The next day before I could set up for my first client at the salon, Candace wanted to know everything. By the time I spilled all the events of the night before, she was jumping up and down like a schoolgirl.
“What, what, are you kidding me? And Drake set that up?”
I shrugged. “Apparently, I’m not as good at hiding my feelings as I thought. Anyway, I have my first date in years on Saturday and I hope that I’m still functional by then.”
Candace clasped her hands together. “I’m so happy for you.” She grabbed my shoulders. “This is your time. It’s time for you to be happy. Everyone wants this for you. Even your sons.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. “I’m trying not to trip, but it was wonderful how Nathan got along with the boys. You know that’s the scary thing and one of the reasons I just stopped dating. My boys are everything to me and we come as a package deal.”
***
Package deal. Despite it being Saturday, all of my sons were home. Most Saturdays they were out with friends. Not tonight. When the doorbell rang, one of the twins answered the door. I wasn’t too bothered since I wasn’t quite ready yet. I could hear Nathan conversating downstairs as I applied my lipstick. I took one last look in the full length mirror in my room. The pile of clothes that I’d rejected for tonight’s date lay on my bed. Nathan didn’t mention where we were going, so I came up with a bright fuchsia blouse that appeared dressy but could convert to casual pretty quickly since I’d worn my black jeans over black ankle boots.
When I appeared at the living room door where Nathan sat, he and my boys turned around to stare at me. “Well, I hope I don’t look like an alien.”
“You look great, Mom.” “Nice.” Comments and smiles from my boys warmed my heart.
Nathan approached me holding a bouquet of roses in his hands. “You look beautiful. These are for you.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Nathan. Let me put these in water.”
Drake jumped up from the couch. “I can do that for you, Mom.”
Surprised by his offer, I stuttered. “O-Okay, Drake. Thank you.”
Next thing I knew, Nathan was holding open his car door for me. Once inside, I nervously glanced back at the house. Nathan climbed inside the driver’s seat. He laughed, “Your boys are quite protective of their mom. I don’t remember getting the third degree like that since taking a girl out for prom.”
I whipped my head around, “No, they didn’t? I’m so sorry.”
He winked. “Don’t! You’re raising gentlemen and they wanted to be sure my intentions were on the up and up with their mom.”
My body was warm all the way down to my toes and it had nothing to do with the toasty heat from inside the car.
Nathan drove into downtown Charlotte to South Caldwell street. “Have you ever been to Fahrenheit Restaurant?”
I shook my head, “I’ve never been here before.”
A valet stepped up to our car.
“Good, I wanted this to be a unique experience. You’re going to love Chef Rocco Whalen.”
We rode the elevator to the twenty-first floor. The host clearly recognized Nathan, and we were seated a few minutes after arriving. The combination of the dining room’s intimate atmosphere, and the view of Charlotte’s city skyline was stunning.
“This is beautiful, Nathan. You certainly don’t play around on the first date.”
“I wanted to take you somewhere special. This is one of my favorite views in the city.”
Nathan ordered the Cowboy Ribeye entree, while I opted for the Soy-Glazed Salmon. Despite our elegant surroundings, I felt comfortable talking to Nathan, sharing some recent adventures with my sons as well as some stories from the salon.
The waiter cleared our dinner plates. “I feel like I’ve been doing most of the talking.”
Nathan wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin. “I’ve enjoyed listening to you. You are a remarkable woman. Really it wasn’t until I decided to go into teaching and started working with students that I can say my life served a purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed playing ball, it came with its perks but also some vices.”
“None of us have a perfect life, Nathan. I’m definitely not one to talk. I had my twins really young and it’s been a struggle.”
Nathan looked at me, “You’re amazing. I can tell you’ve been through a lot, but you’re a strong woman.”
“Only as strong as I can be with God on my side. My boys are growing up, becoming men. It’s a scary time in the world and I depend a lot on prayer. I have good folks in my circle.”
Nathan examined me across the table, “I hope I can be a part of that circle.”
I smiled, “I would like that.”
The drive back to my house was quiet, but not uncomfortable. As Nathan pulled into the driveway, I noted the house was dark with a few flickers of light from the boys’ bedrooms upstairs. I was pretty sure those lights were reflections from some serious video gaming.
I wasn’t quite ready to leave the warmth of Nathan’s vehicle and turned to face him.
He let the engine run, sensing I may not be ready to exit the car. The January temperatures had dropped considerably since the beginning of our evening. He commented, “I had a good time this evening.”
“I did too.”
“So, can we plan to do this again soon?”
I smiled, “Planning for the second date already? I would love to see what you come up with next. Going to be hard to top that.”
He laughed, “I will work out something, but you know what I would love more?”
I peered over at him, “Tell me.”
“If this could be forever one day. I know we have a lot to learn about each other, but I want you to know this is serious for me. Spending time with you. Getting to know your boys. It’s a privilege and I’m grateful to God for the opportunity.”
I swallowed. “You are something else, Nathan Chambers. I can’t deny that I want to see where this goes too.”
He leaned in, “I’m glad we’re on one accord.”
I leaned forward. When our lips touched, I knew love had indeed found me.