Nella nods.
“Of course. You were barely out of childhood, so it’s completely understandable.”
I smile and squeeze her hand, taking a deep breath. I have to say, this is not where I anticipated going tonight, but I’m glad Nella’s such a good listener. And, I suppose, it feels nice to finally open up to someone.
“I guess that’s a big part of the reason me and Justin are so close. We were close before then, but he really stepped up when my parents passed away. You know he’s quite a bit older than me, right? Maybe five years doesn’t seem like a lot, but he’s mature, I’ll give him that.”
She shakes her head.
“I had no idea,” is her low voice.
I smile in a lopsided manner then.
“Well, back then, Justin wasn’t doing so well financially because he hadn’t opened up NYC Repo yet. He was living in a trailer and hanging out with a pretty rough crew, but despite all that, he stepped in and gave me the guidance I needed. I spent a lot of time over at the trailer with him, and as you already know, he gave me a job when he finally opened the repo center.”
Then, I take a deep breath. Enough with the sob stories. I’ve already revealed a lot about myself, and it’s strange to be this vulnerable with another person. Instead, I turn to Nella.
“What about you? What’s your family like?” I ask. She smiles gently.
“There isn’t much to tell, to be honest. My parents divorced when I was a kid, and my dad was pretty hurt by the whole process, so he took off. He pops back in from time to time to check in on me but I’m not close with him at all. My mom still lives in Williamsburg, and we get together here and there.”
“Do you have siblings?” I question.
“No, I was an only child.”
“Me too.” I respond. We sit in silence for a while, our hands still linked. Finally, Nella turns to me with a warm smile.
“I’m glad you texted me tonight,” she murmurs. I wrap my arm around her and pull that curvy form close to me.
“I am too,” I mutter with my lips pressed into her hair. Her locks smell like a fresh ocean breeze, and I inhale deeply. Peace flows over me, and my shoulders sag with released stress.
“Mmm, what is that shampoo?” I exclaim. She laughs and looks up at me, those big brown eyes sparkling with joy, and I can’t help myself. I pull her in and kiss her. Within minutes, our hands have reached for one another again, but it feels right. Emotionally and physically, I’m attracted to Nella, and getting set up with her is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.
6
Paul
It’s now been three months since my first night with Nella. It’s been an incredible experience, and definitely more than what I expected from a blind date. Heck, I’d say this experience has blown my expectations out of the water, and that I should thank Marley on my knees for setting me up with the gorgeous woman.
After all, for ninety days now I’ve been enjoying every second of my time with Nella. We’ve done it all: we’ve gone to fancy restaurants as well as local diners known for their greasy food. Sometimes we attend high brow events like the opera or theater, but sometimes we stay in and stream the latest blockbuster action flick. Nella likes it all, and I enjoy spending time with her. It wouldn’t matter if we were doing nothing more than chatting on the couch, I enjoy being with her so much.
But now it’s time to meet her mom. Nella wasn’t so open to the idea, but I convinced her that it was okay.
“Who was that, babe?” I asked when she got off the phone earlier this week. She was lying on the couch wearing nothing but my t-shirt, feet propped up over the back of the sofa. I caught a few good glances of her bottom as I went about my business in the penthouse but managed to keep my hands off her as she chatted.
“Ugh, it’s just my mom,” Nella said, swinging her feet down to the ground with a sigh. “Susan’s going to be in town on business next weekend and wants to pencil in a lunch with me. Pencil in a lunch? Can you believe that? I’m her daughter! It’s as if she can’t commit to anything, thus the need for a pencil and an eraser,” she says darkly. Then, my girlfriend puts her phone down on the table and shakes her head. She’s never said much about her parents, other than that they were divorced, and now I see why. It’s clearly a touchy subject.
“So your mom talks in business lingo, but what’s the big deal Nell? She wants to see you. That’s what matters.”