Daniel drove the short distance to Nic’s apartment. Glancing over at her in the passenger seat, he smiled. He’d missed her. The two weeks away from Nic had been endless. He loved CeeCee and there was no question that she had needed him, but...
“How is poor CeeCee doing?” Nic asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Nic’s concern for a woman she’d never met warmed him. She was beautiful inside and out.
He felt the emotional pull even more strongly than before their separation. They'd talked a couple of times on Skype while he was gone and that had helped to move their relationship along. Now that they were back in the same zip code, he hoped to take it to the next level.
“She’s still going one day at a time. Luke’s heading up to stay with her in a couple of days. She’s tough. I know she’ll be okay, but it’s painful to see her hurting.”
They’d reached Nic’s block on King Street. “Hold on. Why don’t you park over there?” Nic directed him to a small parking lot directly across the street from her building.
While they stood on the curb, waiting for a break in traffic, he put his hand out. Nic glanced at him, smiled and put her hand in his... their fingers intertwined.
They crossed the street in the middle of the block and entered her building. At the top of the stairs, she unlocked her door. “I have the second floor back apartment. I’ll warn you... the ceilings are only about seven feet tall. Thomas hates them... he keeps trying to talk me into moving.”
Daniel laughed. “We’ll see how I do, but Thomas has three inches on me, so I understand his concern.”
They walked down the narrow hall with its low clearance, and yes, already Daniel was feeling sympathy for Thomas.
They entered her diminutive living room. It had a taller than average ceiling with exposed beams, which was in marked contrast to what Daniel could see of the rest of the apartment. One wall was all built-in bookcases and filled with an eclectic assortment of books and offbeat items that Nic had collected over the years.
With a graceful wave of the hand, Nic said. “Make yourself at home. Feel free to look around... and watch your head.”
He laughed, and taking her at her word, seized the opportunity to find out more about his little artist.
The space was small, and clearly everything had a place, but there was also a relaxed quality about it. Magazines and books were stacked on the small coffee table in the living room, ready to be picked up and read.
The walls were a soft blue gray and the trim was crisp white. There was minimal furniture — a one person wicker mamasan chair and a three person wicker couch, both with cushions covered in dark blue fabric, and a coffee table in front of the sofa. The television was a small flat screen and sat in front of the wall of bookshelves on a built-in ledge.
Behind the couch there was just enough room for a compact wooden table and four bentwood chairs. Obviously, the table had to be pulled out pulled out when it seated more than two. Right now it was set close to two open shelving units holding kitchen paraphernalia. There was room to walk between the table and the back of the couch, but barely.
The wall to the left contained a large window and a windowed door. The door seemed to go to a deck or fire escape landing. He saw a number of houseplants in large pots out there.
Beside the shelving unit and to the left was the bathroom door. Down the right was a hall, leading to the bedroom? The ceiling height in the hallway was about seven feet... Looking down it, he could understand Thomas’s objections... it was making him claustrophobic. He was beginning to feel like he had entered a fairy’s abode.
He didn’t see the kitchen, but the hallway had a series of narrow shelves filled with kitchen supplies and canned goods. As he stepped over to the right, he saw the kitchen... or what there was of it.
It was a wide spot in the hall and consisted of the refrigerator, stove, and sink. There were no counters... the appliances stood side by side.
As he watched, Nic pulled a foil packet from the refrigerator. She turned on the oven and stepped around the corner to the dining area. She chose a large flat glass dish from the shelves, and working on the table, slid the contents of the foil pack into the dish.
She looked up at him and smiled. “As soon as the oven reaches temperature, I’ll put these in and we should be ready to eat about twenty minutes after that.”
*****
Daniel was seated on her couch, with his feet resting on the coffee table. Nic was curled up in the curve of his arm and smiling to herself.
He’d asked before putting his feet on the coffee table. A small point, but one that she knew was significant.
“That was a wonderful dinner. I’m amazed at what you were able to create in such a small kitchen.” He grinned down at her.
She laughed up at him. “Well, it took me months to get the hang of it. You have to plan everything out ahead of time... especially since you have to move the work surface back and forth between the stove and the sink. No counter space makes it all a real challenge and I had a couple of disasters early on.”
“I can see that.” He agreed with a grin. “I like to cook. I do well enough in my gourmet kitchen... and, I’ll admit, I have been known to complain about not enough counters, but after tonight, I promise never to criticize it again.”
With that, he pulled her close in a warm hug. As she snuggled against him, she looked up and he took her lips in a warm, masterful kiss.
The kiss ended and she stood. He looked a bit disappointed. She smiled and held out one hand. He looked at her, obviously gauging what her actions meant. She gestured with her hand. He placed his in hers and stood. With a firm grip, she led him down the long, narrow hall back to her bedroom, smiling at him over her shoulder.