Today we moved. Thank God. We had been living in this dinky little apartment, now we were moving to the country in Maryland, which was hard to find since a lot of Maryland is city. It was also hard to find a place that was in the country but was still close to the city. This house was given to us by my recently deceased grandmother. She and I weren't to close, her and my younger brother had been closer. I had always been closer to my grandfather but he died years before grandma had when I was 4. Now I was 17 and my brother was 14 and we had really started to appreciate grandma and her wealth, especially since all her wealth was going to us and the grand house in the middle of the farm.
We were all piled in the car now, I didn't have a car so I couldn't drive my own to grandma's, now our, house. I did have a license though. That, at least gave me a change to drive my parents' car. My parents had been talking about who would have which room the whole drive from Maine. I had been reading my favorite book, Pride and Prejudice, the whole way and my brother just played his video games, normally I would have played mine, but I loved reading more than video games and it helped to ease my stress of moving, by cuddling up into the pages of my favorite book.
I would miss Maine, I loved the smell of the ocean and the cool breezes brining the smell in, and I loved the little shops in Bar Harbor, where my friends and I used to hang out after school. But, I was happy to move to this house, because I had always loved the huge grand house and I had made friends with the butler and the maid. I was excited to explore the woods surrounding the house and to ride the many beautiful horses my father would now call his own and which he would have to take care of. Of course he had the farm staff to help, but, it was still a lot of work. My mother didn't have to work now that we had all this money, so that was good, but my father still had to drive up to Virginia each day. I was especially excited about exploring the woods, which grandma and grandpa had never let me do for some reason, even when I had turned 17 and had been perfectly able to take care of myself. I never found out why. The only explanation I had ever gotten out of my grandmother was that it was simply dangerous.
I stopped reading only to start fiddling with my black scarf(it was November and cold) as we came up the long winding driveway edged with trees to the large estate that was now ours. As soon as we got parked I jumped out of the car and ran inside the house without knocking. The house was almost never locked, no one would bother coming up the mile long driveway, especially since there were guard dogs up here who were allowed to roam free.
"Hello Miss Alexandra," Henry the butler said as I rushed by him into the large foyer.
"Hello Henry! It's great to see you again, but I must remind you to please, just call me Alex. We're friends, no need for the formality," I called as I rushed up stairs to my favorite room, the room that would now finally be mine. I yanked open the door that lead to the tower. I dashed up the winding staircase, then felt relieved as I looked into the amazing tower room.
One side of the tower was a huge window caressed by a long and comfortable window seat on which I had spent most of my days when I had come to visit, reading. I looked around. Nothing much had changed. There was still an enormous bed in the center of the room, the kind you would imagine sleeping beauty to be lying on, the kind that could fit ten people on and the kind that had curtains on either side of you that you could pull closed if you wished to have privacy. There was still the huge walk-in closet and giant black vanity, and there was still a huge tub in the bathroom along with a fancy shower and marble sink. I had always loved sitting in this room as a child, selecting books from the huge private library downstairs and then coming up to sit on the window seat and finish them on a couple of hours. I heard a knock and then my mom walked in, carrying a large box of my stuff.
We hadn't needed any furniture for our rooms, But mom had insisted that we bring some pieces, such as my desk and her bedside table. I unpacked my stuff in the remaining time of the day. I didn't have a lot of things like the rest of my family. When I was finished my mother had the maid named Allyson come to get me for supper, which was to be held in the enormous and very grand dining room. After dinner, it was late so I decided to call off my exploring trip. I just went to the library and fell asleep with a book in my hand and a roaring fire burning in front of me where I was sprawled out on the floor.
When I woke up the next morning, fire was out. I got up, pulled a blanket around me and went to find Henry. When I did find him, he told me that the rest of my family had gone into town and since they couldn't wake me told him to leave me a message. I walked up to my new room and forced myself out of the warm blanket and into the shower. After my shower I blow dried my wavy long black hair and brushed it. Then I pulled on a black turtle neck sweater , a pair of jeans, and my tennis shoes. Then I brushed my teeth, grabbed a black backpack, another book, my journal and a pen, stuffed them into my backpack, then dashed out the door without a word to Allyson or Henry and went out to the barn.
I walked down the aisles of the large barn, looking for the horse that I loved so much and that I had ridden many times. Finally, I found her. Her name was Ariella and she was a black thoroughbred who was taller than any horse I had ever seen. I saddled her up with a black shiny saddle that matched her coat, and stuffed my stuff into the saddle bag. On the way out of the barn I grabbed a black bridle. Then I pulled myself up onto her back and road into the woods.
After a while I stopped and looked around my surroundings. The green forest surrounded me in a circle, as if they had been planted that way on purpose. I was standing in front of a small shack like cottage, with no plants growing in the flower boxes, because there were none, not even any windows. I walked around the small cottage. It almost looked like a small prison except that there was a door. I tried the handle. Locked. So it was going to be the hard way. I had been locked out of my apartment several times so I had learned to pick locks using only a bobby-pin. This would come in handy when I was oh, I don't know, exploring the woods and came upon a small locked cottage. I puled a bobby-pin out of my bag that I had kept in there since the first time I had been locked out of my old apartment. The lock on the door was quite easy, I got the door open the first time.
Inside the cottage was quite homey. There was a fire going, even though no one was there, a small couch, a bed, and various other items such as a desk. The bed was next to the desk along with a floor lamp. The couch was in front of the fire. I could hear music playing in the next room and could smell chicken cooking. I walked to the other room which had to be a kitchen. I peeked around the corner. The most handsome man anyone had ever seen, not just me, stood over a stove cooking chicken. He looked around my age. His black hair was longish and shaggy, not too long though. His eyes burned a sapphire blue and his sleeves which were rolled up to his elbows showed how extremely muscular he was. They also exposed very pale skin. His face looked as if it had been carved with the finest marble, in the finest way imaginable. I gasped. Suddenly he looked up and met his eyes with his. They seemed to look into my soul.
"I...I'm sorry!" I exclaimed and ran out of the house. The sun had set(I had been out longer than I thought) and it was hard to find Ariella in the dark, but not that hard. I climbed on her back and rode away, as I looked back I saw a dark figure leaning against the door frame of the cottage watching me. When I turned around a branch hit me in the head and I fell of Ariella and I fell unconscious.
When I woke up I was lying in a bed with a thick blanket wrapped around me. There was a plate of chicken next to me . I gasped. I was back in the cottage. My head ached. I heard a whinny coming from outside and got up to see if it was Ariella. I walked to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there was Ariella, tied to the trunk of a nearby tree, and stroking and grooming her was none other than the man I had seen earlier. I gasped unable to help myself.
"Did the horse wake you?" He asked in the most rich alluring voice I had ever heard.
"N...no, I uh...just...you know, woke up," I said feeling embarrassed and stupid. He smiled, showing two rows of dazzling white teeth.
"I can't help myself but ask, why did you come into my home?" He asked, his blue eyes piercing my soul again.
"Um, I didn't know anyone was living here and the door was locked so I just assumed it was abandoned and walked in," I said.
"Don't you mean broke in? Considering there actually is someone living here?" He asked his eyes roaming my face.
"How is your head?" He asked. I lifted my hand to my aching forehead. It was tender, but not too bad. "Fine, thank you. Now, I should be off. My parents will be wondering where I am," I said, walking toward my horse .
"Oh, no you don't," He said grabbing my wrist ,"I insist that you have dinner with me. You can call your parents on my phone to tell them that you will be a little late coming home," He said his eyes piercing me again, giving me no choice but to nod my head yes. He lead me into the cottage and into the kitchen where a cell phone on a small table was waiting.
"I can't believe you get reception out here," I said in amazement.
"Well, I do," He said. It took awhile, but finally Henry answered the phone. I told him to tell my mom that I would be home quite late and that I was safe. Henry said he would tell her and then hung up without any questions.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, my name is David," He said holding out his hand.
"My name is Alexandra, but I prefer to be called Alex," I said taking his hand and shaking it.
"Well then Alex, why don't you have a seat on the couch in the other room and I will grab your dinner and mine, I was interrupted by a rather remarkable young lady as I was beginning my meal," He said smiling. I smiled back and blushed. He lead me back into the main room and I sat down on the couch in front of the still roaring fire. He was back in a flash sitting next to me holding two plates, one of which he handed to me.
"Enjoy," He said smiling. Boy did I ever! Enjoy the chicken I mean, it was cooked to perfection and the seasoning on it was remarkable.
"This is amazing!" I said. "How did you get this recipe?" I asked.
"Food Network. There is a TV in one of the other rooms so I get most of my recipes there," He said gazing at me. I felt slightly self conscious.
We ate in silence and then when I was finished I said,"I really must be going, I don't think you want me to tell my parents where I have been and with whom," I said.
"Why do do say that?" He asked curiously.
"Well, if I hadn't known you were here until now, I'd say you are trying to stay hidden," I said.
"Yes, your right. Would you come here again? Tomorrow night perhaps? I rather enjoy your company," He said smiling.
"Yes, I will, I'll be here at 8:00," I said getting up.
"Until tomorrow then," he said walking me to Ariella.
"Tomorrow," I promised hopping up onto the horse's back.
And then, I was off. I remembered the way back. It wasn't so hard. I just followed the stream I had found, back. All the while I was thinking about David. He used such odd words, almost as if he was a professor, instead of a 17 year old.
I finally made it back to the house. I went to the barn and put Ariella back, then walked back to the house. My mother gushed over me asking where I had been. I told here I fell asleep in the woods and had woken up rather late, then got home even later because when I woke up Ariella was gone. She believed me. I gave he a hug, gave my father a kiss, and scowled at my brother. He and I weren't the best of friends. I walked up to the tower without dinner and turned on the shower when I got to my room.
I slipped into the warm water and let it sooth my muscles. Then I unwillingly got out and pulled on a soft long sleeved shirt and a pair of black sweat pants. Then I collapsed on my bed, I didn't even bother to pull the canopy curtains shut around me, I just nestled into the warm soft sheets and fell asleep.
The next morning I pulled on a casual spaghetti strap, red dress, pulled on black tights and red ankle boots. I pulled on a very warm, long, brown woolen sweater that showed off my curves. I wanted to look nice for tonight.
I ate pancakes for breakfast then brushed my teeth and hair and grabbed my black bag and bounced out the door. The fall air made my fingers cold so I dashed back inside and pulled on a pair of black leather gloves. I hurriedly put them on. I pulled the hood of my long sweater up. Then I walked over to the barn and saddled Ariella, hitched up my dress and climbed on her.
Then I was off into the woods, I brought my cell phone with me this time, so I left a message for my parents telling me that I would be out late. Then I checked what time it was. I had been riding for awhile it was almost 8:00. Only a half a hour left till I saw David. I road by the stream like I had done the previous night, following it until I saw David's cottage and the sun was setting.
The door of the cottage swung open and there he was. David. He looked dashing in a casual pair of black jeans, and a white turtle neck sweater. He smiled as I rode up to him, my hood fell off, letting my black long hair spill out over my shoulders. I could almost feel my green eyes sparkle with excitement. I stopped Ariella a few feet from David. He smiled even wider as he appraised my outfit.
"You look very nice," I said to him.
"You do as well, although you are much prettier," He said taking my hand and helping me get down off Ariella.
"Thank you,"I said, pulling Ariella over to the tree she had been tied to yesterday.
"David? Do you have a car?" I asked suddenly, I hadn't seen one yesterday.
"Yes, I keep it in the woods back aways," He said pointing behind the cottage.
"In fact, we are actually going to use it tonight," He said.
"Really?" I asked with surprise.
" Yes, I would like to take you to dinner at a restaurant I like to go to," He said offering me his arm. I took it , linking my arm with his.
"You know, even though we just met, it seems like I have known you for a long time," He said, looking straight into my eyes.
"I know what you mean, it's almost like we've met before or something," I said furtively cuddling into him. It was cold. When I did nestle into him, he was warm and it made me happy to be next to him.
"Alex, were at the car," He said. I hadn't realized we were standing in front of a black mustang.
"Wow," was all I could say as I stroked the glossy paint.
"You like it?" He asked staring at me again.
"It's amazing and even though it's not moving it looks extremely fast," I said.
"I don't have a car," I said sadly.
"Really? Why not?" David asked.
"My parents didn't have enough money money to buy me a car until now. The house I'm living in now was my grandma's. We got all her money too. I'm sad that she died but I'm glad to be here you know? And I'm hoping that now that we have enough money I will be able to get a car as cool as yours," I said. He opened the car door for me. I ducked inside and I heard him get in and start the car, but I didn't look, afraid that seeing his sapphire eyes might make me melt.
"How old are you?" I questioned.
"I am 17, why?" He questioned.
"No reason, just you're very mature for a 17 year old," I said.
"And you? How old are you?" He asked me.
"The same age," I said. He just nodded.
"Aren't you going to say I am mature for my age?" I asked.
"No," He said smiling. I smiled too and we laughed.
"Well, here we go," David said driving through the woods. We drove straight forward, weaving in and out of the trees. Finally, we made it to a little dirt path which David drove on until we made it to the open road. We drove in silence. I stared through the open window and David stared through the windshield.
"Where is this restaurant you said we were going to?" I suddenly questioned.
"This is the street," He said turning down another dirt road. Suddenly we stopped. Surrounded by trees, was a small restaurant. The windows were shining brightly from the candles on the window sills. I pulled my hood back on. David got out of the car and opened the door for me.
"Why thank you kind sir," I said smiling taking his hand as he helped me get out. He smiled back. We walked inside the small restaurant. I took my hood off.
"Wow, it's much bigger inside," I said looking around. The small restaurant was large inside, very fancy. There was a dance floor on one side of the room and several tables with white table clothes on them.
"Table for two?" The hostess asked.
"Yes thank you," David said. He took my hand and led me to a table, following the hostess. We sat down, and David just stared.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," He murmured, staring down at the table suddenly. I stared at him, wondering why he looked embarrassed. With perfect timing the waiter arrived.
"Hello, my name is Blake, and I 'll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?" He asked.
"I'll have a Sprite," I said.
"And what can I get for you sir?" The waiter asked David.
"I will have a Coke," David said.
"Okay then, I'll be right back with those drinks," Alexander the waiter said and walked away.
"So, what are you going to get?" I asked David.
"The steak, rare," He said.
"Hm, I think I will get the same, only I like medium rare," I said to him, looking over my menu.
"Do you want dessert afterwards? The chocolate mousse cake is divine," David said looking up at me. "Sure, I love chocolate," I said, thinking of melting chocolate in my mouth. I think I may have started to drool. The waiter came back to give us our drinks and some rolls and to take our order. We told him what we wanted and he whisked our menus away.
"While we wait for our food, I was wondering if you would like to uh, um..." David started to say awkwardly.
"Yes?" I questioned, I wondered why he was acting so strange.
"Would you like to dance?" He asked.
"Um, ya, sure. I'm not that good though," I said.
"Don't worry, I'm good at it," He said standing up. I took of my coat, exposing my bare shoulders. It was cold. So, I gladly took David's warm hand. There were a couple of other people dancing, but they were basically just swaying. I rested my hands behind David's neck. He rested his warm hands on my hips. I shuddered slightly from his touch, but it wasn't from disgust. It was from pleasure. Then we were twirling around the small dance floor. I looked down at my feet, they were twirling along.
"I didn't think that it was possible," I said looking up at David.
"What?" He inquired.
"I can't dance, I didn't think that you could help, but you did," I said. We had slowed down now and were swaying like the other couples. He looked at something behind me.
"Our food is ready," He said turning us around. There, on the table was the most mouth watering meal I had ever seen. The steak was swimming in delicious looking sauce and tiny onions swam in the juices that flowed from the steak. Mashed potatoes were on the side, a lump of quickly melting butter on top.
"Ooh that looks delicious!" I exclaimed. David led me over to the table. He held the chair out for me, like the perfect gentleman. I thanked him and cut into my steak. It was so tender that it cut like the butter the potatoes were now swimming in. I took a bite. It was amazing! I could taste the different seasonings as they rested on my taste buds. It was heaven. The steaks sauce felt as if it was melting in my mouth. I quickly swallowed and took a huge next bite.
"Do you like it?" David asked quietly.
"I absolutely LOVE it!" I exclaimed, a little bit loudly for this fancy restaurant. A few other people there looked at me. I blushed, especially since the one person who was starring the most was David. The whole time he hadn't looked away, except for the time he looked over to see the food coming. I blushed even more deeply as I realized this fact. David finally looked away and started his meal. The sauce on his was darker. I could guess why, his steak was rare, very rare. I didn't get how he could eat it. Well, I guess I could sort of understand considering the sauce and spices were so overwhelmingly delicious. You could eat wet dog food with that sauce on it. We ate in silence. Then we were finished with the meal as quickly as we had started.
"Are you ready for dessert?" He asked. I nodded. I was so full I couldn't speak. It was going to be hard to finish desert. I found out it was easier than I thought. The Chocolate Mousse cake was served on a small china plate, it was garnished with mint and chocolate and caramel sauce. It seemed like I had only had one bite and then I had finished the whole thing. Now that I felt happily unhealthy and full in the extreme, David asked if I was ready to go. I nodded again, thinking I would rather get a whole other cake. He held out my chair for me and I stood up, grabbing my coat on the way.
He led me to the door where the check was waiting. David quickly paid the bill and we were out the door and into his toasty black mustang that now blended into the midnight scene around us. He drove quickly back the way we had come.
"Would you like to come to my house to see the barn?" I asked David quietly as he helped me onto Ariella.
"I would love to, but I probably shouldn't" He said. I leaned toward him from Ariella. I didn't have to lean far. David was a VERY tall man. He leaned in to as if to kiss me, but at the last second he tore his gaze from my lips and gave me a polite kiss on the cheek. Even though the kiss was small, it sent shivers of delight through me. I smiled at him as I leaned back.
"Thank you," I said.
"The pleasure was mine," He said. I giggled like a school girl and rode back home on Ariella.
"Alexandra! Where have you been!" My mother cried as I walked inside my home. I paid no attention to her, I just kept on walking until I reached my room and then I flung myself on my bed and grinned. All I could think about was the kiss David had given me . Sure it was just the cheek but it still had felt better than any kiss I had received before.
"Alexandra you will explain yourself right now! Where have you been?! Your father and I were worried sick! It is 12:00 p.m. !" She cried.
"Mom, stop your fussing, I just lost track of time when I was riding Ariella. Then I got lost and then I finally found my way back. I won't loose my way in the woods again. I know where to go now," I said.
"Damn right you won't loose your way! Because you are forbidden to go back in those woods! Am I clear?!" She yelled.
"What?! NO! I love the woods mom! I can't just not go! The woods make me feel happy, at peace!" I cried. Not to mention that I wouldn't be able to see David, but I wasn't going to tell my mother that. I can just imagine it now. Hey mom! I found the love of my life in a cottage that I have never seen before in the woods, and he is the reason I have been out so late! Ya right!
"To bad! You are grounded! I am telling the butler not to let you out of the house until we return from town. We will be in town all week with your brother to get some buissness done. You will be home alone all week in the day so during that time you are not to go out side!" She yelled.
"No!" I yelled.
"Yes," She said and walked out of my room, slamming the door shut behind her. I flipped over on the bed and cried my eyes out.
I woke the next day. It was night. I didn't know a person could be capable of that much sleep. I changed into a black turtle neck sweater and jeans and a dark colored coat. I was sneaking out. To meet David. I slid open the huge window. It was cool that I had a window like that. I slid out the window and climbed onto a tree that was hanging over the house. One of the branches reached out to the window. It was like my savior. It was thick enough to put all of my weight on it. I kissed the tree branch as I climbed onto it.
"Thank you tree, I am eternally grateful for your life," I said quietly as I climbed onto the next branch which was low to the ground. I slipped down and ran over to the barn where I took a different horse who I knew was quieter than Ariella. The horse was very dark brown so she would blend in with the woods. I rode like I had never ridden before and made it to the cottage in a matter of minuets. I opened the cottage door and walked inside.
"David!!!!" I yelled. He came into the room then, his hair tousled and his clothes askew.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I could ask the same thing," I said gesturing toward his messy look.
"I just woke up, I was kind of tired from last night," He said and walked across the room and hugged me. I melted in his warm embrace.
"What happened?" He repeated.
"My mom told me I can't come into the woods anymore because I stayed out so late," I said, hiding my face in his chest.
"Would you like to sit down?" He asked. I nodded.
"Listen, Alex, maybe we should tell your parents who you have been with in the last few days," He said as we sat down on the couch by the fireplace.
"But if I do that, they will get mad at you too," I said.
"I can handle it, and if they say you can't hang out with me then you will have to obey them," He said. I looked at him with shock.
"But, I want to hang out with you! It makes me feel happy and safe," I said.
"Well, you'll have to handle it. Maybe I can use my charm to make them see I'm not that bad," He said. I smiled.
"How will you explain me going into the woods?" I asked.
"Well, we can say that you met me in the woods because we both happened to be walking in there. I didn't know anyone lived near the woods so that's why I was walking in there," He said.
"Okay, I guess," I said.
"Well come on," He said walking to the door.
"Um, I can't, I snuck out to see you, my mom is going to kill me," I said.
"Don't you think that it would be worth it, you know, not to have to sneak over here, just so you can be yelled at later?" He asked.
"Fine, but you have to do most of the talking, after all you are the one with the charm," I said. He smiled and kissed my cheek. I blushed. He smiled even wider. I climbed on to my horse.
"Well, come on," I said. He nodded. I helped him up on to my horse and told him to hang on. I smiled as I felt his arms become a snare around my waist, one that I didn't ever want to be rid of. Then I rode. It seemed as if all my fears had been taken away with his arms around me. I droned everything out. I could only hear the sound of our breathing and the galumph of the horse as she galloped. Finally, we made it to the house.
"Mom! There is someone here that I want you to meet!" I called into the house. David stood at the door frame.
"Well, don't just stand there, come on!" I said and pulled him inside. He looked around the foyer.
"Wow! This place is amazing!" He exclaimed.
"Thanks," I said. My mom came rushing down the stairs suddenly.
"Alexandra Jones! You thought you were in trouble before! That will be a present compared to..." She trailed off as she took in the tall man looming in the doorway.
"Alex, who is this nice young man?" She asked.
"My name is Daniel Roberts ma'am," David said putting out a hand.
"Delighted," My mother said shaking it.
"As am I, it is truly an honor to finally meet Alexandra's lovely mother that she has told me so much about," he said. I looked at him and then my mother, worried that he was laying it on a bit to thickly. My mother's face looked dazzled though, so I calmed down.
"Mom, the 2nd day we were here, I took a trip in the woods and as I was riding Ariella, I hit my head on a branch. When I woke up, David was there. He found me as he was walking and took care of me. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that you wouldn't let me ride in the woods any more if you found out that I had injured myself," I finally finished. I decided not to use David's excuse.
"Oh honey, you should have told me! Were you with David last night?" She asked.
"Yes, he took me to dinner and I payed for it to thank him for tending to my wounds when he found me," I answered.
"Oh, well, I guess I can't be too mad at you then, although I wish you had told me or your father, we wouldn't have been mad," She said. David smiled at me.
"Mrs. Jones, may I have your permission to take your daughter out to dinner?" David asked.
"Well, I suppose, you already have so I guess it would be fine. You can take her tomorrow night. I'll have to ask her father to make sure," She said. David nodded.
"Mom, I am going to show David around the farm," I said.
"OK," She said and walked right back up the stairs from where she came.
"Come on," I said and pulled David out the front door. I made sure we were far away enough from the house for my mom or dad to see us.
"Wow, you did a great job, I wasn't expecting for my mom to take that so well," I told David.
"Neither was I. I just want you yo know that I'm not going to take you out for dinner, we're going dancing. Slow dancing," David said. I just stared at him.
"What?" He asked me.
"Nothing, nothing," I said.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Are you going to show me around the farm?"
"Oh, ya, sure," I said and pulled Daniel's hand.
I took him to the barn and took him to the first stall.
"This is Doug," I told him.
"Doug?"
"Ya, don't ask."
He smiled.
"This is Fred."
"Fred?"
"Again, don't ask."
"This is Dulce."
"Dulce?"
"Ya, don... Hey, Shut up!"
"OK."
"You know what?"
"What?"
I raised my hand, about to slap him, I whacked him on the arm instead.
"Don't do that. It irritates me."
"Percisley."
"Jerk."