Of Autumn Leaves and New Beginnings by Nell Iris

Author:Nell Iris [Iris, Nell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2019-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

We both agree that we don’t want to wait for the date, so Pete invites me to his home for dinner on Friday night. My flight lands at ten AM, but he tells me to come over at seven. That way, I have plenty of time to get home from the airport, call Mom, take a shower, and nap in my blessedly cool apartment.

When it’s time to get ready, I have a hard time deciding what to wear. The date is at his house, so something causal, but at the same time, I don’t want to show up in jeans and a T-shirt like I don’t care.

In the end, I settle for a pair of charcoal chinos that fit my ass so perfectly it’s almost like I had them tailored just for me. I pick a polo shirt in the same color and finish everything off with a light, lavender V-neck sweater. My beard is trimmed closely to my face, my glasses cleaned, and I’ve put on my favorite aftershave. My hair is too board-room perfect, though, so I run my fingers through it a couple times to make it more relaxed.

I nod at myself in the mirror, grab my phone, my keys, and the bottle of wine I bought for Pete, and jump into my car.

I’m a little early, so on a whim, I stop by Mom’s house first, even though we agreed I’ll come for a visit tomorrow. It’s worth it to see her face break out in a wide, happy smile when she opens the door. After squeezing the stuffing out of me, she takes a step back and lets her gaze sweep over me from head to toe.

“You’re so handsome, my boy. You’d almost think you’re going on a date.” Her tone is wistful as though she’s given up hope a long time ago that I’ll ever settle down. Not that I can blame her.

“I am,” I say.

Her eyes widen until they’re round like the full moon. “You are?”

I nod. “It’s a first date so don’t get your hopes up. I really like him, though.”

She hums and I can tell she wants to throw her arms up in the air and let out a victory yell, but she shows impressive restraint, unwilling to spook me.

“Mom.”

“Yes, baby?”

“It’s Pete.”

It takes a couple seconds for her to understand who I’m talking about, then she can’t contain her happiness anymore and throws back her head, letting out overjoyed laughter.

“Oh, Oren.” She cups my cheek with her cool palm. “He’s such a nice man. If anything comes of this, I won’t be upset about the leg anymore. It’ll be worth it.”

I huff out a laugh. “You’re crazy.”

She winks. “I know. Wait here.”

She makes her way out back on her crutches; she’s surprisingly fast and skilled with them by now. Just a few minutes later, she returns with a sunflower. “You can’t go on a date emptyhanded.”

“I have a bottle of wine in the car,” I say but accept it.

“Flowers make everyone happy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.