Clankety-clank, clankety-clank, clankety-clank, thump.
Aw crap crap crap! I groaned in frustration as my car gradually decreased in speed. Acting quickly I managed to pull it to the side just before it stopped completely. Just my damn luck that my car would choose to break down at this time. Putting on the blinkers I popped open the hood to take a look. Not that I actually knew what to look for, but I could at least make sure the engine wasn't going to catch on fire, right?
Maybe I had just seen way too many action movies. What were the chances a car engine actually caught on fire? Mine wasn't even smoking. It felt warm, sure, but nothing out of the ordinary. Slamming the hood down I sat down on it to weigh my options. Was there any possibility someone would rush out from one of the commercial buildings in the industrial area I was currently in, on Halloween night, to rescue a girl sitting on her hood with a pig mask over her face?
I had been on my way to a Halloween party that my friend Jen from high school convinced me to go to. I had just moved back to New England after some not-too-good years out in California. I had gone out there since my dad's job had been transferred after I graduated from high school, and my parents wanted me to go to college nearby. I hadn't liked it out there from the moment I set foot in my dorm. I woke up and came to my senses one day a few years after I graduated, realizing that there was nothing holding me back and I could return to New England where I felt more comfortable in my skin.
I sold everything I owned and bought a one-way ticket here, staying with a friend for a few months while I hunted for a job and an apartment. I finally did land a job as a junior accountant at a mid-sized company and got a cute studio apartment. Unfortunately by this time I barely had enough money left to get a good used car, so instead I had buy a cheap one, figuring I could save up in a few months' time to put a down payment on a better one, and I usually just used public transportation anyway.
And now I was stuck out here, in an unfamiliar area, with my cell phone dead because I had forgotten, again, to charge it last night, with a stinky rubbery pig mask over my head that was starting to make my face sweat.
Why couldn't I take off the pig mask, you ask? Well, it seemed to be glued to my head. It was the kind that pulled completely over your head, not the ones that only covered your face and had an elastic in the back. Jen had decided that she and I, along with another friend of ours, Caroline, should go to this party as The Three Little Pigs. When I had gotten home from work, I changed into a knee-length black dress and black leggings. I decided to try on the mask for the first time ever. It had been a tight fit and I had to pull on it quite hard before I finally managed to get it on. And then I couldn't take it off again without injuring myself. I was already running late so I simply grabbed my purse, my camera, a knitted black hat in case it got too cold, my plaid pea coat and left in a hurry, figuring I could try to take it off later and that it probably wasn't too unusual to see masked people driving around on Halloween.
It was starting to get dark and cold and I thought maybe I should go sit by the side of the road. It seemed to be facing a street that was a little busier. Maybe someone nice would stop and let me use his or her cell phone. I locked the doors to the car and walked over to the side. I made myself as comfortable as possible on the hard cement surface and laid out my black camera and hat next to me and put on my pea coat. This was so not how I pictured this evening to go.
After about fifteen minutes a car did slow down and stop in front of me. It was a nice car, a dark blue BMW actually, with tinted windows and I got a little nervous. It didn't help when the car window rolled down and I could see a male figure in the driver's seat. He flicked the interior light on and I felt relieved yet nervous again for an entirely different reason.
The driver was Seth Roberts, head IT guy at the company I worked at. I had never been officially introduced to him. My co-worker had just pointed him out to me briefly my first day, when she was showing me around. He always seemed busy and in a hurry. I thought he was very good-looking when I first saw him. He had messy black hair and deep blue eyes that seemed to twinkle with good humor. He was tall, probably around six feet, and he would tower over my five foot two frame if I ever stood next to him. He kept himself in good shape and appeared to be in his early thirties. Other than that I knew next to nothing about him.
"Hey," he said, flashing a smile at me. It lit up his features and made him look gorgeous. His eyes were friendly and kind. "You look like you need some help." I noticed then that he looked like he was trying not to laugh. I could feel myself blushing even though there was no way he could know who I was under the mask.
"Um, yeah," I said. "My car broke down. Can I use your cell phone? Mine ran out of battery."
His smile turned sympathetic. "Sure thing." I saw him reach into his pocket for his phone and then he paused and turned back to me. "Hey, I know you don't know me or anything but I was just gonna go grab a bite to eat at a place not too far from here. Care to join me? You don't have to but…I kinda figured…better than you sitting out here waiting for a tow truck."
If I hadn't sort of known Seth I probably would have declined. I was slightly paranoid and watching multiple reruns of Criminal Minds didn't seem to help that. But since I did know him, or know of him, I figured there was no harm. I shrugged, causing some of my straight, long brown hair to spill off my shoulders. "Sure."
I gathered my camera and hat together and stood up, dusting off the back of my black skirt. I heard him unlock the doors and I opened the passenger door and slid in. A wonderful smell of cologne mixed with a slightly musky scent hit my nostrils. Seth waited till I had settled myself and put on my seat belt before driving again, handing me his cell phone as he did so. There was just enough battery left on my own phone to turn it on and quickly look up the number of my neighbor and friend, Bill, who was a mechanic and actually sold me the car.
"Hello?" he answered cheerfully.
"Bill? Hey it's Vanessa. The car broke down again."
Bill laughed heartily. "Third time's the charm, huh? Ok sweetheart. Where is it?"
I told him the cross streets and he said he'd have to come by tomorrow to pick it up and bring it to his shop. He asked if I needed a ride home and I said I was on my way to a party. I thanked him and hung up.
"Do you mind if I make one more call?" I asked Seth timidly.
He shook his head and threw another grin over at me. "So your name's Vanessa, huh?"
"Yeah," I answered absently as I dialed Jen's number. At least I had hers memorized for some reason.
"I'm Seth. Nice to meet you."
I smiled at him then realized he couldn't see it with the mask on my face. "Nice to meet you too," I mumbled as I heard Jen's phone ringing. After the fourth ring she picked up.
"Hello?" she asked uncertainly. I could already hear people talking and music in the background.
"Jen, it's Vanessa," I said, talking a little louder.
"Where are you? This isn't your number. The party started half an hour ago."
"I know. My car broke down."
"What? Are you ok? Do you need me to come get you?"
"Uh," I hesitated. Where exactly was Seth taking me? "Uh, hold on a sec." I turned to Seth. "Where are we going?"
"Just a small deli. Actually it's right there," he said, nodding to the right. We had arrived at the heart of the town and I saw a cozy, small cafeteria-style deli that had Halloween decorations in the windows. Seth parked the car on the street and shut off the engine.
Before I could tell Jen where I was she exclaimed, "Who's that?"
"Who's who?" I asked, puzzled.
"I heard a guy talking to you. Are you with someone?"
"Yeah he happened to drive by. I'm using his cell phone. Mine's out of battery."
"Is he hot?"
"Jen!" I exclaimed involuntarily. I was blushing furiously again and snuck a look over at Seth. He had a smile playing on his lips as though he had guessed what Jen had just said. Maybe having a pig mask on wasn't such a bad thing after all.
"Well he was nice enough to offer you a ride. Maybe he could drive you here and join the party."
"No," I said fiercely. I was not going to have Seth Roberts come to a masked Halloween party with me. In fact he was never going to find out who he had so graciously helped. I wasn't going to get involved with a co-worker, especially since I figured he would never be interested in someone like me. And I wasn't even sure if I was ready to date. I had gotten out of a serious relationship before I moved and I was still carrying around some emotional baggage.
"Yeah, I think that's actually a great idea. Tell him your friend was a little too tipsy and he can drive you over here. Ok Vanessa? Bye!" And before I knew it she had hung up.
I groaned a little and sighed. I handed Seth's phone back to him. Stupid Jen. I couldn't believe she just did that. She'll be wracked with guilt when they find my bruised and broken body deep in the woods. Ok, scratch that thought. I knew Seth wasn't some psychotic killer. He'd just driven us to where he said he would and didn't make me feel uncomfortable.
"Everything ok?" Seth asked.
"Uh, yeah," I said awkwardly. I saw Seth look over at me and he was frowning slightly.
"No it's not," he said. "You're upset now. What'd your friend say?"
How the hell did he know? "Uh, she can't come get me. But it's ok. I'll…figure out something."
I saw Seth study me out of the corner of my eye and fidgeted nervously. Before I could come up with something to say I saw him smile a little.
"Tell you what. Let's go inside and get something to eat. At least, can you take your mask off to eat?" His smile turned wider as I looked at him. I realized then that he hadn't said anything about it this whole time.
"Actually it's stuck on my head. I can't get it off." Experimentally I tugged at the bottom and managed to raise it past my mouth, but not my nose. I shrugged sheepishly and pulled it back down. "I guess I can eat."
Seth chuckled. "Ok, let's go eat. Then I'll take you where you need to go."
"No, it's ok," I said quickly. "You've already done enough. I'm sure you have plans for the evening."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing I can't delay a little. Besides, I'm not going to leave you stranded here. Were you going to a Halloween party or something?" I nodded. "Ok, I'll just take you there after dinner. Really, it's not a problem at all."
I sighed. He really was a nice guy. And hey, I would never talk with him again after tonight, so why not spend some time with him and get to know him better than just the cute IT guy? "Ok," I said dejectedly.
Seth grinned then, looking like a little boy who just picked out his favorite toy. We got out of the car and walked into the deli.
He seemed to be a regular customer as the servers all recognized and greeted him enthusiastically. They smiled widely when they saw me but I guess since it was Halloween they didn't remark on my mask.
"Seth my boy!" a big burly man greeted him. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Vanessa," Seth said, grinning as he looked at me. "She needed a lift to a party."
The big guy smiled widely and I saw him wink at Seth before addressing me. "Hello Vanessa. You've been here before?" I shook my head. "Well let me recommend the turkey pastrami sandwich, with all the works on it. I guarantee you'll love it."
"Ok," I said, willing to try it. I was starting to feel hungry and I wasn't a picky eater. Seth ordered his own sandwich and we waited by the checkout counter. I was in the process of pulling out my wallet from my jacket when a hand on my arm stopped me.
"I got this," I heard Seth's voice say. I looked up at him to see his blue eyes twinkling again as he grinned at me.
"Uh, no," I stuttered out. "You've done more than enough for me."
He shook his head slightly, his messy hair shifting with the movement. "I insist," he said. He squeezed my arm gently and I realized then he hadn't let it go. Sighing inwardly I dropped my hand from my pocket and simply thanked him, and he removed his warm hand from my arm. I picked up my sandwich and a small plastic cup for water and stood next to Seth as he paid for our food and his drink. As I had thought he did indeed tower over me. I was wearing black flats that maybe gave me an extra inch in height so I was just barely up to his shoulder.
Seth led me to a table in a quiet corner and gave me another smile as I removed my jacket and hung it on the back of the seat before sitting down. I tugged up the bottom of the mask and managed to adjust it enough so that it wouldn't fall back down over my mouth, and noticed that he was watching my every move with amusement on his face. I blushed again and looked down to pick up my sandwich and took a bite, and I heard him start eating as well.
"Is it good?" Seth asked after we had eaten in silence for a while.
I nodded and swallowed, looking back at him as I did so. "Very. Quite possibly the best sandwich I've ever had." He beamed. He sure smiled a lot.
"So," he said, after taking a sip of his drink. "You go to school? Or work? Or both?"
I smiled as he asked if I went to school. I looked somewhat younger than my actual age and people were constantly asking if I was in school, although I had no idea how Seth guessed my age range. I shook my head, still smiling, and saw him grin back in response. "I work. I'm a junior accountant."
"Accounting huh? You like numbers?"
I shrugged. "I guess. I kinda fell into it. It's a challenge and it's interesting."
"Was that your major in college?" he asked and took a bite of his sandwich. I shook my head again.
"My major was psychology, and I minored in English." Seth's eyebrows quirked up.
"Well neither is exactly related to accounting," he said after swallowing, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
I chuckled. "I did say I just fell into it."
"I bet you get all kinds of weird responses when you tell people your major." This time I laughed out loud and I saw him chuckle as well.
"I had one lady ask me if I could read minds," I said, grinning. "She was serious about it too, and I just said yeah, I did, just to mess around, and she was looking at me all fascinated. I think she really believed me." I laughed again, recalling that memory, and Seth joined in. His laugh was rich and deep and suited him.
"What about you?" I asked, trying to be polite. "What do you do?" I knew, of course, but I wanted to learn more about him.
I could swear I saw a look of surprise flash in his face before he recovered himself and said, "I'm the head IT guy at the company I work at. It's not as glamorous as it sounds." His eyes twinkled and his lips curved up into an amused smile as he said this. I nodded. So he was a pretty humble guy.
"Were you a computer science major?" I asked.
"Yup. Programming galore. More males than females in all my classes. I actually enjoyed it though. Seems a lot of my fellow classmates didn't." By now we had both finished our sandwiches but I was in no hurry to leave, wanting to spend more time with him, and it seemed Seth wasn't either as he sat back in his chair, completely relaxed.
I smiled. "I had a friend in college who was a computer science major. She hated it." Seth chuckled. "I went to a few of her classes and almost everyone in there was either falling asleep, watching a movie on their laptop or texting. I told her we were in big trouble if this was the future of computer geeks. She actually agreed." Seth laughed again and I noticed this time how much warmth it contained. He seemed to be a perpetually happy person.
"You're not from around here, right?" he asked me suddenly, his blue eyes probing mine, as though he could see them through the mask. I wasn't sure how though. The holes weren't that big and my eyes were a dark brown color.
"I just moved here actually, a few months ago, from California." Seth nodded. "How'd you know?"
"Your accent," he said, smiling. "You don't have a New England accent." Before I could open my mouth to ask he continued, "I was a military brat, lived in all kinds of places. I picked up on differentiating accents, kind of like a hobby. That's why I don't have one either. I loved it here though, when my family was here for a few years, so I came for college and just stayed after." He paused. "So what brings you all the way here from California? And why would you give up on that fabulous weather?"
I smiled and shook my head. I hadn't bothered to pull the mask back down over my mouth after I finished eating. It was a lot cooler and comfortable to leave it the way it was while we talked, and it seemed Seth now had his eyes trained on the lower half of my face. I bit my bottom lip nervously and his eyes flicked back up. I had almost forgotten his question. "Uh, I'm actually from New Hampshire. Well actually I was born in Ohio, lived there till I was five, then moved to New Hampshire." I smiled sheepishly. My background always seemed to take so long to explain but Seth nodded patiently, telling me to go on. "My dad got transferred to California for work right after I finished high school. I mean, he knew it was coming so my parents had me apply to colleges out there, wanting me to stay near them, and I got in, spent my college years there, and after a while I realized I didn't really belong there, and I never felt at home, so I came back. And trust me, the sun is way too intense out there, and I missed the four seasons."
"How old are you?" Seth asked abruptly.
"Twenty-seven," I answered, puzzled. What did this have to do with me coming back here? Again before I could open my mouth he answered the question in my head.
"I'm thirty-two. So it took you five years after college to realize you wanted to come back?" His blue eyes were probing mine again, as though wanting me to be honest with him.
I shrugged and looked away from him. This was something I didn't really want to talk about. I started fidgeting uncomfortably. "Well something had to keep you there that long after college, if you disliked it that much," he said insistently. "A boyfriend maybe?"
"Husband, actually," I mumbled, half-hoping he wouldn't hear me, and blushed furiously. All of my old friends from high school knew about it, of course, but I hadn't exactly broadcasted this fact to anyone else. I didn't really know my co-workers that well yet and I didn't want gossip going around about me. But Seth didn't seem like the kind of person to go blabbing others' secrets. And obviously, even if he told someone about me, what exactly was there to say? All he knew was my first name, and there were Vanessas everywhere. And so what if he knew about my past relationship? It's not like he knew I actually worked with him, and I probably would never speak to him again after this. I decided to tell him, letting the mask act as my shield, to hide my real identity.
I looked back at him to see that Seth had heard me. He had the most serious expression I'd ever seen on his face, even more serious than when I'd see him sometimes sitting in his office, hard at work. I smiled a little at him. "It didn't work out, obviously. I met him in college, our freshman year. We lived in the same dorm. Got married when we were twenty, and managed to juggle a marriage and college, and then our first jobs. But he was too much of a mama's boy. She never liked me, from the beginning. I guess slowly she wormed her way into his head, telling him things about me, turning him against me." I looked away from Seth's serious eyes. They seemed to have lightened, turning into an icy blue that made me want to shiver. "He'd tell me, sometimes, what she said, and that it bothered him, but I always just shrugged it off. I thought it was just one of those never-ending arguments that every marriage has, and that we'd just have to learn to live with it." I paused, my throat going dry. "And then one day he came to me and said he'd had enough. He couldn't take it anymore from his mom, and he said it'd be better if we just split up, before we'd had kids or anything. He wanted his mom off his back." I let out a bitter laugh. "The one person he should have told to back off, he wouldn't, or couldn't." I shrugged a little. "It was for the best anyway. Near the end he had started saying a bunch of negative things about me, picking at all my supposed faults, picking on my looks…" My voice trailed off. "It was hard. Damn hard. I felt so blindsided. We were married five years. I spent the year after in a fog, or a haze. I just did things automatically to keep myself busy, like going to work, going out with the few friends I had out there. Then after a year I woke up and realized I had nothing to hold me back. It was kind of strange at first, feeling that freedom." I felt my lips curving up into a smile again as I remembered that time. "I realized I could come back here, start over, come back home, to the place where I felt most comfortable. So I did." I looked back at Seth, seeing that his eyes had gone back to their usual color, and he gave me a small, encouraging smile. "It took an extra year to save up the funds, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't land a job right away, in this economy. And so, I'm here now, and it's been such a relief to be back."
Seth was quiet for a long while, and he stared at me. I stared back at him, wondering if he knew I was, as I assumed he couldn't see my eyes very well even if it seemed like he had looked into them a few times. I realized at that moment what a kind, honest face he really had. He had picked me up, stranded after my car broke down, bought me dinner, and patiently listened to my sob story. I felt my heart ache as I admitted to myself that my far away admiration of Seth Roberts had just turned into a full blown crush, the first I'd had since my marriage fell apart.
"That's awful," he finally said softly. I just nodded in agreement. "It seems like you've done a good job though, moving on with your life. That's pretty admirable."
"Thanks," I mumbled, blushing again. I was starting to feel nervous around him, having just discovered my newfound feelings. I chided myself. What was there to be nervous about? He doesn't know who I am. He probably thinks we'll never see each other again. I forced myself to relax.
It seemed to get a little awkward after that, and Seth suggested that we leave and he'd drive me to the party that I was now two hours late for. I gave him the directions and we drove there in silence. It's for the best, Vanessa. You won't talk to him again. At least you found out what he's like. That's something right? I snuck glances over at him during the drive and he seemed to be deep in thought. He didn't once look over at me.
We arrived at the house where the party was. I turned to him. "Hey, um…thanks, for tonight. Sorry to dump all that personal stuff on you…" Seth finally flashed a smile at me, his face becoming open and friendly again.
"It's not a problem. It was nice meeting you, Vanessa."
"You too," I said awkwardly. I wasn't sure what to do next, feeling like I had to make a gesture of some sort, to show how grateful I was to him. So I stuck out my hand hesitantly and his smile became wider as he took it in his. Seth's much larger hand enveloped mine as he shook it and gave it a gentle squeeze. His hand was warm and I felt a tingle shoot through me momentarily before he let go.
I let myself out and shut the door behind me, and gave him a small wave that he acknowledged before he drove off. I stood on the driveway for a while, watching until his car turned a corner and disappeared. I sighed out loud and looked up at the clear, dark sky, littered with millions of stars. Almost reluctantly I turned and went into the party.
About a month later I was rushing around at work trying to get everything done before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately my computer decided to go on an early vacation and crashed in the morning, so I tried to do other things that didn't involve technology while I waited for someone from the IT department to help me out.
I needed to make some copies so I went into the copy room for about ten minutes, where I had to wait in line. When I came back to my cubicle I almost dropped my papers.
Seth was sitting at my computer, the sleeves of his blue button-down shirt rolled up to the elbows. His messy hair looked more ruffled than usual, as though he had run his hands through it. His brow was furrowed and he looked stressed out.
I hadn't really seen Seth since Halloween. I still saw him around the office but I always stayed out of his way. I did happen to catch his eye a few times but I always looked away quickly. Our company was big enough so that not everyone knew each other that well, which I felt excused me from openly acknowledging him.
When I got closer Seth looked up and smiled, his face relaxing completely. "Hey," he said casually, as though we spoke every day. He didn't introduce himself like I thought he might.
"Hi," I said nervously, setting my papers down on the side.
"Sorry it took so long for someone to help you. I've got a couple of guys who took a few extra days off. And of course, that's when the computers all decide to act up right?"
I chuckled. "Right. And it's ok. I've just been doing other stuff." Seth smiled again and turned back to the computer screen. I was just about to make an excuse to leave when he asked, "Any plans for Thanksgiving?"
Startled I started shuffling some papers nervously. "Uh, yeah. I'm going to New York. Going to see relatives. How about you?"
"Going down to Maryland. My parents are there now. Will you see your parents in New York?"
"Uh, no," I said, surprised he asked that. "They're out in California. I'm waiting for my vacation time to kick in before going to see them."
Seth nodded and didn't ask any further questions. I tried to keep myself busy but it was hard to concentrate standing in that small space with him. I accidentally brushed his back as I moved around and the faint scent of his cologne was making my heart beat wildly. Just when I thought I'd go crazy from nervousness I heard him stand up from my chair.
"All done," he said, grinning at me as he walked away. "Enjoy your holiday, Vanessa."
Something about the way he said my name, with warmth, with familiarity, made me wonder if he had somehow guessed that I was the one he had spent Halloween evening with. "You too, Seth," I mumbled and gave him a small smile. He nodded at me before turning to go.
Two months later I was sitting in a small coffee shop sipping hot chocolate and reading articles out of a psychology magazine. The coffee shop was cozy and seemed to be a favorite hangout of a group of four high school kids that I'd seen there several times. They seemed to be one man down today though and they all had serious looks on their faces. They were approached by two more high school students, tall, athletic-looking guys. One of them slid what looked like a cookie to the black-haired, small girl sitting between her friends, making her look up in surprise. I bit my lip to hide a smile. The guy, who had dark brown messy, disheveled hair and eyes the same color as Seth's was obviously into her. I couldn't blame him. She was really pretty with her dark eyes that at this moment sparkled with warmth as she looked at the guy with a huge smile on her face, and she seemed like a nice girl.
"Fancy seeing you here, Vanessa," came an all-too familiar voice from somewhere above me. I whipped my head from the high school students and saw Seth's blue eyes twinkling at me, a smile on his face. I smiled back widely at him.
Since we came back from the Thanksgiving holiday Seth had started visiting my cubicle regularly. At least twice a week he would stop and chat for a few minutes. At first I had been extremely puzzled by his behavior, but I soon found myself looking forward to his visits. No matter how busy or stressed out he was he always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye when he came to see me. Seeing him always made me feel warm and fuzzy and I would grin widely at him, and then we would have a random conversation.
I learned a lot about him during these little conversations. I found out he lived with an orange cat who ruled his house, he had a sister who was my age, the BMW he drove was more of living a dream of his childhood to own and drive one than for showing off, he was close to his parents, and he was allergic to dogs. But most importantly, I learned how nice, kind, thoughtful, and funny Seth really was. Not that I couldn't tell after our initial meeting, but talking to him only confirmed this further. Yet there was a quiet confidence and leadership about him that made everyone know not to mess with him. And knowing all of this just made me fall harder for him. It was a wonder to me that he didn't have a girlfriend. At least, he never mentioned one and I never asked. I preferred not to know. This information would interfere with my daydreams.
"Hey Seth," I responded.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, smiling still. I shook my head and he took the seat opposite of me. He took a sip from his coffee cup.
"What are you reading?" he asked, nodding at my magazine.
"Psychology articles," I said, flipping it shut and putting it in my purse. I thought Seth would ask why an accountant would be reading a psychology magazine but instead he just nodded as though it wasn't unusual at all.
"Do you come here often?" he asked.
I nodded. "Pretty much every Saturday. I really like it here." Seth smiled.
"Yeah me too. Plus they've got the best coffee I've ever had." He took another sip. "You have any plans today? I'd like to show you a favorite spot of mine when we're done here."
I shrugged. "Sure why not." I was curious as to where he was going to take me. Plus it meant actually spending time with him outside of work. I took the time now to notice what he was wearing. A plain black sweater and a nice pair of jeans, with a dark gray pea coat that he had hung over the back of his seat. It was simple but made him look good. With his messy black hair he looked even younger than his thirty-two years. I probably would have thought he was a graduate student.
When we were done we walked out of the coffee shop and walked side by side in a comfortable silence to wherever Seth wanted to take me. I had to admit as I snuck glances at him out of the corner of my eye that I seemed to be falling harder and harder for him every time I saw him. And I didn't know what to do about it.
We headed into what looked like a park. Even though it was really cold there were other people walking around just like we were. I pulled my black hat down more securely over my ears and stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets.
The park was a lot bigger than most other ones I'd seen here. The trees were bare and the branches looked thin and jagged amongst the few pine trees that still had green needles on them. The grass was brown and dead, with piles of dirty snow banks scattered around. Seth led me into what seemed like the heart of the park, where there was a sudden large clearing and a wide, tall, intricate fountain stood in the middle. The fountain was turned off and stood looking cold and gray against the partially cloudy sky.
"This is your favorite spot?" I asked incredulously when Seth stopped walking and simply stood there. He turned to me with a smile and shrugged apologetically.
"I know it doesn't look like much right now, but you should see it in the spring. There are flowers blooming everywhere, all different types and colors. The forest is really green, and the groundskeepers do a good job with keeping the grass green and nicely trimmed. And of course, the fountain is turned back on, and it really adds to the ambiance of this place." He paused, his blue eyes looking around. "It's really peaceful here. I like to come here and think sometimes."
I sat down on the cold, hard edge of the fountain and tried to picture the park as he described it. I could definitely see it being a favorite place of his. I smiled a little thinking how nice it would be in the spring.
Seth took a seat next to me, keeping a few inches between us. Even then I could faintly smell his cologne and just his warm presence beside me was making me feel nervous as fluttery feelings were going through me. I wanted to grab him and kiss him, to tell him how much I was longing to do that and to have him put his arms around me and hold me tightly against him. But at the same time I was scolding myself internally. Was I just feeling this way because it had been two years since I'd been that close to a man?
I stuffed my hands deeper into my pockets, determined to not let myself lose control and touch him. Seth seemed to be at ease, his body relaxed and his long legs stretched out in front of him. Suddenly he turned to me with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes. "So I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Oh?" I said, turning to him and hoping I sounded as casual as he did. Thoughts went rampant through my head. What did he want to ask? Did he want to ask me out? I found my heart was beating wildly at this thought. I wanted Seth to ask me out. I wanted to be with him, to be with this kind, funny, and amazing guy.
Seth's grin turned wider and his blue eyes captured mine. "How did you manage to get the pig mask off?"
I blinked at him, surprise and shock flooding through me. I couldn't have heard him right. "What?" I heard myself ask.
"How did you manage to get the pig mask off?" Was it just me, or had Seth moved closer to me so that I could feel the warmth coming from his body now that our arms were touching?
I stared at him, my mouth gone dry, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment as I realized at that moment that Seth had known it was me, the whole time, yet he had for some reason chosen to play along with my feigned ignorance. I couldn't think of what to say, or how to react, and I watched as his grin faded and he was now looking at me in confusion. "Vanessa?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
I snapped out of my daze and sucked in some air. I could feel my eyes widening and knew my face must be as red as a tomato by now. Without a word I stood up and ran off, hearing him call my name and praying he wouldn't catch up with me. I didn't care that people were looking at me funny, probably wondering why I would leave the handsome young man sitting beside me so abruptly. I ran until I got to the edge of the park and only then did I dare to turn around. Seth was nowhere in sight and I breathed in a sigh of relief. I took the bus back to my apartment, feeling a headache come on as I slumped in my seat, embarrassed, with a million different questions racing through my head.
Three weeks. Three torturous, long weeks I had spent dodging Seth at work. I found myself wishing I had chosen a job at a larger company. This was why it was a bad idea to date a co-worker. Not that there had ever been a chance with Seth or anything. But now things were awkward and I was avoiding him. Over time, though, it would be better. I would get over my embarrassment. But how would I get over Seth?
To my surprise Seth left me alone. I had thought that the Monday after the park incident he would come to my cubicle, demanding an explanation. But he hadn't. In fact he never came to visit anymore. My time spent avoiding him was mainly when I would see him walking around. I would turn around before he would see me or keep a look out before I entered certain areas like the copy room or the break room. When I did happen to see him from a distance he looked the same to me. Hair still messy, blue eyes twinkling, a warm smile on his face whenever he greeted someone. And how did you expect him to look, Vanessa? Crushed, hurt and missing you like you're missing him? Snap out of it. He only saw you as a co-worker to be friendly with, nothing more. That's probably why he helped you out on Halloween.
Friday evening at the end of the third week I trudged my way up the steps to the building of my apartment. I fumbled with the keys to open the main door and went inside from the biting cold. I blew out a breath. I was exhausted from a hectic week at work and wanted nothing more than to order in pizza and curl up on the couch to watch some mindless TV. I climbed the staircase to the second floor and walked down the hall to my apartment. I was so lost in my thoughts of a cozy evening at home that I almost missed who was sitting near my door.
Seth was smiling at me as I stumbled backwards in surprise and pressed myself against the wall, heart beating erratically and I was fervently wishing to disappear or maybe make him disappear. He looked like he had come here straight from work. He had taken off his black pea coat and was wearing a dark red sweater with jeans, since it was a Friday. In front of him was a pizza box.
"Hi," he said, his voice sounding a little sheepish. I continued to stare at him and his smile faltered a little. "Um, I was hoping maybe we could talk? I brought over pizza."
I finally found my voice. "How'd you…"
"Your friend, Jen. You called her from my phone, remember? I called her and asked where you lived. Then when I got here I just happened to run into Bill, and he told me your apartment number, since Jen didn't remember."
Damn them. I'd have to have a word or two with them the next time I saw them. Assuming I hadn't died from embarrassment, as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks again.
"So, can we talk?" Seth asked, repeating his question from earlier. I nodded and he stood up from the floor and picked up the pizza box. I unlocked the front door and closed it behind him once he was inside.
I took off my shoes and Seth followed my example. I hung up my coat and reached out for his but he shook his head and kept it with him. Shrugging I dropped my purse on the small table near the door and switched on the light to the living room, where I thought it'd be more comfortable for us to sit and eat.
"What do you want to drink?" I asked him as I went to the kitchen and indicated he should go to the living room.
"Water is fine," I heard him answer and I got out two cups and filled them both with water. I went to the living room to see him opening the pizza box and pulling out plates and napkins. He handed me a slice and I started eating. I was really hungry when it was all said and done.
I couldn't really enjoy the food though. My mind kept wondering just what it was he wanted to talk to me about. I also couldn't really wrap my mind around the fact that Seth was sitting here calmly in my apartment eating pizza with me. How many times had I daydreamed having him over here, cuddling with me on the couch and maybe having a few make out sessions? I was seriously infatuated with this guy and now we were alone together.
When I finished eating I took some sips of water and studied the carpet on the floor. I only had one couch so we were sitting together but I had sat as far away as possible from him. I hugged a cushion to my chest and continued staring at the carpet. "So what'd you want to talk about?" I heard myself ask after, what seemed to me, a long silence.
I heard Seth blow out a sigh and watched him out of the corner of my eye as he leaned back against the couch. "Vanessa, I want to say first I'm sorry for embarrassing you in the park. You have to know I didn't mean to. I thought we were just dancing around the fact that we knew each other that day, on Halloween, that it was this unspoken joke between us. And I'm sorry for not talking to you afterward. I just wasn't sure if you'd want to see me anymore."
"It's ok, Seth," I said quietly. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's all me, really. Maybe I should have said something when you stopped to help me, that day. But I didn't think anything would come of it. I didn't think you'd recognize me so I just pretended I didn't know you. I thought it'd be easier."
"Easier?" he questioned. "Easier for what?"
"I…I don't know," I said shakily, suddenly realizing I had let out a thought that I hadn't meant to.
I almost jumped out of my seat when I felt a large, warm hand close over one of mine. I looked up and saw that Seth had moved closer to me, sitting just a few inches away, his eyes searching mine. His cologne was filling up my nostrils and my heart started beating wildly.
"Do you know why I stopped that day, to help you?" he asked, his voice soft and low. "I knew it was you. Well actually," his face broke out into a grin, "I actually circled around a few times, trying to make sure it was you." He paused and let go of my hand to reach up and touch my hair. I could only stare at him in surprise as he flashed a smile at me, his gorgeous face so close to mine. "I was trying to work up the courage to talk to you, at work, and seeing you sitting on the side of the road, well I figured it'd be a perfect opportunity. I hoped maybe you knew who I was but at the same time I wanted to introduce myself to you properly, in case you didn't know me, so I pretended not to know you." He caressed my cheek, the tips of his fingers warm and soft.
I smiled shyly at him. "Guess both of us were pretending huh? How old are we again?"
"We weren't pretending while we were talking though," he said, his face serious now as his hand fell away from my face and landed just above my knee.
"Yeah," I agreed quietly, my face flushing again as I remembered what I had told him.
Seth squeezed my leg and I couldn't help but shiver a little at his touch. His face split into a broad smile. It wasn't one where he looked immensely pleased with himself for affecting me like this, but more of a happy one, like he was glad I was reacting this way to him. His face turned serious again after a few minutes.
"I'm sorry you got hurt, by your ex," he said, his sincerity apparent. I tried shrugging it off but he squeezed my leg again. "I didn't talk to you for a while after Halloween, not because I found out about that, but because I didn't know if you'd be ready…" His voice became husky and he stared deeply into my eyes, and I found myself blushing furiously as I saw an intense, almost hungry expression on his face. Combined with his messy hair, it made him look more raw and open, and was sexy as hell.
"Ready for what?" I asked, my own voice sounding a little breathy. Seth didn't respond. Instead he took his hand off my leg and gently pulled away the cushion I had been hugging to my chest and dropped it on his other side. I watched him, feeling like I was having an out of body experience as he shifted closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine, the smell of his cologne filling my nose, maddeningly intoxicating me and making me lose control as I suddenly grabbed the front of his sweater and pulled him the rest of the way to close the distance between us. Before my brain could catch up with my actions I had pressed my lips against his and slid my hands into his messy hair, holding his head in place as I kissed him eagerly. I felt him freeze for a moment before his arms went around my waist, and he kissed me back with just as much enthusiasm.
As we kissed I felt Seth push me back gently so that I was half-lying pressed against the armrest and he moved his body over mine. I could feel his chest rising and falling with his rapid breathing as our kiss deepened and he put a hand in my hair. He pulled away from my lips suddenly and started kissing and sucking my neck. As he did I heard his half-whispered words between his kisses.
"Vanessa Scott," he breathed into my neck. "I couldn't stop thinking about you after I first saw you smile." I had wrapped my arms around his neck by this time and I pulled him closer to me at his words, closing my eyes and reveling in the feeling of his body on mine. "I loved it when I would randomly see you around the office, see you smiling at everyone and being so friendly. I wanted to talk to you so badly but I always got too nervous. Is it wrong of me to be glad your car broke down that day? I got to spend time with you, to get to know you. And I just wanted more after that." Seth stopped kissing my neck and touched his forehead to mine. I opened my eyes to see his blue ones staring at me. I smiled at him.
"So," he said, his warm breath ghosting over my face. "I know you went through a lot, and I know you're still working through it, but I want to show you that you can trust me, and that I think you're beautiful and a wonderful person." He gave me some soft kisses on the lips. "I want a relationship with you, and I've wanted it for a while. Is it safe to say you're ready now?"
I tilted my head so that I could plant kisses on his cheek. "More than ready," I whispered to him as I captured his lips into a slow and soft kiss. Pulling away from him for a few seconds I added, "And I always thought you were one hell of a nice and cute IT guy, and I wanted you too." Before he could respond I kissed him fervently again, but from the way I felt his lips curve up I knew he was smiling at my comment.
Seth resumed his visits to my cubicle, only now they were every day instead of just a few times a week. He claimed that seeing me always made him feel less stressed out and calmed him down. He would always give me a swift kiss on the cheek and a wide smile before leaving, which never failed to make me feel tingly and fluttery.
For our first date he took me to the deli where we had had our first dinner together. He was nervous about it, turning to me almost apologetically when he parked in the same spot he had last time, but I smiled widely and gave him a kiss when I realized where we were, thinking how sweet it was of him to bring us back to where it all started. It had been a fabulous first date.
When spring came around we went back to Seth's favorite spot, and it became mine too once I saw how beautiful it was there. It was just like how Seth had described it. We sat down together on the edge of the fountain, now with the quiet bubbling of water since it was turned back on. He was right; it definitely added to the ambiance. I leaned on him and he put an arm around me.
"So you never answered my question," he said as he laid his cheek on my head.
"What question?" I asked languidly as I picked up his other hand and touched his fingertips to mine.
"How'd you get that pig mask off?"
I laughed and buried my face in his shoulder and I felt his body shake with laughter as he held me tighter to him. "You're still wondering that after all this time huh?"
"Yeah," he responded, with affection in his voice.
"Scissors," I said, smiling at the memory. "A pair of sharp scissors, to cut through the rubber. It took both Jen and Caroline to finally get it off. You have no idea how relieved I was. My face was all red and I could finally breathe without inhaling the rubber smell."
"Mmm," Seth said as I felt him nuzzle my neck. "And you have no idea how much I enjoyed staring at your mouth while you talked to me." He paused for a second. "I'm glad it was stuck on you though. I don't think you would have opened up to me as much without it."
"You're right," I answered quietly.
"So it was a good thing, all the circumstances that evening that led up to this, to us," Seth said softly as he shifted our bodies so that we were facing each other. He smiled at me, his whole face lighting up and still amazing me, after all these months, as to how gorgeous he really was.
I leaned forward and touched my forehead to his, smiling at him. "I love you, Seth."
"I love you, Vanessa." And as he pressed his lips to mine, I thought back to that fateful Halloween evening when we first met and talked. I never, in a million years, would have thought that a broken down car and a pig mask would lead me to Seth Roberts, the kind, funny, and cute IT guy I was holding close to me and never, ever letting go.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed reading this. It's my first one-shot and if you've read my story New Students you might recognize a scene from there. I thought it'd be nice to have an outside perspective on Ava and her friends, since New Students is told in first person POV. Reviews are much appreciated.
Also this was written for the A Latte Thinkin' writing contest on A Drop of Romeo. You guys should check out the site. It has a wonderful collection of stories. You can also see the prompt for this story, as it is based on a picture.