trip indefinitely postponed, Max headed out the door with a promise to call Gio as soon as he got back into town. As he peeled off his running suit and stepped into the shower, Gio imagined Sabrina still in her towel opening up the tiny box.
*****
Sabrina held the gold box in her hands, testing it with a jiggle and hearing several small objects move inside. Curious, she untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a selection of maple candies shaped like miniature hearts, flowers, and leaves. Even though she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, Sabrina couldn’t resist plucking a candy from the box and tasting it. The texture was buttery and smooth, and Sabrina sighed as the candy melted away on her tongue. That was the second romantic gesture Gio had surprised her with in just four days, after he so gallantly kissed her hand. Still, the puzzle pieces were scattered haphazardly, and she felt she had a double enigma on her hands: the fire and the man himself.
Late in the afternoon, as Sabrina was tossing Softy a sack of catnip, the phone rang and she instinctively felt it was Gio. She answered cheerfully, “Hello?”
“Hello, Sabrina. How did you like the candy?” His deep voice inquired.
“They’re delicious…well, they were delicious because I ate them all.” She confessed, embarrassed.
Gio chuckled under his breath, “Well, I’m glad they didn’t go to waste. If you’re not about to enter a sugar coma, would you like to go for a sunset stroll?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at five thirty, and we’ll go from there. There’s a park I want to show you.”
After they hung up, Sabrina began to prepare for his arrival, realizing she didn’t have much time. First, she arranged her hair into a twist and pinned it with a silk lily. That would keep the wind from mussing her hair. Then she refreshed her make-up, applying a few dabs of raspberry blush, some velvet black mascara, and tawny lip color. She decided to stay in her current outfit of sea green button-down sweater with signature snug jeans, so worn that the threads were coming undone. Sabrina’s object was to look attractive, but not as though she had fussed, and she achieved just that.
When Gio arrived at her doorstep for the third time in twenty four hours, he was smiling broadly as he drank in her appealing attire. He tried valiantly to banish any lingering thoughts of her in the towel, but found it impossible, as those images would stay imprinted in his erotic imagination. Sabrina greeted him warmly with a chaste kiss on the cheek, oblivious of her arousing effect on him. “Hi Gio, do you want to come in for a moment or should we go?”
“Well, if it’s alright with you, I think we should go. I’ve got Pal waiting in the truck. He’s going to accompany us on our walk, if that’s OK with you.”
Sabrina laughed, “Of course! This should be fun! Let’s go.” She grabbed a light spring jacket and locked the door behind them.
The park was a very short drive from Sabrina’s house and a place that she knew quite well. Recognizing the verdant landscape, framed by neatly planted tulips and daisies, Sabrina said, “This is one of my favorite places. The air is pristine and the atmosphere is so peaceful.” Gio was relieved that he had taken her to a place she approved of. Thus far, their courtship had been rather unorthodox, with the mystery of the fire looming over them and their interrupted dinner the previous night.
Few people were in the park, so Gio released Pal’s leash and let him roam free. The loyal pup didn’t stray far, but rather sprawled himself contentedly on a soft pillow of grass for a nap.
“Sabrina, I want to apologize again for having to cut our dinner short last night. But it’s the nature of my work to be called to duty at a moment’s notice. I’ve gotten used to it after
*****
Sabrina held the gold box in her hands, testing it with a jiggle and hearing several small objects move inside. Curious, she untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a selection of maple candies shaped like miniature hearts, flowers, and leaves. Even though she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, Sabrina couldn’t resist plucking a candy from the box and tasting it. The texture was buttery and smooth, and Sabrina sighed as the candy melted away on her tongue. That was the second romantic gesture Gio had surprised her with in just four days, after he so gallantly kissed her hand. Still, the puzzle pieces were scattered haphazardly, and she felt she had a double enigma on her hands: the fire and the man himself.
Late in the afternoon, as Sabrina was tossing Softy a sack of catnip, the phone rang and she instinctively felt it was Gio. She answered cheerfully, “Hello?”
“Hello, Sabrina. How did you like the candy?” His deep voice inquired.
“They’re delicious…well, they were delicious because I ate them all.” She confessed, embarrassed.
Gio chuckled under his breath, “Well, I’m glad they didn’t go to waste. If you’re not about to enter a sugar coma, would you like to go for a sunset stroll?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at five thirty, and we’ll go from there. There’s a park I want to show you.”
After they hung up, Sabrina began to prepare for his arrival, realizing she didn’t have much time. First, she arranged her hair into a twist and pinned it with a silk lily. That would keep the wind from mussing her hair. Then she refreshed her make-up, applying a few dabs of raspberry blush, some velvet black mascara, and tawny lip color. She decided to stay in her current outfit of sea green button-down sweater with signature snug jeans, so worn that the threads were coming undone. Sabrina’s object was to look attractive, but not as though she had fussed, and she achieved just that.
When Gio arrived at her doorstep for the third time in twenty four hours, he was smiling broadly as he drank in her appealing attire. He tried valiantly to banish any lingering thoughts of her in the towel, but found it impossible, as those images would stay imprinted in his erotic imagination. Sabrina greeted him warmly with a chaste kiss on the cheek, oblivious of her arousing effect on him. “Hi Gio, do you want to come in for a moment or should we go?”
“Well, if it’s alright with you, I think we should go. I’ve got Pal waiting in the truck. He’s going to accompany us on our walk, if that’s OK with you.”
Sabrina laughed, “Of course! This should be fun! Let’s go.” She grabbed a light spring jacket and locked the door behind them.
The park was a very short drive from Sabrina’s house and a place that she knew quite well. Recognizing the verdant landscape, framed by neatly planted tulips and daisies, Sabrina said, “This is one of my favorite places. The air is pristine and the atmosphere is so peaceful.” Gio was relieved that he had taken her to a place she approved of. Thus far, their courtship had been rather unorthodox, with the mystery of the fire looming over them and their interrupted dinner the previous night.
Few people were in the park, so Gio released Pal’s leash and let him roam free. The loyal pup didn’t stray far, but rather sprawled himself contentedly on a soft pillow of grass for a nap.
“Sabrina, I want to apologize again for having to cut our dinner short last night. But it’s the nature of my work to be called to duty at a moment’s notice. I’ve gotten used to it after
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