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“Well, I know you have an impulsive side, and I imagine if you were actually going to jump out of a plane, you have a moment where impulse has to take over or you won’t jump. This seems like something you would do if you hadn’t had the bad experience with the helicopter. Why are you staring?”
“You.” He shakes his head slowly back and forth. “You’re incredible. I can’t believe you would put that much thought into doing something for me.”
“That’s hard to believe?”
“It’s never happened before,” he says bluntly.
Before I can respond the server delivers our meals, and I wait until we’re alone again before speaking.
“I’m sure lots of people have put thought into doing something for you,” I say.
“Nope.” He shakes his head.
“Girlfriends?”
“Haven’t had many of those.”
“Friends?”
“Guys don’t really do that.”
“Parents, grandparents, siblings?” I rattle.
“I’m a twin. Nothing gets done for me that didn’t get done for Charlie, and vice versa.”
I take a bite, digesting what Chris just told me. No wonder he gave me such a profound kiss afterward. I never expected my surprise to have such an impact, although, to be fair, I never considered that this would be the first time someone has done something just for him. The day just took on on a level of significance I couldn’t have anticipated when I planned it. Wow, that’s a heady thought.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I offer, not sure how to apologize that no one had ever treated him to something special before.
Chris chuckles and reaches for my hand, bringing it to his lips. “You’re adorable when you’re flustered,” he says. “But I should be thanking you.”
The rest of the meal is considerably lighter, but when we’re finished, Chris springs a surprise on me.
“Do you have your writer’s group tomorrow?”
“No, it’s every other Sunday. Why?”
“I was thinking tonight we’d stay at my place. As long as you don’t have anywhere to be in the morning.”
“I don’t.” I shake my head.
“Good.” He laces his fingers in mine. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 19
Chris
It takes the better part of two hours to get to my house, in part because we have to stop by Lisa’s so she can grab everything she’ll need until Monday morning, and in part because I warn her there’s absolutely nothing in my fridge, prompting a stop at the grocery.
As I lead her into the house, I’m suddenly terrified. It’s probably a little cold compared to the lived-in atmosphere of her home, and even though I’ve never really taken the time to personalize it, I still feel a bit like I’m putting myself on display. And after today, what she sees of me has more meaning. That’s because today I realized I’m in love with her.
True, I’ve known for a while that things with Lisa are different. I recognize that I’ve never felt for another woman what I feel for her. Since I’ve never been in love before I didn’t understand the magnitude of those feelings, but after what she gave me today, planning something just for me, well, my chest still feels like its going to burst.
It’s not that skydiving is the ultimate experience, although it was a hell of a lot of fun. It’s that skydiving shows she understands me. She collects what I say over time and turns it into an adventure built around my strengths yet mindful of my weaknesses. How can I not love the person who would do that for me?
I take her through the mud room off the garage and into the kitchen, a large, mostly white room adjacent to a spacious living room and dining room with vaulted ceilings, a sleek fireplace framed by a sectional couch and some chairs, and an abundance of windows. Although too dark to see the full view, the windows capture the stars in the sky outside.
“Wow, this must look incredible in the daytime,” Lisa exclaims.
