He saw that she was a medium height brunette with blue eyes that he could
see from far away. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a short green T-
shirt. She turned to him, slightly surprised by his presence. She was
probably waiting for someone to come to the door. She made her way down
the steps and over to him.
"Hi, I was just wondering if you minded if I took some photographs around here, I didn't exactly know if this was private property," she told him.
"Well, I own about 75 acres, and I don't mind if you photograph it."
"Thanks so much," she said smiling, "I didn't want to impose and just start snapping shots all over your land."
"It's ok, I assume you're a photographer."
"You assume correct, I'm freelance though, right now I'm just taking pictures of whatever strikes my fancy."
"Oh, well, I'm glad my land could inspire you. Do you want to come inside for some coffee or something?"
"Um, yeah, sure, I'd like to hear more about your land, it's so beautiful out here."
"Yeah, come on inside."
Chris was actually glad to have some company. He hadn't realized that he was getting a little bit lonesome. It was nice to be talking to something other than a horse. He led her inside and into the kitchen. She sat down at the table while he made a fresh pot of coffee.
"You have a lovely home," she said.
"Thanks."
"Do you live alone?"
"Yeah, just me."
"I see. How long have you lived here?"
"About 6 months."
"Do you enjoy not being around anything?"
"Yeah, actually I do, I've been alone for a while," he told her, setting down a cup of coffee for her.
"Thanks, you don't sound so happy about being alone."
"Well, it's a long story, but sometimes, yeah, it gets lonely."
"I'm sure," she said, taking a sip from her mug.
"I'm Chris Irvine," he told her.
"Stephanie, nice to meet you Chris."
"So what do you take pictures of, just scenery?"
"Most of the times, sometimes I include people in my photographs."
"Interesting."
"Well, I'm just going to get some pictures if that's alright?" she asked, getting up.
"Yeah, go ahead, if you need anything, don't be afraid to come and ask."
"Thank you Chris."
After that, she left out the back door and into his yard, if you could call it a yard, since it was so large. He spent the day reading in his den. Occasionally he would look out the window and see Stephanie snapping away at various things. Chris went into the kitchen after a while, and started to prepare dinner. He wondered if Stephanie would like to stay.
The darkness started to fall, and Chris went out to his back porch, and could still see Stephanie snapping away. She must really be into her work, Chris thought to himself. She saw him and smiled making her way over to the porch, stopping a couple times to get a few shots in.
"You've been working awfully hard," he said.
"You've just got some very picturesque land here, it's beautiful."
"Yeah, I fell in love with it when I first saw it too."
"I can easily tell why."
"Did you want to stay for dinner, it's getting late?"
Stephanie looked at him gratefully, "If I'm not imposing."
"No, of course you aren't, it's nice to have some company, if you're husband doesn't mind."
"Husband?" she asked confused, "How did you know I had a husband?"
"I noticed the ring on your finger," he said glancing back at her as they walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, yeah, sometimes I forget I wear these, they've been on so long they're a part of me."
They sat down again, and enjoyed the dinner that Chris had prepared. They made idle chit-chat, mostly about the land, and about New Mexico in general. They each found themselves enjoying the company they had found themselves with. By the time they got up from the table it was 11:00 in the evening.
"Wow, it's so late, I really should be going," Stephanie said.
"Are you sure? You can stay here tonight if you wanted, I have a lot of extra rooms that aren't used."
"I couldn't do that."
"Oh, because you're husband wouldn't want you to?" he said understandingly.
"Oh no, it's just I've imposed way too much on you for one day."
"No, really, I don't mind at all."
"Are you positive?"
"Absolutely."
"I feel like such a moocher though."
"You aren't," he said chuckling. Do you have any pajamas or anything?"
"Yeah, actually I do, in my car, I'll be right back," she said, before disappearing out the door and to the car.
Chris found himself liking being around Stephanie. She seemed like a good person. She wasn't Jessica, and he didn't feel anything but camaraderie with Stephanie. Jessica was the woman he loved and she always would be.
Stephanie bounded back in, bag in tow, and Chris wondered why she had an overnight bag on the ready. He figured it was because she was a photographer, and she traveled a lot. He led her upstairs, and walked down the long hallway.
"Here, you can stay in here," he said, opening the door to one of the rooms.
"Thanks so much," she said.
"If you need something, I'm the third door on your left. Oh, and bathrooms right there," he told her, pointing to a door.
"Ok, great, goodnight Chris."
"Goodnight Stephanie."
~THE NEXT MORNING~
Chris woke up to the sound of noises downstairs. He sat up straight in bed, and wondered what the hell was going on. It took him a moment to realize there was someone else in the house. Stephanie must've been trying to find something in the kitchen.
He trudged downstairs, and into the kitchen, and his eyes widened. There was quite the spread on the table: waffles, eggs, toast, sausage, and bacon. He looked to Stephanie who was busy pouring a couple of glasses of orange juice.
"What is all this?" he asked.
"Well, you were so nice as to let me stay here that I thought I would cook you breakfast as a thank you of sorts."
"You really didn't have to do this."
"Nah, I wanted to, I had to do something to repay you, here, sit down," she said, pulling out a chair.
He sat down, in awe of everything. Then a little pang of guilt rose up in him after he realized that Jessica sometimes cooked for him. He frowned as he thought about how she loved being in the kitchen, cooking things.
"Is everything ok?" she asked, noticing his face.
Chris shook his head to clear his thoughts, "Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just surprised is all."
"Ok."
They sat down, and dove into the food. There was a lot they didn't finish, but they were so full that they couldn't eat another bite. Stephanie helped Chris clear the dishes, and then wash them.
"Well, I better get going," Stephanie said, after drying the last dish.
"Yeah, I'm sure your husband is worried sick about you," he said, not noticing the sad expression on her face.
"Well, it was really nice meeting you Chris," she told him, sticking her hand out. He shook it laughing.
"Well, if you ever find yourself around these parts again, stop by and say hello."
"I will, thanks again," she said, before grabbing her bag and leaving.
Chris couldn't help but hate to see her go.
"Hi, I was just wondering if you minded if I took some photographs around here, I didn't exactly know if this was private property," she told him.
"Well, I own about 75 acres, and I don't mind if you photograph it."
"Thanks so much," she said smiling, "I didn't want to impose and just start snapping shots all over your land."
"It's ok, I assume you're a photographer."
"You assume correct, I'm freelance though, right now I'm just taking pictures of whatever strikes my fancy."
"Oh, well, I'm glad my land could inspire you. Do you want to come inside for some coffee or something?"
"Um, yeah, sure, I'd like to hear more about your land, it's so beautiful out here."
"Yeah, come on inside."
Chris was actually glad to have some company. He hadn't realized that he was getting a little bit lonesome. It was nice to be talking to something other than a horse. He led her inside and into the kitchen. She sat down at the table while he made a fresh pot of coffee.
"You have a lovely home," she said.
"Thanks."
"Do you live alone?"
"Yeah, just me."
"I see. How long have you lived here?"
"About 6 months."
"Do you enjoy not being around anything?"
"Yeah, actually I do, I've been alone for a while," he told her, setting down a cup of coffee for her.
"Thanks, you don't sound so happy about being alone."
"Well, it's a long story, but sometimes, yeah, it gets lonely."
"I'm sure," she said, taking a sip from her mug.
"I'm Chris Irvine," he told her.
"Stephanie, nice to meet you Chris."
"So what do you take pictures of, just scenery?"
"Most of the times, sometimes I include people in my photographs."
"Interesting."
"Well, I'm just going to get some pictures if that's alright?" she asked, getting up.
"Yeah, go ahead, if you need anything, don't be afraid to come and ask."
"Thank you Chris."
After that, she left out the back door and into his yard, if you could call it a yard, since it was so large. He spent the day reading in his den. Occasionally he would look out the window and see Stephanie snapping away at various things. Chris went into the kitchen after a while, and started to prepare dinner. He wondered if Stephanie would like to stay.
The darkness started to fall, and Chris went out to his back porch, and could still see Stephanie snapping away. She must really be into her work, Chris thought to himself. She saw him and smiled making her way over to the porch, stopping a couple times to get a few shots in.
"You've been working awfully hard," he said.
"You've just got some very picturesque land here, it's beautiful."
"Yeah, I fell in love with it when I first saw it too."
"I can easily tell why."
"Did you want to stay for dinner, it's getting late?"
Stephanie looked at him gratefully, "If I'm not imposing."
"No, of course you aren't, it's nice to have some company, if you're husband doesn't mind."
"Husband?" she asked confused, "How did you know I had a husband?"
"I noticed the ring on your finger," he said glancing back at her as they walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, yeah, sometimes I forget I wear these, they've been on so long they're a part of me."
They sat down again, and enjoyed the dinner that Chris had prepared. They made idle chit-chat, mostly about the land, and about New Mexico in general. They each found themselves enjoying the company they had found themselves with. By the time they got up from the table it was 11:00 in the evening.
"Wow, it's so late, I really should be going," Stephanie said.
"Are you sure? You can stay here tonight if you wanted, I have a lot of extra rooms that aren't used."
"I couldn't do that."
"Oh, because you're husband wouldn't want you to?" he said understandingly.
"Oh no, it's just I've imposed way too much on you for one day."
"No, really, I don't mind at all."
"Are you positive?"
"Absolutely."
"I feel like such a moocher though."
"You aren't," he said chuckling. Do you have any pajamas or anything?"
"Yeah, actually I do, in my car, I'll be right back," she said, before disappearing out the door and to the car.
Chris found himself liking being around Stephanie. She seemed like a good person. She wasn't Jessica, and he didn't feel anything but camaraderie with Stephanie. Jessica was the woman he loved and she always would be.
Stephanie bounded back in, bag in tow, and Chris wondered why she had an overnight bag on the ready. He figured it was because she was a photographer, and she traveled a lot. He led her upstairs, and walked down the long hallway.
"Here, you can stay in here," he said, opening the door to one of the rooms.
"Thanks so much," she said.
"If you need something, I'm the third door on your left. Oh, and bathrooms right there," he told her, pointing to a door.
"Ok, great, goodnight Chris."
"Goodnight Stephanie."
~THE NEXT MORNING~
Chris woke up to the sound of noises downstairs. He sat up straight in bed, and wondered what the hell was going on. It took him a moment to realize there was someone else in the house. Stephanie must've been trying to find something in the kitchen.
He trudged downstairs, and into the kitchen, and his eyes widened. There was quite the spread on the table: waffles, eggs, toast, sausage, and bacon. He looked to Stephanie who was busy pouring a couple of glasses of orange juice.
"What is all this?" he asked.
"Well, you were so nice as to let me stay here that I thought I would cook you breakfast as a thank you of sorts."
"You really didn't have to do this."
"Nah, I wanted to, I had to do something to repay you, here, sit down," she said, pulling out a chair.
He sat down, in awe of everything. Then a little pang of guilt rose up in him after he realized that Jessica sometimes cooked for him. He frowned as he thought about how she loved being in the kitchen, cooking things.
"Is everything ok?" she asked, noticing his face.
Chris shook his head to clear his thoughts, "Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just surprised is all."
"Ok."
They sat down, and dove into the food. There was a lot they didn't finish, but they were so full that they couldn't eat another bite. Stephanie helped Chris clear the dishes, and then wash them.
"Well, I better get going," Stephanie said, after drying the last dish.
"Yeah, I'm sure your husband is worried sick about you," he said, not noticing the sad expression on her face.
"Well, it was really nice meeting you Chris," she told him, sticking her hand out. He shook it laughing.
"Well, if you ever find yourself around these parts again, stop by and say hello."
"I will, thanks again," she said, before grabbing her bag and leaving.
Chris couldn't help but hate to see her go.
