She couldn’t tell you how long she stood there in the middle of the road, or how long until she realized she was mumbling, “It was me. It was me.”
Her phone chimes from inside the car, bringing her back to reality. Slipping inside, she unlocks the screen to read: I’ll be at this location tonight. Feel free to come by whenever for that necklace.
An address is written beneath that. Sera debates going after all the strange things that have happened. Maybe she should go home and rest. She’s obviously hit her head.
Instead, she climbs back into the car and straps her seat belt on before deciding against heading home. The truth is, she needs a distraction. Some freaky encounter with the deer isn’t going to ruin her life. Especially not with a mysterious stranger that seemed to appear from out of her dreams.
So instead she replies: On my way.
Sera clicks the address underlined on her phone. The GPS blares to life computing directions already. “In three miles take Exit Thirteen.”
With one last deep breath, Sera shifts the car into gear and glances in her rearview mirror before merging back onto the highway.
The anxiety in her quickly transforms into nervous excitement as the journey toward Nate continues. As if there weren’t enough questions swirling around in her mind, Sera now has even more questions about the mysterious Nate. Despite it all, Sera can’t help but find it all just a bit gosh darn exciting. Her foot presses harder on the gas, eager to settle the butterflies inside of her.
“Take Exit Thirteen.” The GPS shrills again. Her hands twitch and she turns the wheel to take the exit. A few houses pass by her window, but she continues keeping her eyes on the road ahead. She continues for another couple miles before things start getting dark. There’s no more street lamps lining the way, houses are farther and farther apart, and then she can no longer make them out. Trees. Lines and lines of trees are all she can see as the road winds.
“Turn left ahead.” Sera almost misses the turn because it is so dark and overgrown with foliage. Not to mention the lack of a road sign makes it a little hard to distinguish. Her white sedan jostles her back and forth, and she pulls off the asphalt road and onto a dirt one.
“Continue two miles, the destination is on your left.”
“What the –” Sera continues her trek through the dirt road. “Where the hell is this guy meeting me?”
A few times she debates turning around. After the creepy encounter with the blond in the club, she finds herself a little hesitant to meet this guy so far from home. Her hand reaches for her missing pendant before returning to the steering wheel. “I need to do this, everything is going to be fine,” she attempts to convince herself. The road winds even farther before the GPS blares back to life causing Sera to jump.
“You have arrived at your destination.”
“But nothing’s—” Before she can finish her sentence, the trees part and a field opens up before her. A picturesque log cabin sits quaintly on the center of the clearing. The house illuminates from within. A high-pitched roof with triangular glass panels, make it clear that no one is expecting any privacy. Her car bumps under her again when she hits the gravel, causing her to close her mouth when she pulls up beside a black car parked right out front.
Sera slips out of the car and then tugs on the edges of her blouse. Only now is she suddenly self-conscious of her work clothes. Closing the car door, she climbs the three steps of the porch eyeing the wooden Adirondack chairs on either side. Automatically, her hand finds its way to her chest again only to find it bare. With renewed motivation for being at a stranger’s house in the woods after dark, she reaches out to press the doorbell. The chime echoes through the whole house.
Soundlessly, the oversize front door opens. That beautiful scent of Christmas hits her again. Nate is standing in the center of the foyer as if he were waiting for her. Dressed in a white collared shirt and slacks, he peers over at her. Again, Sera finds herself tugging on her blouse. His blue eyes illuminate when they meet hers.
“Please, come in.” Even his voice is smooth and velvety.
Carefully, Sera takes a step inside the threshold of this grand foyer. Above her dangles a huge glass chandelier with crystals hanging from it, reaching down to her like fingers. She takes in the expertly crafted wooden floors, walls, and a high vaulted ceiling. On the right, a spiraling staircase wraps alongside the wall and up to a second level.
“I have your necklace right here.” She didn’t even notice that he wasn’t beside her any longer. She follows him to a room on the left. The smoky scent of a fire meets her when she enters. Before her is a cozy room. Covering the walls are floor to ceiling bookshelves. The center hosts a large brick fireplace situated around it sits a plush green couch and two chairs that look an awful lot like the one at Jack’s shop.
“It’s right here.” He picks it up from the chain off the coffee table; extending his arm toward her.
It’s like she’s back in that dream again, her feet take her around the couch to him. Her vial dangles from his fingers. Her eyes flick from his back down to the vial. It does have a glimmer to it that it didn’t before, but it’s not glowing as it had earlier. She finally takes it.
“Thank you. I would be lost without this.”
“Can I ask where you got something like that?” He settles into the couch.
She hesitates. “It was a gift,” she answers before sitting on the couch beside him. Not too close, but not too far away either. The scent of the fire isn’t the only thing she can smell. His scent lingers around her as well. She can’t really put a finger on the scent, no matter how hard she tries.
“A gift from whom?” His tone strains, but his eyes are still warm.
“It’s been so long I can’t seem to remember.” With all the craziness of the past few days, she hasn’t exactly had the time to hunt down the origin of her favorite necklace. Apprehensively, she glances around the cozy room. “Uh, well, I should be going.” Sera gets up and walks around the couch back toward the foyer.
“Wait.” Nate follows her. “You must be starving coming from work, I was just about to have dinner if you’d like to join me.”
With a shake of her head, she replies, “I couldn’t possibly—” Her words pause on her lips as her eyes follow his outstretched finger. The entire back wall of his house is all glass. His dining room table is lit only with the moon and the glimmering stars above.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, she’s enraptured by the moon, causing her to walk mindlessly deeper into his house. The back of his house overlooks a cliff. She can just make out the endless forest and winding river below.
“Do you like it?” he asks from beside her.
“Are you kidding, it’s gorgeous.” Her eyes never leave the vast sight ahead.
He pulls out a chair, and she sits at the small two-person table. The moon filters light down onto them like a spotlight. He carefully seats himself across from Sera as he takes the liberty to run his fingers through his hair. A silence falls over them for a second as Sera takes in the table setting before her. Candles, wine, a table set for two.
She shakes her head, “Did you do all this for me?”
This mysterious dream-man meets her eyes. They widen with surprise at first then they appear to soften. “Yeah, all for you.”
“Thank you,” she murmurs. She didn’t plan on this becoming a date… and yet, it still blew Jack’s attempt out of the water. She allows Nate to pour her a glass of wine and serve her his homemade food.
Throughout dinner, she can’t help but glance out the window every so often. Something about this place is so… magical. While they eat, she tries prying him for more information. She must find out who this mysterious guy is and why exactly she dreams of him every night. The more questions she asks, the more vague he gets, instead, deflecting the questions back toward her. It’s crazy, but if she didn’t know any better, it would appear that he knew her answers already.
“So what do you do for work?” Sera tries again.
“Security,” he replies, with one of his classic one-word answers. “You look like you work in the medical field, am I correct?”
Her brows scrunch, “Yes, how did you know?”
“You just look like you care a lot about people.”
“Um, who do you protect to afford a home like this? Madonna? The President?”
“Oh, the house? I built it myself.” He shrugs.
She shakes her head, “You mean you designed it yourself?”
“No, I built it with my own two hands.” He wiggles his fingers for emphasis.
“No way.” She breathes glancing around the high ceilings.
“What can I say, I had a little time on my hands between assignments.” He responds. He’s hiding something she can tell.
“Who do you work for now?”
“I’m freelance at the moment, so I take assignments on a case by case basis.” Those blue eyes of his are almost smiling at her. They seem to laugh at a joke she knows nothing about. They stay suspended like that for a few seconds. The long white candlesticks between them cast a light glow over everything. The moon spotlights his chestnut hair and that smile of his temporarily dazes Sera.
Something inside of her gets a funny feeling. Different from butterflies and totally opposite of what she felt earlier with the deer. It was almost like a tug, a pull.
When she finishes eating, she quickly excuses herself to use the restroom, desperate to get her mind right before continuing this charade. Entering the bathroom, her eyes widen.
Even this room is beautiful, she thinks tapping her finger on the white marble countertop on the vanity. Like the rest of the house, the room is made from wood panels, the toilet and claw tub are all spotless white porcelain. Underneath the marble sink is intricate cabinetry and above the sink is a large oval mirror encased in a plain white frame. She had planned on texting Amanda while in here, but as she holds the phone between her hands, she can’t decide how to even explain this… yeah maybe it’s best she doesn’t open that can of worms right now. Instead, she fixes herself in the mirror and after three deep breaths, she returns to the dining room.
Coming back to the table, she stops short. The moon casts its spotlight now on an empty table. How long was I gone? She slips across the dining room to the kitchen. Peeking up the three steps to the loft style kitchen, she’s again met with nothing but empty counter space. Nothing in the sink and strangely, the appliances look like they’ve never been used.
To call her confused would be the understatement of the year. As it turns out, this isn’t the weirdest thing that has happened to her this week.
A shuffle coming from the front of the house draws her attention. Sera walks back toward the foyer. Nate is in that cozy living room getting the fireplace started. He looks up as she enters and even shoots her a smile as he motions her to sit on the lush green couches. Making her way through the living room, she takes the time to admire this mysterious man. His back is broad and strong as he stokes the fire.
Her mind wanders while she continues to wait. She happens to notice the lack of modern electronics. Not a television or a computer. No radio, stereo, iPod—what a weirdo! Who has just has a bunch of books in their living room?
When he gets the fire blazing, he climbs to his feet, “Would you like some wine?” his finger points to a wine decanter on the little table beside her.
“Sure.”
She watches as he pours two glasses with one hand as he turns to her, “So, how was work?”
He hands her a glass “Work, um…” Sera stutters over her words as the ride home from the office re-enters her mind. The hands in her lap have started to shake slightly. She takes a sip of wine. It tastes… different. Sweeter almost, but strong. The fruit seems to explode on her taste buds.
He takes a seat beside her, “Are you okay?” his hand hovers over her knee for a second before he places it gently on the couch beside her. His eyes shine with concern as they meet her eyes again. The blueness of them glimmer back at her. She finds it… intoxicating.
Sera shakes her head. She’s starting to grow lightheaded, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if you’re okay?” he asks again, his eyes a little more concerned this time.
“No, I’m fine.” Sera corrects, “Just some personal things going on.”
“Personal?”
“It’s hard to explain.” She takes another sip from her glass. She can’t seem to stop.
There’s that secret smile again, “Try me.”
Shyly she glances away, “I’ve just been going through some things these past few days. It’s nothing, really.”
“Sera…” The way he says her name makes her shiver. “I can tell when you are lying.” “I’m not lying.”
Her eyes meet his again—big mistake, still gorgeous.
“You have a face that can’t lie.”
“How can you tell all that? I barely know you.”
He breathes, “I have a confession to make.”
I knew this had to be too good to be true. Her heart begins to race, “A confession?”
“I like you.” Her eyes widen. Not what she was expecting. “I wanted this to be a spontaneous date. I haven’t dated in… a while. I’m a little out of practice. Could you possibly forgive me and consider giving me another chance?”
A sigh of relief, “I haven’t dated in a while either.”
“And why is that?” She shies away from his question, but his gaze lingers.
“It’s hard to explain,” she breathes. “It’s almost like dating is different. I don’t like the changes.”
He’s amused, “Different? In what way?”
“There’s no romance anymore. There’s apps and booty calls, everything is so accessible at the tap of a finger. Guys don’t even try anymore. No one opens car doors anymore, or throws rocks at girls’ windows. They don’t even walk to the door and ring the doorbell they text you when they’re outside. Maybe I’m an old soul, but I just don’t have the energy to entertain that garbage.”
He nods, “I can understand that.”
“Can you?” Even as the words escape her lips, she regrets them. Of course he does. She can sense he has an old soul as well, from the way his phone is still sitting on the table before them. He’s never even looked at it once. Also, it’s the way there’s no electronics in this place and the romance of that candle-lit dinner under the stars. This Nate, he’s different.
“I can,” he responds, his arm finding its way to the back of the couch behind her. The closer he gets, the faster her heart thrums in her chest. Her palm is sticking to the stem of the wine glass, as it grows sweaty. She takes another sip to distract herself from his beautiful eyes.
“Well, um, that’s—”
“Sera, you know you can trust me right?” he asks, “You can tell me anything.”
She meets his eyes; somehow, she feels the urge to respond honestly. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“You’re afraid of me?”
“Kind of.” The words slip from her mouth before she can stop them.
“Why?” She doesn’t miss him moving back a centimeter.
“Odd things have been happening to me lately, I don’t want you to be one of them.” The truth is, she doesn’t want to wake up, and find out this is all just another dream. But, why is she telling this stranger all this?
“Odd things? Like what?”
“Just weird things, you wouldn’t get it.” Stop talking Sera! Geez.
“You’d be surprised by what I can comprehend.”
“I doubt anything would surprise me anymore.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” There’s that secret smirk again.
“Do you ever feel like everyone is in on a secret, but you?” His smile falters as she continues. “That’s what it feels like. I just feel like things are different, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”
“Like what?”
She finally falters, she barely knows this guy, why is she divulging so much about herself? It’s like she can’t stop it. “I’m stronger, smarter, and immune to alcohol apparently.” She places the wine glass on the table in front of them, although, as she says it, the room sways slightly.
“I see,” is all the mysterious Nate replies.
“That’s not all.” It’s like she’s opened up a floodgate and can’t stop mid way, “I think I’m seeing things.” She gasps. Her hands cover her mouth. Shut up Sera, shut up! She wills herself. “What was in that wine?” He blinks, his face alone screams with guilt, “Was there something in that wine?” she whispers afraid of the answer. Nate ignores her question, “Do you feel as though you are in danger?”
“Yes,” she blurts out again before re-covering her mouth.
He stands immediately pacing the living room floor, “Why?” his voice is commanding. Something within Sera is once again compelled to answer.
“I had a car accident today,” she responds through clenched fingers, “And I feel as though someone is watching me all the time.”
His fists clench at his sides as he leans against the mantle. “I knew it.”
“What the hell is going on Nate? Do you know something I don’t?”
“I know just as much as you.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Sera climbs to her feet to meet him at the fireplace. “Do you know more than what you are telling me?”
He turns to face her now, his mouth contorting, trying to withhold the truth. It looks like he had some of the wine too, “Yes.”
She takes a step back. This was a mistake. She should never have come. “I… I have to go.”
“Sera wait! Sera, I can explain.” He reaches for her. She escapes him by swinging around the couch and into the foyer. “Sera! It’s not what you think.”
She swings open the door and holds it for a second, “Nothing is what I thought it was. Nothing will ever be the same again.”
She slams the door behind her and dashes down the steps to her car. She pauses when her white sedan comes into view. Her breath hitches in her throat.
The door behind her opens, and she can feel Nate standing there. She slips around the completely repaired fender and climbs into the car. Turning the car in reverse, she peels away from the house and swings the car around to face forward again only to zoom off down the dirt road away from him. Why does he seem so concerned for her and then would slip her some weird truth-telling wine? Just when she thinks she has things under control, more things come out of the woodwork to toss her for a loop all over again. She was right about one thing. Nothing is what she believes it to be.
*
Sera comes storming through the front door. Her mother sits in the recliner. Barely looking up from her Kindle, she greets her daughter, “I was wondering where you were.”
Sera takes a step into the house, “Uh, yeah I just came back from… well, I think it was a date.”
“Another date?” That grabs her attention, “with the guy from the other night?”
“Uh,” Sera shifts uncomfortably on her feet, “No, it was a different guy.”
“Oh my. Who would have thought, my little Sera.”
“Who indeed,” Sera deflects with humor. “So many gentleman callers, so little time,” she mutters with a southern accent and begins ascending the stairs.
“Well, I hope you had fun sweetie. Just remember, I want to be a mother-in-law before I’m a grandmother.”
“Mom!” Sera gasps dashing up the rest of the stairs.