Chapter 4
Every little thing gonna be alright...
And this is my smile,
that I've never shown before...
Mae rushed into the coffee shop like an excited child on Christmas morning. Kate saw her and waved her over.
“You hit the lottery or something? I can’t remember the last time I saw you this way.”
“I sold the house! Oh, Kate, I’m so happy. Made a nice little profit on it, too.”
“That’s great, we should celebrate with drinks later.” As if Kate needed a reason for drinks.
“I close in thirty days.” Mae was giddy.
“Thirty days? You don’t have a new place yet, do you?”
“Well, there is something else I need to tell you.” Mae’s smile faded. “I’m moving.”
“Yep, that’s what people do when they sell their house.”
“No, I mean, I’m moving, away. Florida.” Mae felt a pang of sadness at the idea of leaving Kate.
“Florida? Why? Nothing but old people and enormous insects in Florida! Why would you want to go there?” Kate looked disappointed.
"I found a cottage on Sanibel Island, one that I could afford. It’s my island, Kate. I’m going to live on an island!” Mae couldn’t help but smile. “Walking distance to the beach!”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving. What did George say? Did you tell him you’re quitting?”
“Oh, I’m not quitting. I hardly ever go to the office anyway. I talked to George, he said email is fine, and we can Skype meetings. And when I have to, I’ll fly back. It’s only 2 hours.”
“I don’t know what to say, except, I’m going to miss you.” Kate’s voice was barely a whisper.
“You should come with me! The place is big enough for the two of us.” Mae got excited at the prospect.
“I can’t go. My sales territory is here, how can I leave? I’d have to get a new job.”
“I know, it was a crazy thought. Well, it’s not certain yet. I’m flying down next week to look at the place. If all is good, I’m going to put my deposit down and sign papers.”
Kate grabbed Mae’s hand and told her, “I’m happy for you, Mae. I really am. I’m happy that you’re happy.”
“I feel free.” Mae beamed.
It was just the season...
Mae just finished her meeting with George at the coffee house and was typing some notes when she saw a figure heading towards her table. Her cheeks warmed and turned a pale shade of pink. She knew it was Dan coming towards her. She saw him earlier, but hoped he hadn’t noticed her. Her heart beat faster as he approached. Her fingers stopped moving, when she heard his voice.
“Hey,” he paused briefly, “Mae, how are you?”
Without looking up, or even exposing any outward sign of distress, she coolly replied, “hi,” and began typing again.
“Mae?”
“Yes?” There was no way she would let him see her discomfort.
“How are you?” He said it slowly.
“Fine… and you?” She spoke just as slowly, still refusing to look at him.
“Can I join you?” His words were softer now.
Finally, Mae looked up at him, his handsome face made her momentarily breathless, and she gestured to the empty chair with a nod. She was trying to be stoic, and impenetrable, though she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“Always the gentleman, aren’t you Dan?” She said once he was seated across from her.
He laughed at her comment. “Ah, she does recognize me, I was beginning to wonder.”
His laugh rattled her.
“Do you remember our date?” His voice was soft.
“Is that what you call it? “A date” seems too innocent a term to use.”
Dan didn’t respond.
She looked him in the eye, “Of course, I don’t make a habit of behaving so outrageously with…stran, strangers. That being the case, you’re pretty much a stand-out memory.”
He grinned, “I like stand out. I didn’t think you recognized me. I saw you come in, you looked right at me, or right through me.” He said it without accusation.
“What did you expect me to do? Yell across the room, HEY remember me? Oh wait, let me take my clothes off maybe that will help!”
He let out a little laugh, but quickly stopped.
“It shouldn’t be surprising that I remember you, Dan.” Mae went in for the kill. “What’s shocking is that you remember me! After all, I was just one… of many.”
“Ouch. You think I’m a jerk, don’t you?”
“No.”
“C’mon, you think I’m some jerk who took advantage of you, don’t you?” He grinned at her.
“No, I don’t think you’re a jerk, not at all.” Mae said it quietly, and she meant it.
“But…you think I took advantage of you?”
Mae lowered her eyes and answered him with coy smile.
“Great, I’m a non-jerk, jerk who took advantage of you.” His voice was even.
“No, I didn’t say that. I think you’re a gentleman.” She smiled at him.
“Oh, I'm a gentleman, who took advantage of you?” He asked incredulously.
“Yes.” She smiled. “You were so polite about it.”
“I wanted to see you again.” He seemed sincere. “You disappeared. It’s not that I haven’t thought about you, I have.”
“During dry spells, no doubt.” She said with raised brows.
Dan looked defeated by her comment, he didn’t answer.
“I’m sorry. I knew what I was getting into with you.”
“With ME? You closed your account, you changed your number. I didn’t even know your last name. How was I supposed to contact you?”
“Marino.” They both giggled.
“Kelly. Daniel Kelly, nice to meet you Mae Marino.” He put his hand out to shake hers.
“I have to get back to work for a meeting. But, I'd like to see you again. Can I call you, sometime?”
“I’m leaving for Florida tomorrow. I’m probably moving there.”
“Oh. Well, can I get your number anyway, in case I get down that way?”
She wrote down her cell and handed it to him, just in case.
“I really liked you, Mae.”
“I wasn’t ready for you.”
Mae left the coffee shop, with a bounce in her high-heeled step, without tripping, even once.
“Hey,” he paused briefly, “Mae, how are you?”
Without looking up, or even exposing any outward sign of distress, she coolly replied, “hi,” and began typing again.
“Mae?”
“Yes?” There was no way she would let him see her discomfort.
“How are you?” He said it slowly.
“Fine… and you?” She spoke just as slowly, still refusing to look at him.
“Can I join you?” His words were softer now.
Finally, Mae looked up at him, his handsome face made her momentarily breathless, and she gestured to the empty chair with a nod. She was trying to be stoic, and impenetrable, though she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“Always the gentleman, aren’t you Dan?” She said once he was seated across from her.
He laughed at her comment. “Ah, she does recognize me, I was beginning to wonder.”
His laugh rattled her.
“Do you remember our date?” His voice was soft.
“Is that what you call it? “A date” seems too innocent a term to use.”
Dan didn’t respond.
She looked him in the eye, “Of course, I don’t make a habit of behaving so outrageously with…stran, strangers. That being the case, you’re pretty much a stand-out memory.”
He grinned, “I like stand out. I didn’t think you recognized me. I saw you come in, you looked right at me, or right through me.” He said it without accusation.
“What did you expect me to do? Yell across the room, HEY remember me? Oh wait, let me take my clothes off maybe that will help!”
He let out a little laugh, but quickly stopped.
“It shouldn’t be surprising that I remember you, Dan.” Mae went in for the kill. “What’s shocking is that you remember me! After all, I was just one… of many.”
“Ouch. You think I’m a jerk, don’t you?”
“No.”
“C’mon, you think I’m some jerk who took advantage of you, don’t you?” He grinned at her.
“No, I don’t think you’re a jerk, not at all.” Mae said it quietly, and she meant it.
“But…you think I took advantage of you?”
Mae lowered her eyes and answered him with coy smile.
“Great, I’m a non-jerk, jerk who took advantage of you.” His voice was even.
“No, I didn’t say that. I think you’re a gentleman.” She smiled at him.
“Oh, I'm a gentleman, who took advantage of you?” He asked incredulously.
“Yes.” She smiled. “You were so polite about it.”
“I wanted to see you again.” He seemed sincere. “You disappeared. It’s not that I haven’t thought about you, I have.”
“During dry spells, no doubt.” She said with raised brows.
Dan looked defeated by her comment, he didn’t answer.
“I’m sorry. I knew what I was getting into with you.”
“With ME? You closed your account, you changed your number. I didn’t even know your last name. How was I supposed to contact you?”
“Marino.” They both giggled.
“Kelly. Daniel Kelly, nice to meet you Mae Marino.” He put his hand out to shake hers.
“I have to get back to work for a meeting. But, I'd like to see you again. Can I call you, sometime?”
“I’m leaving for Florida tomorrow. I’m probably moving there.”
“Oh. Well, can I get your number anyway, in case I get down that way?”
She wrote down her cell and handed it to him, just in case.
“I really liked you, Mae.”
“I wasn’t ready for you.”
Mae left the coffee shop, with a bounce in her high-heeled step, without tripping, even once.
Ending unplanned...
Back to Chapter 3