Take Care of Me Read online

  Chapter 2

  Stacey could hear the birds chirping outside. She opened one eye and saw the sun streaming in through her bedroom window. She rolled over and was stabbed by the pen she had left in her bed with the pad of paper she had used for writing down date ideas with Stefan.

  Stacey got up started a pot of coffee and jumped in the shower. As she was getting out of the shower she heard the phone ringing. She ran to answer it. “Hello.”

  “Morning Stacey May!” It was Nick.

  “Hey you.  Thanks again for last night.” Stacey said as she towel dried her hair.

  “I figured you would now be obsessing about something else, so I’m making the preemptive strike. What panic attack can I help with this morning?” His rich chuckle sounded over the line.

  “Well,” Stacey said hesitantly. She was slightly annoyed that he was right and she was tempted not to ask his advice, but was grateful for his call. “OK, what do I wear?”

  “Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “And I think I’m actually turning into a girl as I say this. But it really does depend on what you guys do, doesn’t it? And since you don’t know yet, you’ve got to strike a balance between fun, flirty, sexy and functional. What time is he coming by?”

  “We didn’t set a time,” she said frowning. “I figured if I didn’t hear from him by 9 a.m. that I would call and start the ball rolling.”

  “Well it’s 7:30 now,” Nick stated. “Maybe I should come by and look through your closet?”

  “I don’t know Nick,” Stacey said. “I don’t want him to come by early and find me in my robe again with you.”

  “You’re right,” Nick quickly asserted. “Well let me think.”

  For the next 15 minutes Stacey pulled out items from her closet, described them to Nick and he gave her the thumbs down for each clothing item she described.

  Finally he exclaimed, “I know exactly what you should wear! I bought you a blouse for Christmas two years ago that will be perfect.”

  Stacey knew immediately what blouse he was talking about. She groaned inwardly. When he had given it to her, he said she had to wear it to show off her assets sometime. When she had tried it on, it had a much too plunging neckline for her taste. Stacey knew Nick was trying to be helpful but she just didn’t think she had the confidence to pull off such a daring outfit, which is why it was still in the box it had come in.

  Nick laughed, “I can hear the wheels in your mind turning all the way over here Stacey May. I promise, you can pull off that top. Pair it with some jeans and some flippy sandals.”

  “Pull off that top?” Stacey groaned. “Doesn’t wearing something like this say I am desperate? Like I’m flaunting myself for sex?”

  Nick chuckled, “Only you would think so Stacey.  It really isn’t as provocative as you think. You trust me right?”

  Groaning loader now she answered, “You know I do.”

  “Then wear the outfit.” With that he hung up the phone.

  Stacey put on the outfit Nick had suggested and felt like a different person. She hardly ever wore her hair down, but after blow drying it straight, it looked so full of body and bounce just like a shampoo commercial, so she left it alone.

  Stacey seldom wore make up. She worked too hard in a day to be worried about re-applying various cosmetic products, but today she put on a touch of lip gloss to her full lips.

  She stared back at the reflection in the mirror and felt like a different person.  And this person looked at the clock and it was well after 9 a.m.

  It was time to pluck up the courage to give Stefan a call. She picked up her cell phone to call him, when there was a knock on the door.

  She took a deep breath and went to answer the door. It was Stefan. When she opened the door, she thanked Nick in her head silently. The expression on Stefan’s face was priceless.

  Stefan actually stuttered, “Y-y-you look amazing!”

  His eyes roamed over her body several times before he found her eyes.

  Stacey blushed hotly. She was very pleased with his assessment of her appearance, and just as pleased with his. He was wearing a pair of jeans as well with a t-shirt that clung to his lean muscles, and over that he had on a black blazer. They were very well matched. Again she thanked Nick silently.

  She invited him in and he stood in the doorway locked in place for a good twenty seconds before he moved.  It seemed very much like something she would have done; that made her feel good and very confident.  He did like her as much as she liked him.

  “So,” Stacey asked.  “What is on the agenda for the day?”

  “Well, have you ever done Hidden Brook Winery in Leesburg, Virginia?” he asked.

  “Oh!” Stacey exclaimed. “Dr. Landis was just talking about that the other day. It sounds wonderful. Let me get my purse. I am ready to go.”

  As she turned to go get her purse she spotted her casserole carrier and it hit her that she needed to see Mrs. Horowitz.

  She was shocked that she had totally forgotten her. “Stefan I need to do something first, do you mind?”

  “Sure, no problem. What do you need to do?” he asked.

  “I take care of my mother’s best friend, Mrs. Horowitz. She had hip replacement surgery and has been having difficulty recovering. I just need to pull out a casserole and I can heat it up at her place.  You’ll love her. She is a great lady.”

  “You just have casseroles ready to go at a moment’s notice?” Stefan inquired.

  “I love to cook and knowing that I have several people to cook for, I tend to take my day off and do a bunch and freeze them.” Stacey answered.

  Shaking his head Stefan said, “See I’m already learning about you. So who else do you provide food for?”

  Stacey shrugged her shoulders, “I have a rotating group of people. I am a feeder. As you can tell I love food.” She patted her jean clad hips. “And I hate the thought of anyone going hungry. So I volunteer for Meals on Wheels. But I also work with my church and feed whoever they ask me to.”

  “What church do you go to?” Stefan asked.

  As she pulled a dish out of the freezer she answered, “St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.”

  Smiling Stefan said, “Ah, a good Catholic girl. My mom will be very happy.”

  “You’re Catholic?” Stacey asked.

  “Born and raised.  I attend Holy Trinity with my folks,” he said. “When I was living in New York I had trouble finding a church I enjoyed as much as my home parish, but ended up visiting a lot of ones that I liked.  I am really glad to be back at home.”

  “How was living in New York?  I have never been.” She said putting fruit into a Tupperware bowl to take along.

  “Not to be cliché, but it really is a rat race there. The pace is killer. But I love the art and history that surround the city. I can get that here in D.C. as well so it wasn’t a hardship to move back home. In fact, I toyed with the idea of doing a museum day, but when I saw your heels, I thought that would not be a good idea.” He said chuckling.

  Stacey had the food ready to go so she grabbed her big purse and opened it to show him inside was a pair of shoes. “I am prepared for all eventualities.”

  He laughed and he took the pan from her hands and opened the front door.

  They arrived at Mrs. Horowitz and Stacey let them in saying, “You decent?  I have a man with me.”

  Peeking around the corner Mrs. Horowitz said, “Boy you sure do! Who is this fine specimen of the male breed?”

  Stacey laughed, “Mrs. Horowitz this is Stefan Spencer. “

  She appraised him frankly, “You sure do know all the gorgeous guys. This one is almost as handsome as that Nick.”

  Stacey cringed at her statement and peeked at Stefan to see how he was taking the comparison.

  He laughed as he was shaking her hand, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that in my life.  Nick is my best friend.  We grew up together.”

  “Well where have you been all my life, Handsome?” She pu
lled him and kissed him flat on the cheek.

  “I got here as fast as I could.” He laughed again.

  Stacey went and put the casserole in the oven.  She could hear Stefan and Mrs. Horowitz laughing together. He had her as giddy as a school girl. It was nice to see how easy he was with her.

  As Stacey came out of the kitchen she could hear Mrs. Horowitz asking, “So what are your plans for the day?”

  He looked up at Stacey and winked. “I am planning on sweeping this beautiful lady off her feet.  What do you think my chances are with her?”

  “Don’t know Stefan. We had plans today to straighten out the mysteries of life between the sexes. But something tells me she’ll get better hands on experience with you than my crusty old words. You just be careful with my girl.  She’s the keeping kind.” Mrs. Horowitz was smiling but you could hear an underlying seriousness in her tone.

  Stefan put his hand over his heart. “I have nothing but honorable intentions towards her ma’am. I can tell that she is precious cargo.”

  All this talk was beginning to make Stacey feel uncomfortable. “Sitting right here guys, exactly right here.”

  They both laughed at her, but she took it in stride.  She knew exactly how this was going to go down. He was going to charm the pants off of Mrs. Horowitz and she would just eat it up.

  Her phone rang and Stacey got up and answered it. “Horowitz residence.  Oh, hello Mrs. Jones.  (Pause) Oh I hadn’t heard about that. I am so sorry.  (Pause) No, of course. That won’t be a problem at all. (Pause) Yes I will be sure to tell her. (Pause) Thanks for letting us know.”

  Stacey turned to Mrs. Horowitz. “That was Sarah Jones. Her husband George had been in a car accident?

  Mrs. Horowitz answered, “Yes, he is supposed to be coming home from the hospital this week.”

  Stacey shook her head, “Well there were complications and he died. She was calling to let you know.  But since I answered the phone she asked me to let you know and asked me to go pick up her cousin.”

  Stacey turned to Stefan. “I am so sorry, but this is a friend from church. It won’t take long. I promise.”

  Stefan said, “No problem.  I am sorry for the death of your friend.  Maybe we should call off our date?”

  Stacey thought about that. She really should be there for Mrs. Jones.  She too was a friend of her late mother’s. But she really wanted to have her date with Stefan.  Was it so wrong to want that?  Besides Mrs. Jones wanted her cousin to help her with the arrangements.

  Stacey shook her head, “No Stefan. Mrs. Jones’ cousin Barbara is going to be with her to take care of the arrangements. I will cook something for the family tonight and probably spend the next few days helping out.  Today is for us.”

  Mrs. Horowitz whooped, “That a girl!  I just knew you were going to call off your date.  I am so proud of you.”

  Stacey was proud of herself too.  Mrs. Horowitz was right. If it had been anything else but a date with Stefan she would have dropped everything to help someone in need. This felt strange but really good at the same time.

  They said goodbye to Mrs. Horowitz and got in Stefan’s car. She gave him directions to Barbara’s place and they drove in silence for a while.

  Then he asked, “So who don’t you take care of Stacey?”

  She laughed. “I think that’s what we as a people, are here for, so I never think of it in those terms.  I just do what is needed. It’s no big deal.”

  “You remind me of my mom in some ways.” Stefan said. “She is always taking care of somebody else. You have to be careful to take care of yourself too.”

  “I do.” Stacey answered. “But I like to keep busy too.  My mom was always busy. But that was more because she was a single mother. She worked two jobs. She had to in order to pay my medical bills.”

  “What did your mother do for a living?” Stefan asked.

  “She worked as a cook in the school cafeteria, which I guess is why I learned to cook at an early age. She was definitely a feeder too.” Stacey answered.

  “Was? So your mother has passed away?” Stefan asked.

  “Yes, she died in her sleep. She had a brain aneurism. The doctors say she probably didn’t feel any pain. So that makes me feel better.  I just wish she could have seen me graduate from school. She was so proud that I was going to be a nurse.” Stacey said wistfully.

  “How long ago was that?” he asked.

  “It’s been a while now.” She paused. “Or was that your way of asking me how old I am?” She asked.

  He laughed. “You caught me. You look so young I would have thought you were in high school.”

  She laughed, “Boy you do know how to pour it on thick. Very much like a used car salesman.”

  “I’m not sure the comparison is flattering.” He said but she could still hear the laughter in his voice.

  “Really, I am just teasing you.” She assured him with a smile.

  “But you’re still not telling your age?” he asked.

  “There’s no big mystery. I am 28 years old. And every year is a blessing.” Stacey answered proudly.

  “I’m 30 and I agree,” he said matching her enthusiasm.

  “Turn down this road.” She told him the last few turns to get to Barbara’s house.  They pulled into the driveway and she got out. “I will be right back.”

  Stacey sprinted up the sidewalk eager to for this transportation run to be completed so that Stefan and she could officially start their date.  But it was nice just spending time in the car with him. He was just so fun and witty. If she could just make her heart slow down when she looked into his sexy, smoldering eyes, she would be OK.

  She knocked on the door and Barbara answered with purse in hand, ready to go. “Hi sweetie. Thanks for coming to get me. What a terrible time for my car to be in the shop.  It won’t be ready until tomorrow. They offered me a loaner, but I thought why on earth would I need to waste the money renting a car, I can just sit at home and save that cash. Now I know.”

  Stacey assured her, “It is no problem.”

  She saw Stefan’s car and stopped in her tracks. “Who is that?”

  Stacey smiled and said proudly, “That’s my date Stefan.”

  She hurriedly apologized again. “I’m interrupting a date? I feel terrible.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize.” Stacey said as she opened the car door. “Stefan this is Barbara. Barbara this is Stefan.” She let Barbara sit in the front seat.

  She was apologizing again. “Caroline never mentioned that you were on a date.  She just said she was sending you to pick me up. Oh how terrible.”

  This time Stefan was reassuring her. “Please don’t apologize; it is my pleasure to act as your chauffeur for a few moments. And I’m terribly sorry for the loss your family has suffered.”

  Stefan proceeded to put Barbara at ease and had her laughing in a matter of minutes. He really was every bit as charming as Nick. Stacey watched him and was amazed again that he was as interested in her as she was in him.

  Stacey directed him towards Mrs. Jones’ house and listened to him tell Barbara about how his mother had wandered away from her nursing facility and that Stacey had found her. It sounded so dramatic the way he told it. He was giving her way too much credit and she said as much.

  But Barbara just shushed her. “I know how you are Stacey; you never take credit for a thing.  Let the man tell the story.”

  Stefan smiled at Stacey in the rear view mirror. “The EMT’s were grateful that she had been found by someone who had medical experience. One of them told me horror stories about people actually making injuries worse by interfering with the patient.”

  Stacey interjected. “I bet that was Tommy, he has a story for every situation. You have to take what he says with a grain of salt.”

  Stefan and Barbara both laughed.

  Barbara said, “Well I am glad that your mother was found.  That had to be a frightening situation to be in.”

  “Yes it was. I c
an’t tell you how relieved I was when Stacey called and said that she had found her. I will be forever grateful.” He looked at her again in the rear view mirror. She felt the electric current between them as he stared at her in the mirror.

  Boy, that man is sexy. She thought to herself. But it wasn’t just that he was gorgeous as all get out. He was a gentleman, he was smart and he was funny.  She tried to pick a flaw and couldn’t find one.  That’s definitely looking at him with rose colored glasses. She had to be careful not to put him up on a pedestal.

  Barbara was telling him to make the last turn onto Mrs. Jones’ street. She turned to Stacey. “I know you’re occupied for the day, but we would love to have you make your eggplant parmesan, you know it’s my favorite.”

  “I was going to bring one by tomorrow.” Stacey smiled at her.

  Stefan had gotten out of the car and opened the door for Barbara and the back door for Stacey. He saw Barbara to the door as Stacey got in the front seat. From here she could tell that Mrs. Jones was fawning over him as well.

  He came back to the car smiling. “What lovely ladies,” he exclaimed.

  “Of course you think they are lovely ladies, they are catering to your ego.” Stacey laughed.

  He grinned, “Nothing wrong with that from my point of view.”

  “So we are off to Virginia now?” She asked anxious to be officially on the date portion of the day.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Stefan answered.

  They drove away from Mrs. Jones house and Stefan turned on the car stereo. “What kind of music do you like?”

  “I am pretty open, or at least I like to think that I am,” she answered.

  “So if I put on classical music right now that would be OK?” he asked.

  “Well,” Stacey hesitated. “For certain types of music I have to be in certain moods.”

  “For example?” he asked.

  “Well if I am sitting at home with a good book, classical music is fine.  If I am cleaning house, then I want something peppy that I can bounce around to. Or if I’m out dancing, I like hip-hop. There is a different type of music for every mood.” Stacey answered.

  “That makes a lot of sense.” He nodded his head and asked, “So what music is good for a first date? And for an hour on the road music?”

  “Well that depends?” She answered.

  “On what?” he asked.

  “Do you like to sing in the car and are you good at it?” Stacey laughed.

  He laughed too. “You make a good point. I’ve never asked anyone what they thought about my singing. I usually sing in the shower. I can carry a tune, but I’m not Pavarotti.”

  “I can say the same, but for whoever the female Pavarotti is.” Stacey said and giggled.

  He chuckled softly. “But that still doesn’t answer the question about what type of music we should listen to on this drive.”

  Stacey dug in her purse and pulled out her iPhone. “Do you have an adapter?”

  “Don’t need one, my car is blue-tooth compatible.” He answered as he synced her phone to his car.

  “Let’s go with the luck of the draw.” Stacey laughed. “Besides it’s a great way to get to know me, right?”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Stefan smiled.

  The first song that came on was Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band. When Stefan heard which song it was he laughed out loud. “That is hilarious!”

  Stacey answered unwaveringly, “I have very eclectic taste and I am proud of it.”

  “I haven’t heard that song in years.” Stefan began to sing along with the song and so did she. They hit that crescendo at the end of the song right on pitch and perfectly timed.

  “We’re a good team,” Stacey said. Their voices blended well together. It gave her an idea. “Hey, on our next date we should go karaoke.”

  He laughed, “You’re on.”

  “Have you ever done it before?” Stacey asked.

  “No, but I took a couple of theatre classes in college for grins and got cast in a couple of musicals. So I feel comfortable singing in front of a crowd.” He was smiling at her again and it made it hard to concentrate on conversation.

  “What musicals?” Stacey inquired, striving for words to say instead of just staring at how beautiful he was.

  “Oklahoma and Les Miserable. I was Will Parker in OK and Javert in Les Mis. It was fun.”

  Shaking her head Stacey said, “And so you think you’re not Pavarotti? Those are pretty impressive roles for someone who was just taking the class for grins. Does everything come so easily to you?”

  “I have been very fortunate in my life. I know how blessed I am, but of course I’ve had my share of disappointments.” He turned and looked at her saying further, “I’ve had my heart broken a time or two and I’ve definitely had to work hard in my career and make some sacrifices.”

  Stacey wasn’t expecting such an honest answer. So she felt he deserved one in return. “You know being sickly for such a large portion of my adolescence, I was never with the popular crowd. I sometimes still feel like the loner, which is part of the reason I try to do so much for other people. I just want to find acceptance.”

  “Well who doesn’t?” He said seriously. “Even those who look like they have it so great, are not living the perfect life you would imagine.”

  “The grass is never greener, huh?” She asked interested in his viewpoint.

  “No it never is, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting what we can’t have.” Stefan answered.

  Stacey wished that she could just reach out and touch him, but fear of moving too fast kept her hand pinned to her side. She definitely wanted to give him anything he wanted. Stacey began to envision what it would be like to be intimate with him; to feel his hardness against her softness. She had to shake her head to dispel the thoughts to keep from moaning out loud.

  “I agree.” Stacey said trying not to think about how his body would feel pressed to hers.

  He laughed. “You realize you said yes, but shook your head no?”

  She laughed with him.  If only he had known what thoughts were whirling around in her head. The music had continued playing on Stacey’s iPhone and as a lull in the conversation happened; she heard what was playing in the background and laughed even harder.  Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye was on.

  He arched an eyebrow in askance.

  But she couldn’t reveal what the private conversation she had been having with herself. That would make her look crazy. So to deflect she asked him if he liked Motown.

  “Well my dad is half African American and half Greek. So every other day it was like a Motown revue in our house and alternatively classic Greek songs. My iPod is full of Kaiti Livanou right now.”

  “Who?” Stacey asked.

  “She’s a Greek Artist that does a lot of classic Greek music.” He laughed as he answered her question he dug in his pocket and pulled out his iPod and pressed play.

  “She has a very beautiful voice,” Stacey said after listening to the song.

  “So you’ve learned a little more about me. Maybe more than you were ready for?” He turned to look at her.

  “Are you worried about how I would react to your ethnicity?” Stacey asked puzzled by his expression as he looked at her.

  He hesitated. “Well some people do harbor prejudice. Most people can tell there is something not completely Caucasian about me, but they are afraid to ask for sounding like a racist.”

  “I promise I hadn’t thought about your ethnicity or your dad’s past that fact that you were both tall dark and handsome.” She grinned at him.

  “Good to know.” He smiled in return.

  They arrived at the winery and proceeded to enjoy the local gallery and they also had a live band. It was a wonderful time.  Stefan quit drinking about 2 hours before they might be calling it an evening. And Stacey definitely didn’t overdo it. She wanted to be fully cognizant for the trip home.

  “So what did you think of the winery?” S
tefan asked.

  Stacey was tucked under his arm as he drove down the highway. The day had gone well. They had held hands for most of the day so she definitely didn’t want to give up the physical connection. She lifted her head from his should to answer. “Very nice. I would definitely come back for a return visit. It was worth the ride out to Virginia.”

  He chuckled and she could feel it rumble deep in his chest. It resonated through her whole body and made the tingly sensation she was already feeling kick into high gear.  She had to stop herself from moaning again.

  He continued, “I definitely count the day as a success. I learned that you like 70’s music, brie cheese and abstract art. What did you learn about me?”

  “I learned that you like weird Greek music, you hate brie cheese and you like art of all kinds. I don’t think there was a piece we looked at that you didn’t have something positive to say about it.” Stacey sighed.  “And most important I learned that you smell really good, we have great chemistry and I definitely want to do more of this.”

  “I like your answer.” He chuckled again.

  The ride back seemed so much faster than the ride there. Stacey wanted to stay close to him forever. But she did have more time.  She was planning on cooking dinner for him. She knew she was a good cook. He would enjoy the dish she had planned to prepare for him. Stacey was excited by the prospect.  She had changed her mind about making the spaghetti. She could probably make a really good impression on him with her scallops dish. So she asked him, “Do you like seafood?”

  “Not particularly,” he answered.

  “Oh.” Stacey said clearly disappointed.

  “Is that what was on the menu for today?” he glanced down at me.

  “I was going to prepare scallops with a crumb topping, herb butter and arugula.” Stacey answered.

  “Well maybe I can cook for you?” he asked.

  “You can cook? “ Stacey smiled up at him and envisioned them creating magnificent feasts together. This got her heart racing almost as much as the thought of kissing him.

  He was speaking and Stacey had to focus to hear what he was saying. “My grandmother on my father’s side taught me to cook. We would spend quite a bit of time in Greece. Nana was always showing me something. She said my dad would never stay in the kitchen with her when he was young. She loved it that I wanted to learn.”

  And since he was such a charmer of the ladies, she could see how he would pick up on that. “So you had her twisted around your little finger, huh?”

  He laughed. “Yes my Nana would do anything for me, but the feeling was mutual.”

  “She is no longer alive?” You could hear it in his voice how much he missed her.

  “She passed away about 3 years ago now. She just never woke up one day. I miss her. If my parents got too much wanderlust, I could just go stay with her. She felt like home.”  Every word was colored with love for this woman. Stacey wished she could have met her and told him so.

  “She probably wouldn’t have liked you. She never liked any girl I dated. No one was good enough for her grandson.” His laughter filled the car.

  “Sounds like you’re a mamma's boy.” Stacey laughed.

  “You’re not wrong. But it has taught me a healthy respect for women. Between my mother and Nana there was no way I would ever be anything but a gentleman around a woman.”

  “Somehow I can see your mom still being able to take you over her knee,” she said.

  “She has threatened it plenty of times,” Stefan laughed.

  “Do you think you’ll spank when you have kids?” Stacey asked.

  “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” His answer was automatic.

  You could tell he was hearing his mother say those exact words.  Stacey had never thought about having kids before, but she suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to be a mother. The mother of his children. What an absolutely ludicrous thought! She really needed to reign in her feelings for Stefan or he was going to go running and screaming in the opposite direction. The last thing men wanted was to be tied down to a wife and kids. At least from her experience, that is what she had observed.

  “Do you want kids someday?” He really did seem to pick thoughts out of her head.

  “To be honest I have never thought about it. But I guess I can see having them sometime down the line.” Her mind was spinning with the possibilities. She really could see them having children together. They would hopefully look like him.

  “Well I can see you being a great mother. You’re a natural caretaker.” He smiled at her in a way that made her wonder if he was imagining her as the mother of his kids. But she was probably projecting what she was feeling onto him. She just put the whole thing out of her mind.

  They pulled into the front of her place and he parked. They walked inside and Stacey told him to make himself at home. After a day of tasting all different kinds of wines and just nibbling on appetizers, she was ready for a hearty meal.  

  “So are you hungry?”

  “I am. Point me to your cupboards, sit and watch me work my magic.”

  Sitting down felt really good. They’d been walking for a good portion of the day and Stacey’s feet were tired. He took a quick assessment of her kitchen and started putting together what looked like chicken cacciatore. She asked if that was what he was cooking and he confirmed.

  Within moments aromas filled the air. It was strange to feel more at home with this man cooking in her kitchen than anything else; ever. She sat mesmerized watching him move about her kitchen with ease. Occasionally he would ask if she had this spice or that. Or he would ask where this pot or pan was.

  Stacey plugged in her iPod and they continued to listen to music, talk and laugh like they had known each other all of our lives. It just felt right.

  After they ate dinner, they worked together to do the dishes. And Stacey started a casserole to put in the oven to take by for tomorrow. They sat back down on the couch and had coffee, conversation still flowing between them smoothly.

  But then Stacey yawned.  He immediately got up and went to put his coffee cup in the sink. “Looks like you’re ready for bed.”

  She actually wouldn’t have minded sharing her bed with him, but he had other ideas. Drat the gentleman!

  “So when I can see you again?” He was standing over her looking at Stacey with such tenderness, it took her breath away.

  “Well, when would you like?” Stacey whispered.

  “The way I feel right now, I don’t really want to leave. But you’re tired and we should take this slow.” Stefan answered standing an inch apart from Stacey.

  He was saying everything her head was saying, but her heart was saying something completely different.

  “I guess you’re right. But please note I am saying this with great reluctance, I actually want to jump your bones.” Stacey stated in a matter of fact tone.

  “You don’t seem like a jump a guy’s bones type of girl.” There was no question in his tone at all.

  It really made her wonder how he saw her.  “I guess you’re right, but you could totally be the exception to the rule.”

  They both laughed nervously. They were both testing their resolve to take things slowly.  And in the end they both decided to wait.