He took a deep breath, sighed and rang the doorbell. After a few moments it opened. He stared. The woman was gorgeous. Her shoulder length auburn hair cascaded over her slender shoulders. Her brown eyes reminded him of warm cocoa. The top of her head only came up to his shoulder. She was wearing those stretch jeans that reminded him of soft flannel and a tight fitting blue vee neck top that accented her beautiful curves.
\u201cYes?\u201d She questioned.
He put a hand to his face as if to awaken himself. \u201cUh\u2026I\u2019m Tony.\u201d After a pause he added, \u201cBill\u2019s friend.\u201d
\u201cOh.\u201d She nodded. \u201cCome in, Tony. What can I do for you?\u201d
Plenty, he thought. He blinked and replied. \u201cWell, Bill asked me to stop by.\u201d
\u201cOh really?\u201d As she gestured to a chair in the living room she asked, \u201cWould you like something to drink? I have iced tea, lemonade, coffee\u2026\u201d
\u201cHot chocolate,\u201d he mumbled.
She shrugged her shoulders. \u201cWell, okay. I can do that. It\u2019s just that it is so hot outside I thought you might want something cold. I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d She moved gracefully out of the room.
Tony put his hands over his face again and pushed them up into his golden brown wavy hair. What an idiot. Get a grip! She\u2019s Bill\u2019s new girlfriend. Lucky Bill.
When she returned she brought a mug of hot cocoa and a tall glass of lemonade. She set them down on the coffee table and sat across from him.
\u201cI don\u2019t know if Bill told you. My name\u2019s Tanya. So what\u2019s up, Tony?\u201d
He stammered something.
\u201cYou said Bill sent you?\u201d Tanya prompted.
\u201cOh, yeah, he did.\u201d
\u201cAnd?\u201d
\u201cUh\u2026I\u2026forgot.\u201d
Her laugh was like music, a soft giggle. She shrugged her petite shoulders.
\u201cWell, okay. Maybe if we talk a little you\u2019ll remember.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m not usually this\u2026flakey. Don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into me.\u201d
\u201cMaybe you\u2019re nervous? Actually Bill and i haven\u2019t been dating that long. I imagine it must be important for him not to tell me himself. How long have you known Bill?\u201d
\u201cWe\u2019ve been friends since grade school. We go way back. How did you and Bill meet?\u201d
\u201cIt was at a little diner on Second Street. I go there a lot. I love the cozy atmosphere. We just started talking and he asked me out. We seemed to hit it off.\u201d
Tony sat forward clasping his hands together in front of him. \u201cOh, I know the place. I really like it too. What do you like to do for recreation?\u2019
\u201cI love to take long walks. I enjoy being outside. I have a mountain bike and I love to swim. I also like to read.\u201d
\u201cThat\u2019s amazing. I like the outdoors too. I\u2019m a park ranger.\u201d
\u201cThat sounds fascinating.\u201d Tanya\u2019s voice held excitement. She picked up her glass and drank.
He did the same, remembering his now warm cocoa. He drank it all then thanked her. Finally he said, \u201cBill doesn\u2019t get much time off. Being a policeman his hours are uncertain.\u201d
Tanya nodded. \u201cYeah, I know. I am an artist. I work for myself so I can make my own hours. Actually I love to paint wild life when I can get a glimpse of some.\u201d
\u201cThat sounds amazing.\u201d
There was genuine sincerity in Tony\u2019s words.
\u201cSo, getting back to Bill. Was it his job\/\u2018
\u201cHis job?\u201d Tony echoed.
Tanya smiled. \u201cThe message you forgot. Did it have to do with his job?\u201d
\u201cOh\u2026yes\u2026that was it. He had to cancel because he was called out on an emergency case. He didn\u2019t have time to explain.\u201d
She nodded.
Tony ran his fingers through his thick, wavy hairc again. He sighed. “I guess I’m a poor messenger, huh?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all.” She chuckled.
\u201cYou know,\u201d Tony began. \u201cIt\u2019s such a nice day outside. Would you like to go fort a walk with me?\u201d
\u201cSure, why not?\u201d
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He took a deep breath, sighed and rang the doorbell. After a few moments it opened. He stared. The woman was gorgeous. Her shoulder length auburn hair cascaded over her slender shoulders. Her brown eyes reminded him of warm cocoa. … Continue reading