This Was Meant To Be

No, she wouldn’t think of Carl. Tonight was for a new beginning.

But the silence seemed to stretch out between them, almost taking solid form. It wasn’t the kind of comfortable silence that she’d always been used to, with Harrison. There was nothing comforting about it. Awkwardness made the air stiff and heavy.

Leigh saw that they were driving out of town, and felt them climbing.

She had a sudden inkling of where they might be going.

When they went up a dirt track, she knew.

“There’s a minute’s walk, but I can carry you if your shoes make it difficult.”

Leigh smiled.

“I can manage. I’ve been here before.”

Harrison’s face clouded just a bit and she knew that he was imagining her there with Carl.

“Alone,” she emphasized.

She had. She’d come up there, sat as close to the edge as possible, and looked out over the city.

Harrison smiled.

“I should’ve known. I bought the land a while ago.”

Leigh was surprised.

“I didn’t know that.”

Harrison grinned.

“I’m full of surprises.”

There had always been an observatory, long since fallen to disuse, up that little hill. A lot of people had told Leigh that it was haunted. But she had only found peace there.

She’d known she was trespassing, of course, but outside of city limits, that didn’t seem to be such a pressing problem.

Harrison set the picnic out and she chuckled.

“I should’ve known, you cheapskate,” she teased, and he laughed with her.

“I thought you’d prefer this. I didn’t want us to be photographed by people who don’t know better. Anyway, have a seat, my lady.”

She sat down, and so did he.

She looked at him now. He was meant to be in the city, of course. There was nothing of the countryside about him. Even in the little, cookie-cutter town where they had grown up, Harrison had belonged, but he had always been for the city.

So had she, really.

Being framed by the sky and the twinkling lights of the city suited him.

He looked so handsome, thought Leigh, struck by it.

She smiled. She couldn’t help it.

“What’re we having?” she asked, indicating the picnic basket.

“Open it and see,” teased Harrison.

Leigh opened it, strangely not feeling ridiculously overdressed. She liked this, she realized.

She saw the contents of the picnic basket and squealed.

“Harrison, you remembered!”

Harrison laughed, because the picnic basket had pasta from her favorite hole in the wall, and their house wine.

Of course he had remembered. He had wanted her to be completely over Carl before he took her there, but he had suddenly wanted to bring it to her, instead.

Conversation flowed again, and it suddenly became easy, and natural.

It didn’t feel like a date, Leigh told herself after a while.

No, it didn’t feel like the kind of date she was used to. It felt like far too much fun to be like that.

By the time they had dessert – baklava, to her shock, but delight, because it was also a favorite – she sighed.

“Thank you, Harrison,” said Leigh, softly.

Harrison looked at her.

When had he come so close to her? She wasn’t sure.

But she liked it, didn’t she? She liked how he was so close to her, and she only had to lean a little to rest her head on his shoulder.

She had done that, so often. But this time, it wasn’t the same. She knew that.

This time, it was about more than just support and comfort.

This time, she realized with a shock, she wanted Harrison to kiss her.

Did she?

She searched her mind thoroughly.

Yes, she definitely did, she realized.

Harrison watched the emotions flitting over her lovely face, and waited. He could read her. He knew that not many could.

He saw the conclusion she reached when she opened her eyes, and her eyes gleamed in the light cast by the moon.

She looked enchanting.

And he wanted her to make the first move. Somehow, it was important to him.

“Harrison?”

He nodded, his lips curving in a smile.

“Will you kiss me?”

The sweet words nearly took his breath away. He had longed for so long to hear them!

“Leigh, we can wait.”

She shook her head.

“No, I think we’ve waited long enough. Kiss me.”

She felt him as he moved closer, and turned to her. His presence was a tangible thing. She could feel it.

When his fingers touched her, under her chin, and raised her face to his, she trembled, just a bit.

As he leaned closer, and closer, she felt her body go taut in preparation.

But that first brush of his lips over hers made her go still.

Leigh opened her mouth to object, but now that he had moved away, she could feel the discomfort of the blanket they’d been lying on.

“Take me home,” said Leigh.

It was a command.