
I smile and bend to kiss her lightly. “Great. I’ll go make dinner reservations for eight. By the way, can you skate?”
“Skate? As in ice skate?”
“Yes.”
“Ummm. Can you?”
I wink at her. There’s only one way to find out.”
I whistle a happy tune as I head back downstairs. In a few minutes, the reservations are made.
Dinner goes well and I take her to Skateland afterward. It’s the first I’ve really gone out socially in years and it feels good to be rolling on a polished floor again instead of my driveway. I see the looks we get and I try to gauge Sidney’s response. On my part, I really don’t care if anyone wants to judge our age difference. She seems not to notice, or if she does, she doesn’t care. We have a good time and spend a few hours skating.
Finally, we decide it is time to head home. She leans into me as I drive. I use my free hand to stroke her cheek.
“Had a good time?”
She smiles brightly and nods happily, “The best. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I have a lot in store for us. Have you ever left the country?”
“Noooooo. What do you have in mind?” She sounds giddy.
“Well, someone has a birthday coming up, don’t they?”
“You mean, other than you?” she teases.
“We can make a birthday week of it.”
“Really?” She is beaming. And then her smile falters. “What about the office?”
