~Chapter 3~
Fox and Teresa walked hand in hand down on the wharf. It was a beautiful fall day. The leaves were just beginning to turn and there was a cool breeze blowing.
"Oh, look, Teresa," Fox said pointing, "carmel apples, can we get one?"
Teresa looked at Fox kind of peculiar. "I guess, you can get one, you are a grown man if you haven't noticed."
"Give me a break, Teresa. I've never had a carmel apple."
She looked at him in astonishment, "You've never had a carmel apple before?" Fox shook his head no. "Come on then, you don't know what you're missing. In fact, Fox, it's on me."
"No, Teresa, I couldn't let you do that."
Teresa put a finger up to his mouth, "Please, Fox, it's the least I could do for all you've done for me."
Teresa walked over and bought them two apples and they sat along the dock to eat them.
"Wow, you know you're right, Teresa, I don't know what I've been missing. This is great!" Fox said with a mouthful of apple.
"Geez, Fox, did no one teach you manners." She looked at Fox disgusted. "Close your mouth."
Fox blushed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. "Sorry, it's just I don't think I've ever tasted anything this good in my life."
She just smiled at Fox. On the outside Fox looked like he had everything: designer clothes, fast sports cars, millions of dollars, any woman he could ever want. But when you got to know him, you saw that really Fox had nothing. When you got down to it, he had no mom or dad, is brother hated him, and everyone took him for granted. They didn't see the Fox that she saw.
"What are you thinking about?" Fox said taking another chunk out of his apple.
"I, I was thinking that maybe we should go to the coffee shop. I thought maybe a cup of hot chocolate sounds great right about now."
"Sure, let's go." Fox finished his apple as they walked along.
As they walked, a little lady came walking up to them. "Excuse me." Fox and Teresa turned to the little lady, who's face was covered with a huge, beaming smile.
"Yes, did you need some help." Fox asked.
"No, thank you." She smiled at Teresa. "Such a nice young man." Teresa smiled back at her. "I just wanted to tell you what a cute couple you two make." She took Teresa's hands in her and tears came to the old ladies eyes. "You two remind me of myself and my late husband."
Fox looked at Teresa who was about to say something, but cut her off before she could, "Thank you, maam. Teresa here is one in a million."
"Oh, bless your heart, you'd better hang on to this one honey, goods ones are hard to find in this day and age."
"Yes, I guess you're right." Teresa cut Fox a sideways glance.
The little lady patted Teresa's hand, "I'd better be one my way, good luck you two." The older lady turned and walked away from them.
"Old people, you gotta love 'em." Fox laughed.
Teresa punched Fox on the shoulder, "You little..."
"Hey, what did I do?" He rubbed his shoulder.
"You let that little old lady think that we were a couple. You lied to the poor thing."
"Come on, Teresa, look at her. Do you know how embarrassed she'd have been if we told her we weren't a couple? Not to mention her heart, why she might not could bear it." He gave her a cunning smile.
Teresa rolled her eyes, "You're impossible, Fox."
"You're irresistible, Teresa."
Teresa blushed, "You're just saying that to be nice."
"I'm saying it because it's true." Fox inched a little closer to Teresa. "You know, Teresa, that little old lady might have..."
"Fox! Teresa!" A voice yelled out at them.
Fox cleared his throat and turned away from Teresa. Teresa pushed a stray hair nervously from her face.
Whitney came around the corner, "Hey, you two! Long time no see. Teresa, honey, don't you ever eat anymore. You're so skinny."
"No need to worry about me anymore, Whit. Lt. Crane here to the rescue. He's been issuing orders all morning."
"That's what friends are for, Teresa, to pick you up when you're down."
She smiled up at him, "Oh, so now we're just friends, huh?"
Whitney looked at the two of them curiously, "Am I missing something here?"
"No, no, it's just a little lady told me and Fox that we made a cute couple and Fox played along with her."
"Fox, you're lying to little old women?" Whitney smiled at him.
"Oh, come on you two give me a break. I didn't wanted to disappoint her."
"Well, I for one think it's sweet, Fox." Whitney touched his arm. "And you know what, I agree with her. You two would make a cute couple."
"Whitney." Teresa whined.
"What, it's true." She looked at her watch. "Look, I've got to run, I'm meeting Chad for lunch. You two think about what I said. Maybe you two are so close for a reason. Teresa, I'll call you soon and we'll go shopping."
"Sounds great. Bye, Whit." She waved.
"See ya!" Fox called out.
"Okay, if that wasn't awkward enough."
"Don't sweat it, Teresa, Whitney's just looking out for you."
"Yeah, I know. Come on," changing the subject, "let's go get that hot chocolate." Teresa walked around the corner, but Fox stood there for a second watching her. Maybe Whitney was right. Maybe there was a reason him and Teresa were so drawn to each other. He shook his head, "Nah, just a coincidence, she'll never love anyone but Ethan." He started walking toward Teresa, "Teresa, wait up."
Fox and Teresa walked hand in hand down on the wharf. It was a beautiful fall day. The leaves were just beginning to turn and there was a cool breeze blowing.
"Oh, look, Teresa," Fox said pointing, "carmel apples, can we get one?"
Teresa looked at Fox kind of peculiar. "I guess, you can get one, you are a grown man if you haven't noticed."
"Give me a break, Teresa. I've never had a carmel apple."
She looked at him in astonishment, "You've never had a carmel apple before?" Fox shook his head no. "Come on then, you don't know what you're missing. In fact, Fox, it's on me."
"No, Teresa, I couldn't let you do that."
Teresa put a finger up to his mouth, "Please, Fox, it's the least I could do for all you've done for me."
Teresa walked over and bought them two apples and they sat along the dock to eat them.
"Wow, you know you're right, Teresa, I don't know what I've been missing. This is great!" Fox said with a mouthful of apple.
"Geez, Fox, did no one teach you manners." She looked at Fox disgusted. "Close your mouth."
Fox blushed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. "Sorry, it's just I don't think I've ever tasted anything this good in my life."
She just smiled at Fox. On the outside Fox looked like he had everything: designer clothes, fast sports cars, millions of dollars, any woman he could ever want. But when you got to know him, you saw that really Fox had nothing. When you got down to it, he had no mom or dad, is brother hated him, and everyone took him for granted. They didn't see the Fox that she saw.
"What are you thinking about?" Fox said taking another chunk out of his apple.
"I, I was thinking that maybe we should go to the coffee shop. I thought maybe a cup of hot chocolate sounds great right about now."
"Sure, let's go." Fox finished his apple as they walked along.
As they walked, a little lady came walking up to them. "Excuse me." Fox and Teresa turned to the little lady, who's face was covered with a huge, beaming smile.
"Yes, did you need some help." Fox asked.
"No, thank you." She smiled at Teresa. "Such a nice young man." Teresa smiled back at her. "I just wanted to tell you what a cute couple you two make." She took Teresa's hands in her and tears came to the old ladies eyes. "You two remind me of myself and my late husband."
Fox looked at Teresa who was about to say something, but cut her off before she could, "Thank you, maam. Teresa here is one in a million."
"Oh, bless your heart, you'd better hang on to this one honey, goods ones are hard to find in this day and age."
"Yes, I guess you're right." Teresa cut Fox a sideways glance.
The little lady patted Teresa's hand, "I'd better be one my way, good luck you two." The older lady turned and walked away from them.
"Old people, you gotta love 'em." Fox laughed.
Teresa punched Fox on the shoulder, "You little..."
"Hey, what did I do?" He rubbed his shoulder.
"You let that little old lady think that we were a couple. You lied to the poor thing."
"Come on, Teresa, look at her. Do you know how embarrassed she'd have been if we told her we weren't a couple? Not to mention her heart, why she might not could bear it." He gave her a cunning smile.
Teresa rolled her eyes, "You're impossible, Fox."
"You're irresistible, Teresa."
Teresa blushed, "You're just saying that to be nice."
"I'm saying it because it's true." Fox inched a little closer to Teresa. "You know, Teresa, that little old lady might have..."
"Fox! Teresa!" A voice yelled out at them.
Fox cleared his throat and turned away from Teresa. Teresa pushed a stray hair nervously from her face.
Whitney came around the corner, "Hey, you two! Long time no see. Teresa, honey, don't you ever eat anymore. You're so skinny."
"No need to worry about me anymore, Whit. Lt. Crane here to the rescue. He's been issuing orders all morning."
"That's what friends are for, Teresa, to pick you up when you're down."
She smiled up at him, "Oh, so now we're just friends, huh?"
Whitney looked at the two of them curiously, "Am I missing something here?"
"No, no, it's just a little lady told me and Fox that we made a cute couple and Fox played along with her."
"Fox, you're lying to little old women?" Whitney smiled at him.
"Oh, come on you two give me a break. I didn't wanted to disappoint her."
"Well, I for one think it's sweet, Fox." Whitney touched his arm. "And you know what, I agree with her. You two would make a cute couple."
"Whitney." Teresa whined.
"What, it's true." She looked at her watch. "Look, I've got to run, I'm meeting Chad for lunch. You two think about what I said. Maybe you two are so close for a reason. Teresa, I'll call you soon and we'll go shopping."
"Sounds great. Bye, Whit." She waved.
"See ya!" Fox called out.
"Okay, if that wasn't awkward enough."
"Don't sweat it, Teresa, Whitney's just looking out for you."
"Yeah, I know. Come on," changing the subject, "let's go get that hot chocolate." Teresa walked around the corner, but Fox stood there for a second watching her. Maybe Whitney was right. Maybe there was a reason him and Teresa were so drawn to each other. He shook his head, "Nah, just a coincidence, she'll never love anyone but Ethan." He started walking toward Teresa, "Teresa, wait up."