Eric and I ate breakfast at a small café around the corner from the real estate office where we were meeting Kathleen, the agent showing us the properties. Kathleen knew I was a real estate agent and had agreed to take a smaller commission. We had planned to visit five homes, so I knew it was going to be a long day.
I sipped my coffee. ‘Stop staring at me and eat your eggs.’
Eric jabbed a piece of breakfast sausage with his fork. ‘Sorry, but it’s been a week since I saw you.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘More like five days.’
Eric looked at his watch. ‘Actually, five days, fourteen hours and…’ He looked at his watch again. ‘Twenty-three minutes.’
I shook my head. ‘You’re impossible!’
We finished breakfast, Eric paid the bill and we left to meet Kathleen. The first house we toured was a traditional brick colonial in an upscale neighborhood. I loved everything about it, but Eric wanted a property that had a little more privacy.
He looked out the bedroom window. ‘We’re just too close to our neighbors. I can practically see into their window!’
I shook my head. ‘But you lived in an urban row house, smack up against neighbors on either side.’
‘I know, I know. I sound crazy. But I guess I was just hoping for a little more space. Something that was a little more private. Something different.’
Kathleen showed us two more houses in nearby developments. All of them were gorgeous and in move-in condition, but I could tell they didn’t have the privacy Eric had in mind.
The fourth house was a modern log cabin situated on two acres on the edge of a state park. It was only a few years old and it was enormous: five bedrooms, three and a half baths, a dream kitchen and a huge great room with a floor to ceiling stone fireplace.
‘Just imagine,’ Eric said, ‘all of the wildlife we’d see.’
I knew he’d already made up his mind. He loved the property. I didn’t like the idea of being so far from town. Right now, it took me five minutes to get to the grocery store. It would take me about thirty if we moved here. Plus, it would add about fifteen minutes on to my work commute.
We walked outside onto a stone patio that was covered with a retractable awning. The owners had a large rectangular table that sat six at one end and an all-weather wicker sectional patio set on the other.
Eric walked over and sat on the sectional. ‘Does the patio furniture stay?’
Kathleen looked at the sales sheet. ‘No, but you can always ask for it if you make an offer.’
Eric patted the cushion next to him. ‘Try it out.’
I walked over and sat beside him. ‘It’s comfy.’
‘Couldn’t you just imagine sitting here at night looking up at the stars?’ He looked up at the sky. ‘It would be amazing.’
Just then a deer meandered out of the woods and into the clearing. Several seconds later when the deer realized she wasn’t alone, she darted away.
‘That’s something you don’t see in the city,’ Eric said. ‘Or a housing development.’
I sighed. ‘But there are a lot of other advantages to living in a development.’
‘Name one.’
‘When you live in a development, you have neighbors close by who can help you and everyone looks out for one another. Once when Scott and I were on vacation, our neighbor noticed a strange car in our driveway. She investigated and discovered it belonged to our cleaning lady. Neighbors do that sort of thing.’
As soon as I’d mentioned Scott’s name, I noticed a slight change in Eric. His smile disappeared and he pulled back his shoulders and pumped out his chest, as if he was preparing to fight.
Kathleen checked her watch. ‘Well, you certainly don’t have to decide right this minute. We have one more house to see. Why don’t we go there?’
The final house wasn’t in a development but located on a windy country road. I got out of the car. ‘What’s that smell?’
Kathleen pointed in the direction of the field across the road. ‘I believe your neighbor raises cattle and pigs. It looks like they’re spreading manure.’
I scrunched my nose and turned to Eric. ‘Doesn’t that bother you?’
He nodded. ‘It’s a bit strong.’
We looked at the house but ruled it out pretty quickly.
Kathleen drove us back to the office. We agreed to discuss the homes and get back to her the next day.
‘Are you sure you don’t have any other questions?’ Kathleen asked.
I held up the papers she’d given me. ‘I think we have everything we need to make a decision.’
After checking into our hotel, I plopped on the bed. ‘I’m totally exhausted. Mind if I close my eyes for a few minutes?’
‘Me, too,’ Eric said, taking off his sneakers. ‘It’s been a long day. We’ll talk later.’
Eric and I fell asleep within minutes of hitting the mattress. An hour later, I woke up and found Eric sitting at the desk looking over the papers. He heard me stir and turned around. ‘You really don’t think you’d be happy living in a home where you can see deer and other wildlife in your backyard?’
‘It’s not that I wouldn’t be happy, but there are clearly disadvantages, most notably an extra fifteen minutes on to my commute.’
I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When I returned, Eric was gone. There was a note on the desk. Be right back. Had to get something out of the car.
I picked up the papers he’d been looking at and noticed Eric’s satchel on the floor leaning against the desk leg. For a split second, I considered looking inside it. Eric’s obsession with his bag made me a little uneasy. What was in it that he had to be so secretive about? I’d tried bringing it up once or twice, but always had to let it go because he was so vague.
I reached down to touch it when the room door opened and I jumped. I thought my heart would pop out of my chest.
Eric walked in carrying a big box wrapped in pink paper and topped with a white bow.
‘I have something for you.’ He sat the gift on the bed.
‘Eric, I told you to stop buying me things,’ I playfully scolded him.
‘It’s not much. Just a little something.’
I sat on the bed and opened the gift, pulling out a beautiful black dress with a lace neck and sleeves and a hook closure with keyhole back. ‘It’s beautiful.’ I ran my hand over the fabric and gushed.
‘Did I get the right size?’ Eric asked.
I looked at the tag. ‘Perfect!’
‘There’s something else in the box,’ Eric said.
I shook my head. ‘You thought of everything.’ I held up the strappy black shoes and black purse.
‘I thought you could wear it to your high school reunion.’
I nodded. ‘I see.’
‘Are you upset?’ he asked.
‘No, it’s just that I was planning to wear another dress. But I can wear this one if that’ll make you happy. Just let me try it on first to make sure it fits.’
I tried on the dress, and the fabric, a mix of polyester and spandex, hugged my body. I sucked in my stomach and walked out to show Eric.
He made a turning motion with his hand. ‘Turn around. Let me have a look.’
‘I’m too curvy to wear something so form fitting,’ I said.
‘Nonsense! You look amazing. The only thing that would make you look even more fabulous would be more cleavage.’
I cupped my breasts. ‘Typical man!’
Eric laughed.
I walked over and looked him in the eyes. ‘Tell me the truth, do you think my breasts are small?’
‘They’re normal,’ Eric said. ‘But if you’re asking me if I’d enjoy bigger breasts, of course I would. I’m a man. But I love you no matter your breast size. What’s important is what you think, how they make you feel.’
My insecurities melted away as he took me in his arms. I loved that he wanted me, that he considered me his. No man had ever wanted me as much as Eric. Scott chose someone younger and prettier. Eric could have someone younger and prettier, but he chose me. Finally, I was someone’s special someone.
The black dress slipped to the floor and by the end of the night, I’d agreed to buy the log cabin.
The next morning over breakfast, Eric brought up combining our two households. We sat across from each other in the hotel dining room and he took my hand in his. ‘Would you mind if we used my furniture and you got rid of the furniture you had when you were married to Scott?’
I hadn’t even thought about what furniture I’d take and what I’d give up, if any. ‘I…I hadn’t thought about it. Some of my furniture is really good furniture.’
Eric held up his hand. ‘And I never wanted to imply otherwise. I just thought that with all of my antiques we have plenty of furniture and really wouldn’t need yours.’
‘Is it Scott?’ I asked. ‘Is it because he and I bought it together?’
Eric’s face was a river of red. ‘To be honest, yes. I love you. I want to be with you, and I don’t want to ever feel like there’s another man in our lives. Every time I walk into a room, I don’t want to be reminded that you were loved by another, held in his arms. I want to be the center of your world. I don’t want to compete with a ghost from your past.’
‘Oh, Eric. You don’t have to compete. You’re more wonderful than a million Scotts could ever be. If it upsets you that much, I’ll give it to Jackie or my god-daughter Lucy. It’s only furniture, after all.’