The Art Seminar and Thereafter
By: Kaffy
Chapter 7: The Next Trip
When Caroline walked out of the tunnel, Richard was waiting for her, carrying a large bouquet of red roses. She ran up to him, hugging him hard. He laughed and held her close, kissing her hair. They stood for a few moments, grateful to be with one another again and basking in the other's affections.
"Come on," Richard said, grabbing her hand, "Let's go home." They got her suitcase and took a cab back to his apartment. When they arrived, they unpacked her things and decided to take a walk around the city. They walked for over an hour, making small talk and gently holding hands.
It was a little before dinner time when they got back. Tired from the plane, Caroline took a short nap while Richard got a little painting done.
He was still painting when Caroline first opened her eyes. She continued to watch him paint, not alerting him to her consciousness. He suddenly looked over and smiled, approaching her on the bed. "Hi." He placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Hi," she replied sleepily.
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." He sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry, I was just tired from the flight."
"It's ok, I needed to get some painting done anyway."
"Good."
"I thought we could go out to dinner tonight…"
"Ok."
"I know the perfect place."
"Where?"
He grinned down at her, "It's a surprise."
She mock-pouted, "I hate it when you do that."
"Tough."
She sighed, "Fine, I guess…at least tell me if I need to dress up."
"You don't have to, but you can if you want."
"Ok." She got up and walked towards the bathroom to take a shower.
*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, they left his dingy building and hailed a cab. Richard said, "The Apollo Restaurant please," to the cabbie.
Caroline rested her head on his shoulder and rested his head on hers, lightly rubbing her thigh as the cab wove through the city streets. They sat quietly until they got to the restaurant. Richard paid the driver and helped her out of the cab. She looked up and smiled, it was a diner, just like the one from Dougan. "Richard, this is great…a diner." She grinned up at him.
"I know."
"When did you find this place?"
"A couple of weeks ago. But, I wanted to wait until you got her to come in and try it." He opened the door for her. The diner wasn't what you would call romantic, there were obnoxious customers, loud waitresses, and a lot of banging dishes in the kitchen, but it was perfect to them. After a nice, greasy dinner, he paid the bill and they took off.
"So?" he asked. "What do you want to do now?"
"I don't know. You're the one that lives here. You tell me…what's fun to do here?"
"Well, I usually stay home and paint, but I want to take you out. We could go dancing or see a show…there's a lot of different things."
"We can do whatever will make you the least miserable."
He laughed, "Ok, let's go dancing. I wouldn't mind that too much," he pressed his forehead to hers, "As long as I'm dancing with you." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
She grinned. "Ok, that sounds good." He took her hand and they walked to a local piano bar, one with a dance floor. Immediately upon walking in, Caroline dragged Richard to the dance floor, pulling him close. He smiled and went with her pull, wrapping his right arm tightly around her waist while placing her hand over his heart with his left. They swayed gently to the slow beat of the music, her head resting on his chest and his head resting on hers.
Neither of them spoke for a few songs, they just danced quietly, until Richard broke their trance. "I made that meeting for you…"
She pulled back slightly, looking up into his eyes. "When?"
"In 3 days, with a guy named Del Cassidy…"
"Is it a newspaper?"
"Kind of…I took it to a newspaper and they said that I needed to talk to the owner. It turns out he's like a huge mogul or something, he owns several newspapers, a local television station, and a greeting card company. Del is his son and approves all of the comic strips they use."
"Oh, so my life could change completely in 3 days."
He smiled, "Yeah, pretty much."
"Good to know." She went back to his chest. "Will you come with me?"
"If you want me to."
"Good."
They danced in silence for the next couple of hours, taking breaks during the fast songs for Richard's sake (he didn't know how to dance to them). But, Caroline was getting tired and was having a hard time dancing. Richard picked up on it.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tired is all."
"Do you want to go home?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"I don't care. If you're tired, we should go."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
He kissed her knuckles, "Positive. Come on, let's go." He grabbed their coats and escorted her out of the club. They took a cab home and immediately crawled into bed upon arriving there. Both of them fell asleep right away, wrapped tightly in the other's arms.
(to be continued)
Chapter 7: The Next Trip
When Caroline walked out of the tunnel, Richard was waiting for her, carrying a large bouquet of red roses. She ran up to him, hugging him hard. He laughed and held her close, kissing her hair. They stood for a few moments, grateful to be with one another again and basking in the other's affections.
"Come on," Richard said, grabbing her hand, "Let's go home." They got her suitcase and took a cab back to his apartment. When they arrived, they unpacked her things and decided to take a walk around the city. They walked for over an hour, making small talk and gently holding hands.
It was a little before dinner time when they got back. Tired from the plane, Caroline took a short nap while Richard got a little painting done.
He was still painting when Caroline first opened her eyes. She continued to watch him paint, not alerting him to her consciousness. He suddenly looked over and smiled, approaching her on the bed. "Hi." He placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Hi," she replied sleepily.
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." He sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry, I was just tired from the flight."
"It's ok, I needed to get some painting done anyway."
"Good."
"I thought we could go out to dinner tonight…"
"Ok."
"I know the perfect place."
"Where?"
He grinned down at her, "It's a surprise."
She mock-pouted, "I hate it when you do that."
"Tough."
She sighed, "Fine, I guess…at least tell me if I need to dress up."
"You don't have to, but you can if you want."
"Ok." She got up and walked towards the bathroom to take a shower.
*~*~*~*~*
An hour later, they left his dingy building and hailed a cab. Richard said, "The Apollo Restaurant please," to the cabbie.
Caroline rested her head on his shoulder and rested his head on hers, lightly rubbing her thigh as the cab wove through the city streets. They sat quietly until they got to the restaurant. Richard paid the driver and helped her out of the cab. She looked up and smiled, it was a diner, just like the one from Dougan. "Richard, this is great…a diner." She grinned up at him.
"I know."
"When did you find this place?"
"A couple of weeks ago. But, I wanted to wait until you got her to come in and try it." He opened the door for her. The diner wasn't what you would call romantic, there were obnoxious customers, loud waitresses, and a lot of banging dishes in the kitchen, but it was perfect to them. After a nice, greasy dinner, he paid the bill and they took off.
"So?" he asked. "What do you want to do now?"
"I don't know. You're the one that lives here. You tell me…what's fun to do here?"
"Well, I usually stay home and paint, but I want to take you out. We could go dancing or see a show…there's a lot of different things."
"We can do whatever will make you the least miserable."
He laughed, "Ok, let's go dancing. I wouldn't mind that too much," he pressed his forehead to hers, "As long as I'm dancing with you." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
She grinned. "Ok, that sounds good." He took her hand and they walked to a local piano bar, one with a dance floor. Immediately upon walking in, Caroline dragged Richard to the dance floor, pulling him close. He smiled and went with her pull, wrapping his right arm tightly around her waist while placing her hand over his heart with his left. They swayed gently to the slow beat of the music, her head resting on his chest and his head resting on hers.
Neither of them spoke for a few songs, they just danced quietly, until Richard broke their trance. "I made that meeting for you…"
She pulled back slightly, looking up into his eyes. "When?"
"In 3 days, with a guy named Del Cassidy…"
"Is it a newspaper?"
"Kind of…I took it to a newspaper and they said that I needed to talk to the owner. It turns out he's like a huge mogul or something, he owns several newspapers, a local television station, and a greeting card company. Del is his son and approves all of the comic strips they use."
"Oh, so my life could change completely in 3 days."
He smiled, "Yeah, pretty much."
"Good to know." She went back to his chest. "Will you come with me?"
"If you want me to."
"Good."
They danced in silence for the next couple of hours, taking breaks during the fast songs for Richard's sake (he didn't know how to dance to them). But, Caroline was getting tired and was having a hard time dancing. Richard picked up on it.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tired is all."
"Do you want to go home?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"I don't care. If you're tired, we should go."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
He kissed her knuckles, "Positive. Come on, let's go." He grabbed their coats and escorted her out of the club. They took a cab home and immediately crawled into bed upon arriving there. Both of them fell asleep right away, wrapped tightly in the other's arms.
(to be continued)
