But when I saw him standing there on the doormat, the last bit of the day’s sunlight illuminating his presence, the concepts of jackets and outfits and apparel flew out of my mind instantaneously. I’d forgotten how handsome he was. He stood there, looking at me with his shining eyes, and he smiled at me in a way that gave me a deep, pleasant feeling in my chest.
“Drew,” he said through his smile. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Me, too,” I said.
“Are you ready to go? I’ve got a couple things planned.”
“Yeah. Let me just grab my keys.”
I walked a few feet to snatch my keys from a hook on the wall and then stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind me, completely forgetting to grab either one of my jackets.
◈ ◈ ◈
Everything about being with David felt intoxicating. Walking with him to the parking lot. Being in his car with him. Listening to him speak as he drove us downtown. It was like something was in the air around him that I had no choice but to inhale. I had never done any drugs, but I wondered if this was what it was like being high. If so, I could understand how people became addicts.
He led me into a restaurant I had never noticed before in the small college town. The restaurant didn’t look like much from the outside, but once we got in and were seated at a table, it became clear to me that this was no cheap joint. The brick walls, the roses on every table, and more than anything else, the live jazz music clarified that this was an elegant, expensive location.
“Wow,” I said, looking around, trying to take in the luxurious atmosphere. “This is so nice.”
“Nicest in town,” David confirmed. He was sitting across from me, resting his elbows on the table, hands clasped together.
“You’ve been here before?”
“Not very often. I like to save if for special occasions.”
I laughed softly, unsure of what to say. Just like when we were in his office at the auditorium, my brain was starting to feel overwhelmed by my surroundings and circumstances.
“Ms. Caldwell,” he said, leaning in toward me. “You look stunning tonight.”
Heat flooded my face. I found myself smiling and lowering my head.
“Thank you.”
Part of me wanted to tell him that I thought he was stunning, but that didn’t seem like the right move.
“Really. You’re beautiful. I’m so glad you had some time for me tonight. How’s school going?”
“It’s good.” I tried to ignore the heat curling around in my cheeks and focus on conversing. “Well, it’s okay. I’m already feeling worn down and ready for Winter Break.”
He took a sip of water and shook his head. “I can’t imagine being in nursing school. So much work. I have so much respect for nurses. It’s one of the most important jobs out there.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“You guess? Don’t be humble about it. You’re clearly working hard, even right now as a student.”
The waiter stopped by our table to take our orders. David ordered wine for both of us along with an appetizer, and we each ordered our entrees.
When the waiter had left, I said, “Well, you’re in law school. That’s something that I seriously cannot imagine doing. How do you have time to run workshops and . . . go on dates?” I said the last part a little softly.
“Law school is hard, I won’t lie. But, the hardest part is just the first semester. We do semesters instead of terms. So, there’s Fall Semester and Spring Semester, then you get your summers off, which helps. But anyway, that very first semester is by far the hardest. Forty percent of my class either failed or dropped out voluntarily by the time our first semester ended.”
Our waiter returned with two glasses of red wine. I had never even tried wine before that night, but I swirled my glass and took a drink, feeling sophisticated.
“Wow,” I responded to what David had said, but also to the wine’s bitter flavor. My tongue was absorbing it like a sponge.
He went on: “Yeah, so if you can survive that, you’re pretty much guaranteed to make it the rest of the way. Law school is like a game, and you just have to figure out the right strategy. Like chess or something. If you can do that, it becomes really manageable.”
“So, this is your last year,” I commented. I made myself take another swallow of wine.
“Yes, ma’am. One more semester after this one. Then I’ll be working for my father’s firm, just to start out.”
“Is that in town? Your father’s firm?”
“It is. Right here in Freya. Valentine & West. Nick Valentine is my father.”
“It’s quite the name,” I said. “Valentine.”
He grinned. “Not really your style?”
I felt that warmth return to my cheeks again. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean that it’s a bad name. I think it’s really cool, actually. It’s different.”
“It’s okay,” he was laughing now. “I’m just teasing you. There were times I got picked on in school growing up, but I’ve come to like it. I think a name that stands out will benefit me in my career.”
“David Valentine, attorney at law.”
“To start out,” he repeated this line I’d noticed earlier. “And then, one day, state senator is what I’m hoping for.”
“State senator?” I asked it in genuine surprise.
“Maybe even governor of Washington one day. That’s the goal, anyway. I’m somewhat of a dreamer.”
“That’s amazing. I’ve never known anyone who wanted to go into politics.”
When I heard the word politics come out of my mouth, a section of my viscera tightened up in a knot. It was like my body was trying to remind my brain that I’d never cared for politics before, or even liked it, really.
But my body wasn’t in control that night—only certain parts of my brain were in control. And those parts of my brain were busy feeling exhilarated, captivated, and maybe a little bit giddy from the wine.
◈ ◈ ◈
After finishing up our appetizers, wine, and entrees at the restaurant, David led me down the street to a nearby ice cream shop. He ordered a scoop for each of us, and we sat in a booth and talked for close to an hour. He asked me a lot of questions about my family, and he seemed sincerely interested in hearing about them and my hometown. He asked me questions about my future plans, and he nodded his head in approval as I told him about wanting to stay in Washington and hopefully work at a pediatrician’s office somewhere. He told me that he was an only child. He explained that he’d lived in Freya his whole life, and that he loved it there but thought Olympia would be a fine place to live, too, if he became a state senator down the road.
He drove me back to my apartment around eleven that night, and we both walked leisurely, in no rush at all, up to my unit. At the door, I fished out the keys from my purse.
“Thanks for letting me take you out tonight, Drew.” He reached out and took hold of my free hand. “I really enjoyed it.”
“Me, too,” I replied. The moment felt surreal to me. I realized that I should have been cold, jacketless and out in the night air. But I wasn’t.