“That’s incredible. It’s good to know your passion.”
I nod. “What were you planning to study at SCAD?”
“Preservation design.”
“A woman after my own heart! You would’ve been great. I can tell by the way your store is laid out that you have a great eye.”
“Thank you. I recently helped redecorate my friend Kendall’s house. She’s divorced, so our friend Patsy and I completely changed her entire house to erase all traces of her ex-husband. It was SO much fun. We basically took everything out and started with a blank slate.”
“I’d love to see it.”
She pulls out her phone and scrolls through the pictures. I continue eating my sandwich as she shows me shot after shot of this beautiful house full of light on the river. She narrates each room, showing me what they added and describing how it looked before. It had an eclectic mix of antiques and new furniture and was decorated with massive photo prints of local sites and white architectural pieces. It’s feminine and classy, like Micah. Her face lights up and her green eyes sparkle when she talks about it.
“Did any of that come from your store?” I ask.
“Oh, yes! A lot of it did.”
I’d love to set her loose in my loft. When I moved in, I thought it would be fun to decorate in earthy grays and dark colors with crisp, clean lines, but now it feels too masculine and cold, like I live in a factory. A woman’s touch would do it some good.
We continue to chat about our favorite books and movies while we finish our sandwiches. I tell her about my wealthy, eccentric client and her plans for the hotel. After about two hours, we wrap up the date and I walk her to her car.
“What are you up to the rest of the day?” I ask.
“I left Nana alone at the store, so I need to make sure she took her meds. Once we close up, I’ll probably go home and read.”
“Well, I’ll definitely be stopping by the store in the next few weeks. Don’t let the fountain get away from me.”
“It’s been there for as long as I can remember. It’s not going anywhere, I promise.”
Her hair is so bright it looks like it could burst into flame in this hot sun. I want to run my hands through it, but even I know that would be weird. In fact, I’m not sure how to close this date.
“Thank you, Micah, for meeting me today. I really enjoy talking to you.”
“Me too. I mean, you know, I enjoy talking to you. Not myself.” She shakes her head and closes her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so bad at this. It’s no wonder I’m still single.”
I laugh. “No, you’re great. I’m just as bad, if not worse, I promise.”
I give her a hug, and she hugs me back. Her body is warm against mine and even though it’s a hundred degrees outside with high humidity, I want to hold her here forever.
“See you soon,” I say. She waves goodbye and gets in her car. I watch as she backs out and drives down Main Street.
It’s only after she disappears that I realize I’d failed to get her number.
MICAH
“Hey, Nana!” I call as I enter the store. It’s hotter in here than it is outside. If Hell was an antique store, this would be it.
“I’m in here!” she calls from the office. I can barely hear her above the box fan she has directed at her face. Every paper on her desk is weighed down to keep it from blowing away.
“We have to get a new air conditioner,” I say. “I can’t live like this anymore.” I go behind the desk and take out a rubber band to pull my hair back.
“Are you going to tell me who you went to lunch with?” she asks.
“A friend.”
She eyes me and cocks and eyebrow. “A girl friend?”
I sigh. “No.”
