The combined aromas of bacon frying and coffee brewing awakened Daniel the next morning. It was a heady combination, and he lay there for a moment, just letting it wash over him.
Catherine had loved cooking breakfast for him on those mornings after he had spent the night, and he could almost picture her downstairs, puttering around in that big kitchen.
She'd had a large staff, of course, including a cook; but this was something she had liked to do for Daniel herself. He wasn't one to eat big breakfasts, but he never had the heart (or the nerve) to tell her that. And now the sounds and smells coming from downstairs made him wistful.
He rolled over on his side, picked up his watch from the bedside table and squinted at it nearsightedly. 'Ten 'o clock? That can't be right.' He took a quick shower and then changed into fresh clothes.
When he got downstairs he found Sabrina sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. Strangely enough, their choice of attire was reversed from the night before.
While Daniel was now dressed in jeans and a sweater he had left in the dresser upstairs; Sabrina looked as though she were heading for a business meeting, wearing a cobalt-blue suit with a white silk blouse. He couldn't help notice how the suit brought out the blue in her eyes.
"Well, good morning, 'Sleepyhead'," she laughed, "I thought you'd never wake up."
"You know, I've always slept well in that room, but I really didn't mean to sleep this late." Daniel walked over to the counter, picked up the old-fashioned percolator and poured himself a cup of coffee before joining her at the kitchen table. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything."
"I've got a meeting in about an hour with my lawyer. We're just wrapping things up from Aunt Catherine's estate. Would you like some breakfast, Daniel? The bacon's already cooked and it'll only take a minute to whip up an omelet."
"No, thanks. I really need to get back to Colorado Springs," he replied. "You've been a gracious hostess, Sabrina." The bacon did look good, so he helped himself to a slice. "Just give me a call when you get the flight arrangements for our flight to Boston. I'm really looking forward to it."
He realized, as he finished his coffee, that that was the truth. He had enjoyed their evening together more than he thought he would, and the idea of spending a couple of days with her was becoming very appealing. He finished his coffee, picked up his things and headed for the front door.
Sabrina followed him to the entrance hall and as he turned around to tell her goodbye, he realized that she was in her stocking feet. Didn't the woman own any shoes? Daniel wondered if he was starting to develop a foot fetish.
Seeing him smile, Sabrina asked, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing. I was just going to thank you again for a wonderful dinner and a lovely evening."
"I'm glad you could come." Impulsively Sabrina leaned forward and kissed Daniel softly on the mouth.
To his credit, Daniel didn't act surprised, although you could've knocked him over with a feather. One might say that he even responded, because her lips were very soft; and frankly, it had been a while since an attractive woman had kissed him. She pulled back slightly, and then wiped her lipstick off his mouth with her thumb. He ran his tongue lightly over his bottom lip and then swallowed self-consciously, an old habit.
"I'll call you…NO, you call me…with the, uhh…"
"Flight arrangements?"
"Yeah, those…"
"Right, with the flight arrangements." She smiled as she watched Daniel walk to the street, get into his car, and drive away.
It occurred to Daniel about ten minutes later that all of their business could've been handled over the phone…interesting…..