Читать книгу Nice and Slow - Maude E. Grider - Страница 3

“Mr. Shelton, shall I have the rest of your suits and accessories delivered to your Soul Haven location or to your house?”

Paul Shelton, owner of the most successful soul food restaurant in and around Vermont, Mississippi, was completing his fitting session at his favorite tailoring shop. He was a clothes fanatic and ‘dressed for success’ was his signature. Tall and handsome with his café-au-lait colored skin, curly black hair, coal black eyes and perfect physique put him at the top of the list of available single males in the area. There was never a drought of beautiful women vying for his attention, even knowing his reputation of being a love-them and leave-them kinda guy. Each woman was hoping to be the one to knock him off his feet. But at thirty-two years old he didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

“How are the new dancers at Shelton’s?” John, the owner of the tailoring shop, inquired as he prepared to cover the suits Paul was taking with him.

“Come on by and check them out for yourself. You know I let you club members determine how good the dancers are. I just pay them.”

Paul exited the tailoring shop carrying his six new Calvin Klein two-piece walking suits and four designer three-piece Italian suits. His time was limited as he was rushing back to his restaurant for a meeting with his accountant. He casually tossed the suits onto the back seat of his car and slid into the driver's seat, applied his seat belt, turned the engine on and placed the car in drive. He pressed on the gas to ease out of the parking space, quickly surveyed the parking lot for traffic, and then forcefully hit the brakes. Fifty yards ahead of him standing in the parking deck was a strikingly beautiful young woman. She was a vision of loveliness and as perfect as a Greek goddess. She briefly turned her head in his direction to survey the parking lot for traffic. At that moment he thought she had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, although he found that hard to believe because he had been in the company of numerous gorgeous women in his lifetime. But there was something deliciously different about this one. She was stunning, exquisite, breath-taking, and sexy.

He moved his car forward slowly to satisfy his curiosity about her and perhaps get her attention. As he inched closer her face was obscured by her holding her head down, but he could clearly see her absolutely gorgeous legs, tiny waist and obvious curves stretching her navy blue A-lined skirt to the limit. He had been involved with numerous stunning women but this was his first encounter ever with a perfect hour glass shaped beauty. He pulled in a deep breath and stared at her like a hungry lion stalking his tender prey.

^^^^^

Today was Jasmine’s eighteenth birthday. She had also recently finished her senior year in high school in Massachusetts and was home in Mississippi for the summer. She had spent the last two hours at the Hoover Mall shopping for a birthday present for herself and had purchased a new fragrance. She exited the mall into the parking deck. After surveying the parking deck for traffic she put her head down and began pondering her plans for the rest of her birthday.

After eight or ten steps she walked into an obstruction that she could not readily recognize. She was stunned and dazed and closed her eyes, contemplating what could she have walked into that suddenly halted her moving forward. She was certain she had made sure she had a clear path to her car before stepping out into the parking deck. Not anxious to discover what fate had befallen her, she immediately closed her eyes tight to recapture her composure before she looked upward.

When she eventually opened her eyes and looked up she was staring into an unrecognizable object that she discerned vaguely through the fog in her head to be darkly tinted and then she was even more confused now than she was before she opened her eyes. Being an avid sci-fi follower, Trekkie fan, she likened this experience to having been transported to another time zone or beamed to a parallel universe and waiting for the object to dissipate revealing something totally bizarre to her.

As if reading her mind the object obstructing her forward movement started moving downward slowly and unhurriedly, no faster than the speed of the second hand on a watch. Gradually the face of a very handsome African-American man with vanilla caramel colored skin and a curly crop of medium length black hair began to emerge behind the slowly moving object.

Jasmine was virtually paralyzed, still trying to process this strange phenomenon. She thought she was being punked!

The handsome man’s eyes stared at her as if holding her body in a tractor beam while slowly scanning her over from her head to her feet, and then continued repeating the cycle, smiling fervidly as he was admiring what he saw. But she was powerless to move, as if she was being held in suspended animation.

Paralyzed and recoiling from his constant staring she focused her eyes downward to his neatly trimmed heavy mustache and full lips, then she moved her gaze upward to his round shaped nose and continued upward to his eyes, dark as coal, so black they appeared to have no pupils but seemed to possess the ability of looking past her clothes and deep into her soul. His eyelashes were so long and curly they appeared to dance when he blinked. His black eyebrows were symmetrical and naturally arched. Silky, black hair covered his head in large Shirley Temple-like ringlets. His broad shoulders were covered in a beige short sleeve shirt that accentuated his muscular arms and pronounced biceps. He epitomized what sexy and handsome meant! She had read about men that looked like him but never dreamed she would see one up close and personal.

By now the fog was lifting from inside her head and her vision was improving. She now had a complete view of the stranger in a sitting position. She guesstimated he was not a short person but couldn't accurately apprise how tall he actually was. She glanced sideways and realized the tinted object that she had envisioned being somehow attached to a spaceship was actually a darkly tinted window attached to a big car. A sleek, black shiny Cadillac. She smiled. She glanced back at the man. He was still scanning her up and down. Suddenly they were staring into each other’s eyes, both of them speechless.

He was still smiling and admiring what he was seeing, and emitting the impression he was seeing past her clothes to her naked body. Now that he had a clear picture of her beautiful face she was the prettiest female he had seen on this side of the Mississippi River, or any other side of the Mississippi River. She was deliciously tantalizing and he wanted to reach out and touch her to make sure she was real.

Jasmine lowered her gaze in an attempt to repel the ferocity of his eyes. Her entire body suddenly felt hot as if she had contracted a fever. Her consciousness continued to be surrounded in confusion. She was desperately striving to get a handle on how she found herself in this unprecedented situation.

His gaze raked over her once again from her crop of expertly cut hair, longer on the left of her face, to her beautiful face, past her perky breasts to her tiny waist, to her well-rounded hips and a gorgeous pair of legs. Never had he been so completely slammed by a woman at first sight. He broke the silence first. “You walked into my car”, he said casually, with a wry grin on his face. His voice was deep, inviting and seductive as his mysterious black eyes locked onto her deep brown eyes.

She felt the heat rise from her toes to the top of her head. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She couldn't breathe. Still perplexed but attempting to gain control of this situation, she inhaled deeply and responded in her sweet, sexy, babyish voice. “Forgive me, sir. I am so sorry for not watching where I was going. I really should be more careful. Just a couple of days ago my rear end backed into a rider on a bicycle and knocked him to the ground.” She stopped talking, realizing how silly she must sound after making such a ridiculous statement.

Paul dropped his head so she wouldn't see him laughing, imagining her exquisitely-shaped behind toppling a bicycle.

“Don't apologize,” Paul said seductively. “Actually, I saw you standing here and drove up purposefully to block your path. That was easy to do since you were so intense in whatever it was you that had you looking down. I thought you would look up and see my car coming toward you but you never did. Whatever had your attention must have been very important. You really should be more cautious when you are walking in areas like this.”

Jasmine’s attention pivoted from admiration to lucid annoyance toward the handsome stranger. She gazed sternly into his mystical coal black eyes, hoping her evil-eye look transferred to him her disapproval of his comments. If her disapproving look was meant to deter his sexist quips it didn't work.

“You are the prettiest size ten living doll I have seen all year and you were so intense in what you were thinking about it would have been very easy to sweep you away. Fortunately for you, I am a perfect gentleman and not that kind of person, but I would like to get to know you. How old are you?” A lazy smile creased his lips. He lifted his eyebrows while licking his lips with his moistened tongue.

Her face got hot. She needed air. Her mouth felt dry. She opened her mouth and willed herself to speak. “Eighteen,” she said flippantly, trying to minimize the uncomfortable feeling she was experiencing from her face down to her toes from him staring at her.

His eyebrows shot up and his dark eyes widened. Taken aback at her stated age he swallowed hard to mask his surprise. His eyes raked her over up and down several times before he spoke again. He recognized a semblance of innocence in her face but her killer body was telling a different story. Disbelieving what he had just heard and annoyed, thinking she was pretending to be so young he frowned sternly at her. “Are you really eighteen, or is that what you say when you perceive someone is being a nuisance to you and you want to brush them off?” He estimated her age to be at least twenty-one.

She flipped her head backwards, allowing her hair to swing around her pretty face, and laughed with confidence. “Honestly, I am eighteen. Today is my birthday and I have my driving license to prove it.” She reached in her purse and produced her license and proudly passed it to the handsome stranger with her tiny hands. He took it unhesitatingly, gazed at it, then at her. He feasted his eyes back at her lovely face with a much softer look. “Well, Miss Jasmine Johns, 'Happy Birthday' to you.”

Red light! He should keep it moving right now but he had been instantly captivated by her beauty and poise. Scanning her ripe curves, he had to stop his tongue from falling out of his mouth. She had a body made for loving. He could not recall encountering an eighteen year old female looking like her anywhere, ever. Never had he experienced a strong sexual attraction this quick, immediate and deep before to any woman of any age!

“You look fantastic and you articulate your words so well it is hard to believe you are so young. My name is Paul Shelton, but everyone calls me 'Candy'. I am the owner of the 'Soul Haven Restaurant' near here. Perhaps you have heard of it or know of the location.”

A gigantic smile appeared on her beautiful face. “Hi, Mr. Paul 'Candy' Shelton. I am pleased to meet you, and I am vaguely aware of the existence of your restaurant but I have never been there.” Feeling empowered to be flippant, she arched her eyebrows and retorted confidently: “How old are you?”

Amused by her bodacious reply, he locked eyes with hers in a juvenile stare-down. He presented her license back to her, but when she gripped them he continued to hold onto them. “How old do you think I am?”

She frowned and looked at him and studied his features. His eyes were dark and unreadable as if he was wearing sunglasses. He was extremely handsome and apparently intelligent. “Well, I would guess around twenty-six or twenty-seven.”

He smiled and thought about allowing her to think he was in his twenties. But he was not one who liked to deceive. It could only cause problems later. “I am thirty-two, but it is not my birthday”, he answered softly. Unable to read her nonchalant expression, he grinned shyly. “May I call you?” Waiting for a response, he watched her, fascinated, as her little pink tongue moved slowly over her bottom lip. The sight of her tongue sent a warm sensation through his body.

She pulled in a deep breath and the wheels in her brain began turning and trying to process this information. His age startled her. She imagined him being somewhere in his mid-twenties but thirty-two was a bit intimidating. Regardless of how old he actually was or was not, she was flattered this good looking man wanted her telephone number. Nevertheless, she was also a little skeptical about giving it to him. She was unsure of conversing with an older man on a personal level and it caused a bit of concern in her inquisitive mind.

She gnawed on her bottom lip for a few moments. Had she not spent the last few years away from her small town and been exposed to a lot of friendly, outgoing people, she would have been petrified to talk to a man alone. But since the age of fifteen she had lived in an eastern town with a major state university and an all-male college. She had been around many male college students in Massachusetts so she felt comfortable in handling herself with older males. However, if this man was telling the truth, he was as old as some of her teachers. There were definitely some peculiar feelings emerging here that she had no experience in handling. 'How intriguing and scary.’

She looked mysteriously at him holding onto her license and he perceived she was not amused with him not relinquishing her license back to her possession. Continuing to gaze into her eyes, he slowly released her license to her, but during the transfer he squeezed her hand and rubbed the back of it gently with his other hand. His stare unnerved her and breathing a sigh of relief her license was back in her possession she quickly returned it to her purse.

She took a pen and pad from her purse. “Why don't I call you?” He stared lustfully at her for a moment, sighed deeply. “Okay.” My number is five-seven-eight-five-nine-nine-seven.” His eyes never veered away from her gorgeous body or beautiful face. She opened her beaded covered pink note pad which contain pale pink sheets of paper and wrote his telephone number with her matching pink beaded ink pen. She looked up from her pad and met his gaze.

“What is your wife going to say about a young lady calling you?”

He smiled, amused at her directness. “I am a businessman, so I get many calls all during the day and night. But don't worry, I am not married; I have never been married.”

Her inquisitive antennae emerged. “Why not?” Her gaze raked over him once again.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I have been too busy with my restaurant and some other businesses to find myself a significant other.” He felt she was too young to understand he was not a one-woman kind of man. Constantly scanning her curves, he had to stop his tongue from falling out of his mouth. She had one hell of a body. Too much power for an eighteen year old young lady!

Jasmine continued writing but listening tentatively, wondering if he was being truthful. Every time he spoke she could feel her face flushing and she could feel his eyes were focused on her as if he was undressing her. His voice was so deep, sexy, and self-assuring, and she felt very uneasy. She passed a slip of paper to him. “Now you have my number.”

He took the slip of paper and looked at it suspiciously, then at her, wandering if it was really her number. His handsome good looks had gotten him many phone numbers and his little black book was full of numbers that he never called. This time he felt different. He desperately wanted this to be the right number.

“Your fragrance is driving me crazy. What are you wearing?”

“Heaven Sent. My friends and teammates prefer Ambush and Tabu but I find those fragrances a little too bold for my taste.”

“It smells very nice on you.” 'And appropriately named'. He smiled inwardly.

“Thank you kindly, sir.” She crossed her legs and curtsied. She looked at her watch. “Oops! I'm sorry, but I have to go. My mom gave me only two hours for this shopping trip.” She wanted to stay longer and converse with this man who was deeply intriguing, but didn't want to be late returning home and jeopardizing her chances of using her mother's car again.

His heart sank as she spoke. He didn't want her to leave until he knew more about her. He had envisioned wrapping her dazzling body in his arms. That was prior to him finding out she was only eighteen. Her young age status presented many more complicated issues than he had anticipated encountering when he first laid eyes on her. He had never been involved with anyone so young but this vision of loveliness was prompting him to break all his safe rules and walk a little on the wild side, if she was willing. He sighed. “Okay, Cinderella. I will talk to you soon.”

She nodded and took five steps back from the car, not trusting the rubber-like sensation she was feeling in her legs to move too much farther but she had regained some control of her senses and she certainly didn't want her feet in the way when he drove away.

Paul reluctantly shifted his car out of park and moved it into drive. As he was slowly driving away, he was looking in the rear view mirror at the beauteous young girl that resembled a fully developed woman. He was still smiling but swearing to himself for not being able to influence her attention to remain in his company any longer to gain more information about her. She had stimulated him more than he could ever remember being after a chance encounter with a female. Her youngness did not deter his testosterone level from skyrocketing. He had to become acquainted with her and failure to make her part of his being was not an option. He drew in a deep, steadying breath as he tried to get his heart rate under control, while at the same time ignore the throbbing in his groin.

Jasmine was in her car driving and blushing endlessly from her checks to her toes. All the way home she couldn't stop thinking about this virile, robust man who had asked for her phone number. He was absolutely gorgeous and sexy, but she must have been feverish at the time for giving him her number. However, he conveyed the impression of being warm. His voice had been so deep and rich and sexy and it persisted to impress her though he was no longer in her company. She could still hear his deep, rich baritone voice ringing in her ears. And his smile made her conscious of an inner turmoil, and a queasy feeling, almost like she wanted to upchuck. She was feeling things she had never felt before. She found herself instantly attracted to this man. There was something intriguing and mysterious about him and she was interested to find out what was confusing her senses. She was flattered an older man thought she was pretty! He completely validated what she thought about herself when she looked in the mirror – she was an exceptionally good-looking young woman!

^^^^^

Paul arrived at his restaurant and smiled as he saw the public parking lot was still crowded late in the afternoon. Business was good. He entered the restaurant through the private entrance and went directly to his office to begin an afternoon of meetings with his accountant, business manager, restaurant manager, and entertainment director for his private club. He was unable to focus on any issues with visions of Jasmine running through his mind. For the past year and a half his private gentlemen's club had undergone structural changes inside and he had been celibate, denying his body and freeing his mind to totally concentrate on overseeing the renovations. But now that the renovations were done his body was reminding him it had a need that was long overdue. This was his explanation to himself for having a sexual interest in Jasmine, such a young woman, when he totally preferred older, more experienced women. He had dated across a wide spectrum of women and quite a few of them had become part of his escort service. They were all very lovely with plenty to offer, but he never got emotionally attached and always warned he was not looking for committment. Of course, some didn’t believe him, thinking they would be the exception to his rule. And he would have to shut them down. But there was something very special about Jasmine. He didn’t know what it was but he wanted the opportunity to find out why he was so attracted to her. His foremost priority of being with any woman was usually to interest her in joining his escort service. But his interest in Jasmine was different, or was it?

Two days later Paul called the number Jasmine had given him. The phone only rang two times before someone answered but to him it felt like time without end. His apprehension of not having a valid phone number was appeased when she answered the phone. He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Her 'hello' was undeniably sultry and at the same time girlish. He was astounded by her captivating phone voice and it rendered him momentarily speechless. He could feel his pulse quickening so he took a deep breath before he spoke. “May I please speak to Jasmine?”

Her heart did back flips! She had spent the last couple of days shuffling between wandering if he would ever call her and lamenting to her because he had not called her. She replied, shakily. “This is Jasmine.”

He himself was relieved this sultry voice belonged to Jasmine. After rewinding the sound of her voice in his head he asked her how she was doing. She replied gleefully she was doing great. He paused and took a deep breath. “Can I take you to lunch today to celebrate your recent monumental birthday?”

Her heart started pounding! She swallowed but the lump growing inside her throat was impeding her ability to speak. “Yup”, she answered finally and ecstatically.

He exhaled a sigh of relief. “What time do you want me to pick you up?”

“Oh, no! You can't pick me up here! My mother would never allow it! I will meet you in the mall parking deck where we met. Do you remember the spot?”

“Level C west. I will never forget. It is imbedded in my mind eternally.”

“Okay, Mr. Shelton. I will meet you at 12:30 pm.”

“Okay, ma'am, 12:30 pm it is. But please, Miss Jasmine, call me 'Paul'.” She quickly retorted. “Okay, Paul, I will see you later.”

Paul was ecstatic she had agreed to see him. Not under any condition had he ever encountered a problem pursuing or being pursued by women. But now he felt like a school boy about to go on his first date. In fact, he was even more apprehensive now than he remembered being when he actually went on his first date many, many years ago! He scolded himself for his weakness and tried to ignore the sexual urges gripping him and encouraging him to lust after such a young woman. He was becoming more captivated with her and was mapping out a plan in his head how to make her become part of his life. Her non-southern accent which was unmistakable different from other women he had encountered around this area was truly impressive. He loved the sound of her babyish voice. There was something about it that activated his primitive nature. Under aged for him or not she had stirred his interest from the moment he had laid his eyes on her.

Jasmine was ecstatic that this older man had in fact called her. She had never had anyone approximating his charm and good looks be remotely interested in her. Nevertheless she was very uneasy about being in the company of someone so much older and worldlier than herself. She could feel herself tingling warmly all over her body and felt very flushed in the face. She was experiencing more anxiety right now than she did before a half-time performance leading her high school marching band as the drum majorette. She had to share her news with Nancy, her closest friend in Massachusetts.

“I met the most incredible, gorgeous man a few days ago and he called and invited me to lunch at his restaurant.”

“And exactly how old is this man that owns a restaurant?” Jasmine’s friend Nancy inquired on the phone from her home in Massachusetts as she laid across her bed.

“His thirty-two and the sexiest man I have ever seen,” Jasmine crooned.

“Have you lost your mind? He is a predator and he smells fresh meat.”

“It’s just lunch. I’ll keep you posted.” Jasmine hung up the phone and started preparing for her date. She knew she would have to compose herself and exhibit an innocent façade before she faced her mother to ask to borrow the car. She sat on her bed to practice her spill to her mother. When she was satisfied with her speech she put on her innocent look and asked for the car to visit the park. Her mother gave her the keys willingly.

She took a warm water baby oil bath and applied baby lotion all over her body and dressed in a light blue sleeveless dress stretched to the limit by her curvaceous hips. The dress stopped slightly above the knees, drawing attention to her splendidly sculptured legs. Her navy blue sandals exposed her perfectly painted red toes. She meticulously applied her new fragrance behind her ears, knees, on her wrists and elbows. She looked at her reflection from all sides in her full length mirror behind her bedroom door and admired what she saw looking back at her. She felt all systems were set to go to present herself in the company of this older man.

^^^^^

Paul was already seated in his car in the parking deck patiently waiting when she drove up. He was anxious to avail himself of her loveliness and had made sure he was strategically located in the perfect place when she arrived to behold her beautiful body. His loins began aching while she was still seated in the car.

She emerged from the green Chevrolet Impala and carefully walked to the driver's side of his car, looking down for any objects that she might trip over and cause herself embarrassment.

His mouth flew open and he could only sit behind the wheel and stare. She was more beautiful than he remembered at their first meeting. She literally took his breath away. He sat captivated as he watched her stroll toward him. He realized this was the first time he had seen her walk and it was a real sight to behold as she glided toward him as if she was promenading a runway as a fashion model or a contestant in a beauty pageant. Her walk literally had his pants bursting at the zipper. She stopped at his window and smiled. His car window was already down and his eyes roved over her body like a laser beam, admiring every section and imagining what the outer covering was hiding from his view. His testosterone level was too high to register causing his mind to be boggled. He was speechless for a few seconds. He grinned widely. “Hi, beautiful. I see you walked into my car again.”

Jasmine laughed and responded softly. “I saw it this time.” She felt uncomfortable already just from hearing his deep, sexy voice. She felt as though she should make up an excuse to run away back to her car and drive away.

He inhaled her scent while she stood at his car window. “Hmmm. You smell positively marvelous, different from the other day. What fragrance is that?” The scent of her alluring fragrance filled his nostrils and increased his pulse while he was covertly praising her beautiful body outlined in the fitting blue dress and envisioning her shapely legs wrapped around his waist. Simply speaking, she was indescribable! She was drop dead gorgeous and a natural beauty; she was not wearing any make-up but she had a natural glow to her perfect oval shaped face. The clear lip gloss shining against her luscious lips making them appear very kissable. Her dress outlined her flawless figure, accentuated her small waist and hugged her elegantly sculptured hips. He felt the heat rise in his loins as he thought: 'Mother Nature outdid herself with this one.’

“Flora Danica, my birthday present to myself.”

“I like it.” Her fragrance was sexy and flowery, but very soft. 'She smells delicious enough to eat. How could I be so lucky to find a treasure like this?'

He was experiencing a boat-load of emotions about her - joy, apprehension, adoration, fear, and most overwhelmingly, excitement. He was contemplating the best course of action to use to get better acquainted with her and at the same time maintain his freedom from jail. He could be arrested just for thinking about want he wanted to do to her. She had captured his mind. She had poise and class and was too beautiful to be real. He wanted her in his company, in his arms, in his bed. And he intended to get to know her better, whether it was right or all wrong.

Jasmine was looking at him with admiration and silent questions of her own. She stepped back when he started to open his car door. He emerged from the car slowly, exposing his powerful shoulders and great body. He was clad in tailored black slacks and a black short sleeve Ralph Lauren polo shirt. His shiny black Italian shoes added elegance to his appearance. He oozed confidence.

It was her first time seeing him standing and she was spellbound. He was taller than he appeared sitting in the car, maybe six foot two or taller and powerfully built. 'His height definitely adds to his sex appeal while his curly locks gave him a devilish, boyish look. She felt a little intimidated standing next to him with her five feet five inch frame.

Paul placed her hand in his hand and led her around the front of his car to the passenger side and opened the door for her. After she was seated, he placed her seat belt around her and closed the door and returned to the driver's seat. After he belted himself in the driver’s seat he started the car engine and looked over at her, beaming. “Good afternoon, precious. You are more beautiful today than you were when I first saw you.” It took all the willpower he could muster to prevent him from leaning over kissing her.

“Thank you, Paul,” she said in a low, babyish voice. You look good too.” She could actually feel the blood pumping furiously through her veins. “May I ask where are we going?”

“Monroe Avenue, where my restaurant is located. Is that okay?”

“Yup.” He smiled to himself, watching her through his peripheral vision. He was praying he could keep his eyes on the road and get them there safely.

The song 'Let's Stay Together' from Al Greene's Greatest Hits CD was playing as he slowly drove through the parking deck. Both were silent for a while. He glanced over at Jasmine and could tell she was a bit nervous about being alone with him. He was desperately trying to control the erotic sensation he was feeling being close to her, very much aware of the danger he was putting himself in being in her company with her being so young. He told himself it was okay since he had not coerced her and she had met him voluntarily and he had not made any elicit advances toward her. He kept stealing glances at her while he was driving. He was deeply intrigued by her beauty and poise and the scent of her was intoxicating. He couldn't help wondering if her skin tasted as sweet as the fragrance she was wearing. He sighed to calm his nerves.

Jasmine was so excited about being with this older man her stomach was doing flips. The manly smell of his musky fragrance was different than the young men she was accustomed to being around and it was making her dizzy.

Paul was the first to speak. “Tell me about you. What school did you attend? What hobbies do you have?”

She hesitated before speaking in an attempt to regulate her breathing. She spoke in her puerile voice. “I just recently graduated from high school in Massachusetts. I am here for the summer, but will be leaving in August to attend college.”

He swiftly turned his head in her direction. Taken totally surprised by her answer, he didn't wait for a response to his other question. “What?! Are you not from here?! I didn't think you might be just visiting for the summer and not live here. I should have since you talk so differently.”

She laughed giddily. “Calm down, please. I do live here.” She explained she lived here but was attending school in Massachusetts on scholarship. She shared with him her desire to attend college there and eventually obtain her master’s degree in nursing.

His enthusiasm waned a bit. He envisioned having found a rare prize for himself but was now not sure how to proceed with his quest if she already had contemplated what direction she wanted to pursue for herself. But he would not be dismayed yet.

Unsure of what to say he was silent for a moment before he spoke. “There are more profitable businesses in life than being a nurse, like the restaurant business. But let's not talk about that now. Let's just enjoy our lunch; we are at the restaurant.”