by Chase, PJ
Colin laughed. "Come on, I have something else to show you," Colin said.
"And you say you're not the adventurer type," Julie replied.
***
"Wow. Aren't you just quite the tour guide today?" Julie said.
Of course it helped that the flowers were in full bloom at the Wooster Family Botanical Garden. The flowers at the garden were so big and vibrant that they could be seen all the way from the road. Julie walked around the garden in awe.
"I was hoping you'd like flowers," Colin replied.
"Is there a woman that doesn't like flowers?" Julie asked.
"These aren't just any flowers though," Colin insisted. "There's a story behind them."
"I'm sure there is. Most people don't have bonafide botanical gardens on their property," Julie said.
Unlike most botanical gardens which were run as city attractions, the Wooster Family Garden was on a private estate with only periodic walking tours.
"Andy Wooster's wife Stacey planted this garden. It was actually a point of contention between she and her husband. He didn't understand why she needed so many flowers. Why she insisted that it be so elaborate. When he looked at it, he saw it as a hassle to maintain instead of a sight to behold," Colin explained.
That sounded crazy to Julie. "Was he looking at the same garden as us?"
"He was a little uptight," Colin remarked.
"That might be the understatement of the year," Julie said.
"Anyway, all that changed when his wife had a heart attack," Colin explained.
"Oh no, that's terrible," Julie gasped.
"With his wife gone, Andy's attention naturally switched away from the garden. Instead Andy spent all his time grieving. The mourning process consumed his life. Day after day just disappeared as he sleepwalked through life. Then about a year later, Andy looked out his window and saw the weeds that had taken over his wife's prized garden. That's when he decided to bring the garden back to its former glory in his wife's honor," Colin said.
"That's an amazing story," Julie remarked.
"And an even more amazing garden," Colin insisted.
"I'm glad you brought me here," Julie said.
"Well, it's like you said. What woman doesn't like flowers?" Colin replied.
"You know, this date is different than I expected," Julie remarked.
"It's not over yet," Colin said.
***
"There's something so magical about a sunset," Julie said.
Colin had found a way to outdo himself after taking Julie to the garden. Then again, it was the sky doing the work. It was a breathtaking sunset. A feast for the eyes. One that Julie and Colin couldn't get enough of.
"It's always nice to have something in life that never lets you down," Colin replied.
"Which is even more impressive, given the circumstances," Julie remarked.
"What circumstances?" Colin asked.
"Well, considering that no two sunsets are the same," Julie said.
"That makes them kind of like people. Each is unique in its own way," Colin replied.
"Yeah, well some people are more unique than others," Julie insisted.
"Speaking of, what's your story?" Colin asked.
"Which one? I have a lot of them," Julie joked.
"The story of how you managed to still be single," Colin said.
"Let's just say I'm happy to be with you here now," Julie replied.
"Who's the one taking the long way around answering a question now?" Colin remarked.
"Look at you, already being a bad influence on me," Julie joked.
"I do have a fair share of good qualities too. You just haven't taken them in yet," Colin said.
"Well, it's early still. I'm sure I'll end up taking some positive cues from you eventually."
"You still haven't answered my question," Colin pointed out.
"If you're expecting some off the wall story, you're going to end up disappointed. I'm single for the same reason that so many other people are--because I just haven't found the right person to spend the rest of my life with yet," Julie answered.
"Somehow I get the feeling that there's more to that story," Colin said.
"Why don't we just sit here and enjoy the sunset?" Julie suggested.
"You're getting pretty good at avoiding questions," Colin remarked. "It'll still take you some practice to get as good as me though."
"Colin, have you ever thought that you had life figured out only to realize later that you're just as clueless as everyone else?" Julie asked.
"Are you kidding? It's the story of my life," Colin admitted. "Although sometimes I wish life wouldn't feel the need to remind just how little I really know," Colin remarked.
"I know, right? I get it universe. I'm flawed. I don't need to have humble pie for dessert every night," Julie joked.
"Well, maybe things will finally turn around for you," Colin said.
"Here's hoping," Julie replied.
***
"I think it's safe to say that you aren't going to be able to top that date anytime soon," Julie remarked.
Things went better than Colin ever imagined. He'd had so many first date misfires that he'd forgotten what a good date even felt like. But as Colin's date with Julie drew to a close, he couldn't deny that he was as happy as can be.
"That sounds like a challenge," Colin replied.
"Do you like a challenge?" Julie asked.
"What I'd like is for the night not to be over," Colin remarked.
"Time isn't on your side with that one," Julie said.
"Well, in that case, I guess it's goodnight then," Colin replied.
Neither Colin nor Julie wanted to really say goodnight though. They were having too good of a time. Besides, Colin couldn't stop gazing into Julie's eyes. Finally Colin leaned in and gave Julie a soft kiss on the lips. He wanted so much more, but wasn't sure she was ready for that yet.
As Colin pulled back from the kiss, Julie blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"Then again, tonight doesn't have to be over quite yet," Julie said.
Colin smiled, then kissed Julie again, this time with a deep kiss that took Julie's breath away. That was the kind of kiss that Julie wouldn't soon forget. And she let Colin know it.
"Damn," Julie said.
"Does that mean you want another?" Colin asked.
Julie smiled. "This time it's my turn."
Julie then got in on the action, giving Colin the kind of kiss that made him wish the night would never end.
Chapter Sixteen
Colin
The next day at the gym, Colin couldn't get his date with Julie off of his mind. It was a magical night. One he'd never forget. And one that made him believe his luck was finally turning around. Colin wasn't the only one in a good mood though.
"Do you ever wake up and feel like you have a new lease on life?" Patrick asked.
Patrick was still basking in the fact that his wife's lab results had found no cancer in her system. And after all the freaking out he'd done, the relief was so sweet.
"Yeah, I do actually," Colin said, with a smile.
"It's like everything is crystal clear all of a sudden. As if all the minutiae of life has fallen by the wayside," Patrick explained.
"So you're saying you haven't argued with your wife about toilet paper recently then?" Colin joked.
"Not once. And let's hope I never act like such a fool again," Patrick said.
"You'd be surprised how foolish we can act when we're given the chance," Colin joked again.
"Well I'm done acting like a fool. Allison and I haven't gotten along this well since our honeymoon," Patrick explained.
"Hey, you can't argue with results. It's just good to see you happy again," Colin insisted.
Patrick had been caught up with his own thoughts until that point. But suddenly Patrick saw the happy expression on Colin's face.
"By the looks of it, I'm not the only one," Patrick said.
"What are you talking about?" Colin asked.
"There's something different about you today. Did you get laid or something?" Patrick asked.
"Not quite," Colin said.
"Not quite? Wait a minute. What am I missing?" Patrick asked.
"Nothing. We should get back to training," Colin said.
"Oh no you don't. Dude, I've known you for twenty years. Don't be trying to sneak shit by me. Now what's up?" Patrick asked.
"So I met a woman," Colin revealed.
"Damn, so you did get laid," Patrick said.
"No. We just went on a date. But it was awesome," Colin replied.
"And you didn't bang her straight off the bat? Wow," Patrick said. He then thought about it more. "Wait, are you taking your time or something?"
"Let's just say I'm happy with how things are going," Colin admitted.
"Damn, this woman must really be something," Patrick said.
"Oh, she is," Colin insisted.
"Then why'd I have to drag it out of you?" Patrick asked.
"Look, I feel really good about this one. And I just uh--"
"You don't want to jinx it?" Patrick asked.
"Hey, you're putting words in my mouth," Colin said, deflecting.
Patrick shook his head. "You fighters and your superstitions."
"Look, I just want things to work out this time. But I have to say, they're off to a hell of a start," Colin admitted.
***
Colin hoped for a repeat performance with Julie on the second date. He'd been waiting impatiently all day for the time to come to pick Julie up. It was amazing. There Colin was, this big hulking dude. But he was as excited as a little kid on Christmas morning. Would Julie feel the same way though? As Colin picked Julie up for their date, it seemed like it at least.
"It's good to see you again," Colin said.
"Wow. I haven't seen a smile that big in a long time," Julie replied.
"Don't you mean since our last night?" Colin joked, referring to their first date.
"Are you saying you haven't smiled like that since you saw me last?" Julie remarked.
"I wouldn't want to wear it out or anything," Colin said playfully.
"You're right. You should just save it for special occasions," Julie insisted.
"Like dates with you," Colin stated.
"You really don't waste any time with the compliments, do you?" Julie asked.
"You know what they say. Life is precious, so why bother wasting time?" Colin remarked.
"My mom used to say that all the time," Julie recalled.
"She sounds like a smart woman," Colin said.
"Yeah. Looking back, I wish I'd listened to her more over the years," Julie replied.
"Uh oh. Sounds like there's a story there," Colin said.
"Oh, there's a bunch of stories, but that doesn't mean you're going to get to hear them," Julie replied.
"Damn. You shut me down in a hurry," Colin said.
"Well, maybe you'll get to hear them eventually--if things go well enough," Julie replied.
"Look at you being all mysterious," Colin remarked.
"Gotta leave them wanting more. That's another one of my mom's old sayings," Julie said.
"Well, I definitely want more. I'm not sure I want to be left that way though," Colin replied.
"Hey, the night is still early. Who knows what can happen?" Julie said.
***
"Oh come on, you know you want it," Julie insisted.
Another date, another great dinner together. But the only thing as delicious as the food was the conversation.
"You're really having fun with this, aren't you?" Colin replied.
"Of course I am. This cake is amazing," Julie said, eating a slice.
Colin meanwhile just watched. Sure he wanted a piece himself. But his training regimen wouldn't allow it.
"I meant you're enjoying teasing me," Colin clarified.
"Well, that too," Julie said, playfully.
"You really are trouble, aren't you?" Colin joked.
"Hey, you can have a piece if you want. I'm not stopping you," Julie said.
"You know I can't do that," Colin replied.
"Alright, so you can't have a whole slice. You can have a bite of mine though. I mean really, what's the harm in just one bite?" Julie asked.
"I'd take you up on that offer if I could stop at just one. But when I like things, I really like them. So one just won't do," Colin explained.
"I'm like that too. I have a tendency to dive into things head first," Julie said.
"I'm not sure how alike that makes us. I mean, you're the one with the cake," Colin replied.
"Well yeah, I mean cake is something worth diving in head first for. Among other things," Julie said, giving Colin a smile.
"Look at you, teasing me and flirting with me at the same time," Colin replied.
"What can I say, I'm a born multi tasker," Julie remarked. "I will say that I admire your dedication to your training though."
"Hey, when I commit to something, I stick to it," Colin said.
"That's good to know. It might come in handy in other aspects of life," Julie replied.
"That would be a nice change of pace. My commitment hasn't come in handy yet--in my love life at least," Colin said.
"Trust me. It'll come in handy with me," Julie admitted.
***
"I can't believe it. What are the odds that your ex-boyfriend would be the one to kick my ass?" Colin said.
"If it makes you feel any better, he kicked my ass too--emotionally at least," Julie replied.
"Actually, that doesn't make me feel better at all," Colin.
Colin never imagined he'd think about Trent Cutler again, no less the beat down he'd taken from him. But when Julie mentioned that Trent was her ex-boyfriend, the irony was too great to not bring up. Still, it was a testament to how well things were going between Colin and Julie that bringing up old wounds didn't send either of them into a tailspin. Instead they just laughed off the lumps that life had given them.
"At least it's in the past though," Julie said.
"Still, talk about your humble pie. He rearranged by face pretty good," Colin joked.
"Wow, it really is amazing how down to earth you are. I don't think I've ever heard a fighter joke like that before," Julie admitted.
"Hey, I could ignore the truth, but that wouldn't make it go away," Colin said.
Julie then gazed into Colin's eyes.
"You know what I like about you?" Julie asked.
Colin couldn't resist making another joke. "You'd be surprised how few times I get asked that question."
"It's a shame you aren't humble," Julie joked.
"No, the real shame would be if you weren't quick-witted," Colin replied.
"What can I say? We all deal with the world in our own way, and I do it with humor," Julie remarked.
"And I just do it poorly," Colin joked.
"That's why I like you so much," Julie started saying.
Colin was confused. "Why, because I handle the world poorly?"
"No. Because you make me laugh," Julie revealed.
"And here I thought you were going to say because of my keen intellect. But it turns out you're just using me for my sense of humor," Colin joked.
"To be fair, I didn't know I could use you for your brains too," Julie said playfully.
"Hey, you could even use me for my body if you want to," Colin remarked.
"In that case, I'm glad you didn't have that cake," Julie replied.
"That's right. If you're going to use someone for their body, you'd better make sure they're not slacking off on taking care of it," Colin joked.
"See, this is what I've been missing in my life," Julie explained.
"What, self deprecation?" Colin replied.
"No. Comedic relief. The reminder that life doesn't always have to be so serious," Julie remarked.
"I didn't know my jokes did all that," Colin said.
"You
'd be surprised what a good joke can do," Julie remarked.
"I guess so," Colin said.
"It's more than just your jokes though. It's nice to be dating someone that cares about more than just himself," Julie admitted.
"I guess it means it would be a bad time to start referring to myself in the third person, huh?" Colin joked.
Julie laughed. "Just keep doing what you're doing."
***
"So, anything else you want to see tonight?" Colin asked.
Colin and Julie then found themselves at the end of another wonderful date. They just had a ball together. They couldn't get enough of each other. It was so refreshing. And after all they'd been through on their journey to find love, that was a big step in the right direction.
"You mean, besides more of you," Julie replied.
"Yeah," Colin said.
"No. You've shown me plenty tonight," Julie replied.
"I just took you to dinner and a movie," Colin said.
"I meant you've shown me plenty about yourself tonight," Julie replied.
"All good I hope," Colin said.
"I haven't found out anything bad yet," Julie replied.
"You know, you're an easy woman to please," Colin said.
"You're only saying that because you haven't heard what I'm going to request tomorrow," Julie remarked.
"And just what do you have in store for me?" Colin wondered.
"I can't tell you that. It would ruin the surprise," Julie said, playfully.
"Do you really have a surprise for me, or are you just playing around?" Colin asked.
"The real surprise is how into you I am already considering we've only had two dates," Julie admitted. She looked shocked all of a sudden at letting her thoughts slip out.
"Those emotions really sneak up on you, don't they?" Colin replied.
"I blame you for that," Julie blushed.
"Hey, there's worse things to be blamed for," Colin admitted.
Julie gazed into Colin's eyes. "Look at you, slapping on that charm."
"I think you've forgotten your part in all of this," Colin pointed out. "You haven't had any trouble tying up my stomach in knots here."
"Do you know what the funniest thing is?" Julie asked.
"There are so many jokes I could use to answer that question," Colin ruminated.
"I'm being serious here," Julie said. "It feels like I've known you way longer than I have. Being out with you is as comfortable as being around an old friend."