faith sure that their relationship was one that was worthwhile. “But how do I get him to stop being … I don’t know … up, all the time. I want him to know all of me, including the part that’s not all fun.”
Connie thought of the files sitting on Stone’s desk, ones she knew he had to have reviewed by Monday. She wondered if Paul had asked Carmen out for the weekend and asked her sister.
“Yeah, although I don’t know where he plans on taking me,” Carmen replied, her tone disheartened.
“You have studying to do, don’t you?” Connie asked.
Carmen rolled her eyes and groaned. “Tons and tons of it. Before I know it, the test will be here and I want to be ready.”
“Tell him that. Tell him you want to see him, but have work to do, is there anything he has that you can do together?”
Carmen considered what her sister had said. She wanted Paul to see another side of her. Wanted to know for herself, as well, that they could enjoy themselves just by being together. What Connie proposed would accomplish both. “How’d you get so smart about men,” she teased her sister, smiling as the waitress brought over the
flans
they had ordered. The egg custard looked sinfully rich and was coated with a syrupy caramel.
“I had a good teacher,” Connie said with a grin.
Carmen chuckled, reached over and gave her sister a hug as the weight of her problems slipped off her shoulders.
#
Paul had been taken aback by Carmen’s request at first, then realized it was the answer to his problems. He had been worrying for the past day or so how he would get the files reviewed and still be able to see her this weekend. They hadn’t spent a week in the last two months without seeing each other and he always looked forward to their time together.
She made him feel young and alive. Worthwhile. It had been so long since someone had made him feel as if he was worth loving and caring about. But that had made him worry that he couldn’t fail her. That was the reason he had planned all their outings with such care, trying to make sure she’d have fun. Not to say that he hadn’t had fun as well. He did. More fun that he’d ever thought he was capable of.
But now she just wanted to spend some time with him. She’d study and he’d work. It seemed easy, but he didn’t see how it could be so simple. As he packed up the files to work on over the weekend, he mentally itemized all that he had to get done before he picked her up and brought her to his home. After all, he wanted it to be perfect for her.
It was the only way he could be sure to keep her with him.
#
Paul’s home was on the Coral Way in Coral Gables. It was only about twenty minutes from her parents’ house and yet light years away. His home was blocks from the country club, Venetian Pool, and the Biltmore Hotel, in a neighborhood known for its beauty and sense of history. An upscale area.
She stepped out of his SUV and appreciated the elegant lines of the neo-classical style villa home from the sweeping drive in front of the house. The building was two storied with an impressive entrance. A pair of tall columns held up a portico and served to call attention to the front doorway. Dark colored double doors were centered at the back of the portico and framed by tall, narrow windows on either side. Positioned before each of the windows were large terra cotta pots planted with sculpted topiary bushes. Above the door sat a semi-circular stained glass window. It was done in earth tones, matching the ivory of the stucco walls, dark brown of the woods, and the rusty orange tiles on the roof.
The garden in front of the home was in tune with its Miami environs. On either side of the main entrance, a large palm mirrored the soaring lines of the portico columns. Other scattered palms gave the house shade while beautiful tropical plants, some of them in a bloom of riotous colors, tastefully accented the architecture. “It’s lovely.”
He smiled, held out his hand, and
Connie thought of the files sitting on Stone’s desk, ones she knew he had to have reviewed by Monday. She wondered if Paul had asked Carmen out for the weekend and asked her sister.
“Yeah, although I don’t know where he plans on taking me,” Carmen replied, her tone disheartened.
“You have studying to do, don’t you?” Connie asked.
Carmen rolled her eyes and groaned. “Tons and tons of it. Before I know it, the test will be here and I want to be ready.”
“Tell him that. Tell him you want to see him, but have work to do, is there anything he has that you can do together?”
Carmen considered what her sister had said. She wanted Paul to see another side of her. Wanted to know for herself, as well, that they could enjoy themselves just by being together. What Connie proposed would accomplish both. “How’d you get so smart about men,” she teased her sister, smiling as the waitress brought over the
flans
they had ordered. The egg custard looked sinfully rich and was coated with a syrupy caramel.
“I had a good teacher,” Connie said with a grin.
Carmen chuckled, reached over and gave her sister a hug as the weight of her problems slipped off her shoulders.
#
Paul had been taken aback by Carmen’s request at first, then realized it was the answer to his problems. He had been worrying for the past day or so how he would get the files reviewed and still be able to see her this weekend. They hadn’t spent a week in the last two months without seeing each other and he always looked forward to their time together.
She made him feel young and alive. Worthwhile. It had been so long since someone had made him feel as if he was worth loving and caring about. But that had made him worry that he couldn’t fail her. That was the reason he had planned all their outings with such care, trying to make sure she’d have fun. Not to say that he hadn’t had fun as well. He did. More fun that he’d ever thought he was capable of.
But now she just wanted to spend some time with him. She’d study and he’d work. It seemed easy, but he didn’t see how it could be so simple. As he packed up the files to work on over the weekend, he mentally itemized all that he had to get done before he picked her up and brought her to his home. After all, he wanted it to be perfect for her.
It was the only way he could be sure to keep her with him.
#
Paul’s home was on the Coral Way in Coral Gables. It was only about twenty minutes from her parents’ house and yet light years away. His home was blocks from the country club, Venetian Pool, and the Biltmore Hotel, in a neighborhood known for its beauty and sense of history. An upscale area.
She stepped out of his SUV and appreciated the elegant lines of the neo-classical style villa home from the sweeping drive in front of the house. The building was two storied with an impressive entrance. A pair of tall columns held up a portico and served to call attention to the front doorway. Dark colored double doors were centered at the back of the portico and framed by tall, narrow windows on either side. Positioned before each of the windows were large terra cotta pots planted with sculpted topiary bushes. Above the door sat a semi-circular stained glass window. It was done in earth tones, matching the ivory of the stucco walls, dark brown of the woods, and the rusty orange tiles on the roof.
The garden in front of the home was in tune with its Miami environs. On either side of the main entrance, a large palm mirrored the soaring lines of the portico columns. Other scattered palms gave the house shade while beautiful tropical plants, some of them in a bloom of riotous colors, tastefully accented the architecture. “It’s lovely.”
He smiled, held out his hand, and
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