by Rob Jones
She twisted her hair around her finger, slowly shook her head, and smiled. “This is going to be an interesting first date.”
***
“You look dangerously breathtaking.” Ethan tilted his sunglasses to study her while opening the passenger door. “I must say that black sleeveless V-neck dress appropriately complements you in all the right places.”
Astonished by his assessment, she inhaled suddenly with her mouth opened and clenched her black chiffon shawl that draped over her small purse that contained a little black Bible.
“Thank you, I guess.” Ethan’s compliment did little to ease her self-consciousness about what she was wearing. She got into the car, crossed her arms and embraced her elbows to conceal her awkwardness. “You look great as always.” She looked straight ahead as though she was talking to herself.
“I just have to say that you smell so divine, and you look like an angel. This moment right here has been the best part of my day.” He turned to her with a cocky smile attached to his face while the song Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N’ Roses played on his car stereo.
She reached to twist the back of her hair only to realize that it was pulled up already with tight curls that swept down around her soft face, so she just crossed her arms again. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry, but that dress looks so fierce on you. I know that you probably get this all the time but you could be a model if you wanted to, like Gisele Bundchen, Karli Kloss, or Tyra Banks.” He nodded his head up and down as to affirm his own assessment. “Yeah, you definitely have that devastating beauty, that X factor. When we shoot our first video you will certainly be in it, and you will play my love interest.”
Trying to break free from the tyranny of her nerves, she first fidgeted with her purse and shawl, then turned to look at Ethan and offered up a quick shy grin. Emotions caused her throat to tighten, and the only words that she could utter were, “Thank you.”
Paralyzed and emotionally clumsy, she felt humiliated and surprised by how socially awkward she was around him, that she could not find the proper etiquette in his presence. Where was the girl from last night, whose heart took flight and soared so beautifully like an eagle? What happened to that girl who was so comfortable, so much at ease with this man? It was as though last night never happened, as if it was like a magical dream that transformed her into someone different, someone she didn’t recognize, like someone who was in a romantic movie.
She was now one hundred degrees from that girl of last night, from who she’d always been. It was as if a dorky alien had invaded her body and was holding it hostage. She took a much-needed deep, slow and silent breath. She managed to marshal some kind of composure so that she could have a normal and intelligible conversation. So she thought.
“So did my kiss enjoy you last night?” She immediately knew that her words did not come out right and her cheeks glowed red. “What was that? Consider me humiliated,” she muttered. “Uh, what I meant to say was did you enjoy yourself last night?” Her right knee bounced vigorously.
“You know I did, Zoe. It’s all I’ve been dwelling on. Thoughts of you have been perusing through my heart and mind all night and day.” He took her hand in his and elation boomed on his face.
She felt the security and comfort in his hand that dwarfed hers, and her nervousness subsided instantly. “I did as well,” she responded with an even voice. “Truthfully, it’s all I’ve been thinking about also.” She clutched his hand a little tighter. She never thought in a thousand years that she would ever be so tremendously attracted to a man of his caliber. She already had her life mapped out, she would finish college, go on to a career in teaching music, and perform with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and marry a good, wholesome, intelligent minister, teacher, or even a musician. A classically trained musician, to be exact. But now this guy had come along and had her considering another possibility, another horizon, another option.
When she was with him it was like seeing the ocean for the first time, or experiencing the first day of spring after a long cold winter, or beholding a dazzling double rainbow when the storm had passed. He took her heart on an adventure to strange, exotic and wonderful places that pulled her into a world where everything was illuminated with heaven’s secrets. She didn’t know if she should want this, but she did know that she was too scared not to want it.
“You are awfully quiet over there. What has you preoccupied?” Ethan inquired.
“Oh nothing, just thinking about life and wondering where we are going and what you have planned for us this evening.”
“You need patience, my dear. Trust me, this will be a date that you won’t soon forget.”
“Promises, promises,” she said with a playful wink.
“We will be there shortly, love,” he assured her while they passed by miles of standing trees and barren farmland. On the horizon was the main street where the traffic started to thicken. To the right of them were strip malls, offices, and restaurants. To the left there was a tattoo parlor littered with bikers and a group of guys who looked like they might be in a band. A little further down was a bowling alley and a liquor store with bars on the windows, and a homeless man smoking a cigarette, wearing a crumpled blue suit coat and slacks of a different color that were stained with days of hard living.
They pulled into the parking lot of St. Andrews Catholic Church. Zoe slowly rose up in her seat, looking perplexed because she wasn’t quite sure why they were at a church.
“So we’re going to church on our first date?”
“Hmm, you can say that.”
“I…I’m speechless, shocked even.” She paused with a convoluted sigh. “This is an unexpected place for a first date. I definitely didn’t see this coming. I guess you weren’t kidding about how this would be a date that I wouldn’t soon forget,” she remarked.
“Well, since you’re dressed up and all, I thought that this would be an appropriate place.”
As they got out of the car and walked to the church doors, they were welcomed by a big booming voice. “Well, h-h-hello there, c-c-come on in!” a short, jolly man with a generous circumference and a white clerical collar greeted them with a thick Irish, stuttering accent. “E-E-Ethan, it is so good to s-s-see you, lad.” They embraced and exchanged kisses on the cheeks.
“I see that y-y-you brought some pretty extra hands w-w-with you this evening.” He motioned toward Zoe. “A little overdressed, don’t you think?” He cut his eyes at Zoe and muttered just loud enough in Ethan’s ear so that she could hear it.
“Father O’Brien, this is Zoe Edwards, Zoe, Father O’Brien.” Ethan gestured to both of them while making his introductions. Zoe, with a nervous grin, extended her hand to him.
“No, darling, w-w-we extend hugs around here.” Father O’Brien gave her a warm embrace. “Now why is such a pr-pr-pretty little rose like yourself with this w-w-wildflower?” Father O’Brien beamed a smile.
“I am now wondering that myself,” she confessed.
“I’m just pulling your ribbon, little lady. Ethan is a gr-gr-great blessing to our church and c-c-community.”
“Zoe just moved here from Illinois with her family.” Ethan talked with his hands. “Her father is our new pastor. His name is Charles Edwards. He is very swag and cool for a pastor.” He turned to Zoe and winked.
“On the b-b-behalf of Tennessee, I welcome y-y-you and y-y your family, Zoe.” Father O’Brien placed his hand on her shoulder.
A stuttering minister, that had to be a challenging situation for all involved. Zoe observed him in wonderment and admiration.
“Is that sympathy in your eyes, darling? Now please, don’t you g-g-go on and get misty hearted and st-st-start feeling sorry for old Father O’Brien. W-w-what you hear is God’s mouthpiece. I am w-w-what you call a modern day Moses.” He lifted and patted the Bible that was in his hands.
“You see m-m-my stammer is for God’s glory and for my gr-gr-gratitude, because when I deliver my sermons on Sundays, m-m-my stutterin
g dissipates, and I can talk just as normal as you.” He looked at her with confident eyes as he nodded his head up and down to stress what he communicated to her was true. “I witness and share a miracle e-e-every Sunday.”
Immediately, she thought that he was an impressively adorable and brave little man. She was blown away by what he just told her. Other than her father, she had never met a more humble and gentle man who demonstrated such courage, such valor. How he didn’t let his stammering condition keep him from giving sermons to his parish Sunday after Sunday, and how God gave him fluency of speech when he taught, was nothing short of a miracle. She was just baffled by it all.
“Well, son, w-w-we have a lot of hungry children in here today, so w-w-we better get to it. Thank you, Zoe, for v-v-volunteering your time to feed the children.”
“Oh, the pleasure is definitely all mine, Father.” She waved her hand down, indicating that it wasn’t a big deal.
She leaned toward Ethan and whispered in his ear. “Feeding underprivileged children, huh?”
“I wanted our good hearts to reflect our good looks.” He offered up a half grin. “Also I thought it would be good for us to feed others before we fed ourselves, and hopefully our time here will remind us to appreciate and be thankful for what we have and never take it for granted.”
Zoe pondered what he said, but she didn’t take it to heart, because she wasn’t certain that his intentions were authentic. She thought he might just be doing this to impress her. Well, it did, but if that was the only reason, she was going to have to keep her heart alert and a critical eye on him. He couldn’t be that selfless and at the same time self-serving. He must have an angle, something must be in it for him, it just had to.
The things that she had heard about him were not in concert with what she had been seeing of him as of late. She’d been told that he was a violent, heavy-drinking, egotistical, inconsiderate, self-absorbed person who thought he was God’s reward to all females. Well, the last two were unquestionably true, but everyone had their flaws and scars and Ethan surely had his.
He definitely wasn’t ideal or perfect, but my, oh my, was he intriguing. There was a beautiful, quiet storm that resided within him that was dangerously frightening but strangely comforting as well. He was a wildflower as Father O’Brien had established, so one might never know what they were getting when it came to him. So this volunteering thing could be something that was a vehicle only to serve a selfish agenda, or it could be something that was genuinely in his heart to do.
“Zoe, did Ethan t-t-tell you that he’s been volunteering with us from the v-v-very beginning?” Father O’Brien asked while he was putting on a pair of plastic gloves to help serve with several other volunteers. “As a matter of fact, it was him that s-s-suggested that we start this program.”
“No, he never mentioned it to me, Father O’Brien.”
There went her theory about him having a selfish agenda. She turned to Ethan and gazed into his dancing eyes that caused her heart to hear music, and just like that all of her reservations concerning him melted away like the morning dew. She abandoned her suspicions and fears, and decided to embark on a journey where her heart would superintend and navigate her on a quest with him, on a quest that would lead to adventure, romance, and hopefully love. For the very first time in her life she had an inkling of what she had been reading about, talking about, and dreaming about. To connect with someone who had substance, who was dynamic, who was wrapped in a mystery she couldn’t wait to solve. Who was this tattooed, rock-n-roll Mother Teresa?
When Father O’Brien finished blessing the food, the well-mannered children slowly got into a single-file line. There were children of all ages and races, black, brown, yellow, white, and red. Their small faces were full of joy and laughter, anxious for their empty stomachs to be filled. Zoe put on a slightly tattered white and blue apron, plastic gloves, and a hairnet to get ready to serve the children.
“Look at these sweet little adorable faces. I could take each and every one of them home with me.” Zoe’s soul flourished with joy and satisfaction because she was a part of something so meaningful, so significant, so rewarding. This was such a life-shifting experience for her.
“Thank you, angel cake.” A little girl with caramel skin and soft brown eyes gave her a rose when Zoe placed a healthy spoonful of mashed potatoes on her plate. Zoe’s eyes brightened with shock and delight from the rose, but more so from the words that escaped from the lips of the little girl. “Angel cake, hmm, it doesn’t sound so bad, I guess,” she said softly.
Next in line was another little girl exhibiting a smile that could stretch from east to west. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, angel cake.” The little girl also gave her a red rose. “Oh that is so sweet, thank you.” Three more children presented her with roses before a tear streaked down her face as she realized that this show of expression had Ethan’s fingerprints all over it.
“Wow, I’m jealous. I never received one rose from any of these traitors,” Ethan said sarcastically while serving next to her. “I guess these guys really like you for some strange reason.”
“Thank you, Ethan. This is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me.” She swiped a tear away as she looked at him softly.
“Ooh we, you are the definition of loveliness,” a boy around eleven years old said to Zoe. “My name is Trevor, but everyone calls me Real Talk because I keeps it real, and on the reals, you are real fine.”
“Nice to meet you, Real Talk, you’re such a cutie,” she said in a coy, playful tone.
“You are so pretty. If things don’t work out between you and this loser who’s always wearing those corny sunglasses,” he said, gesturing his head toward Ethan. “Holla at your boy, I gotcha.”
She laughed.
“Go on, Real Talk, before I give you a real beating.” Ethan raised his soup spoon toward him.
“Oh yeah, thanks, angel bread, I mean angel cake.” Real Talk gave her a rose, peeled back the glove from her hand and kissed it, and gave her finger guns with a wink.
“That little man is something else.” She pointed toward him as she turned to the lady working next to her.
“Girl, he is always flirting with us. He’s a little charmer,” she replied.
Every last child gave her a rose and addressed her as angel cake.
She was overwhelmed with gratitude.
When they finished up serving the children, Father O’Brien walked them to Ethan’s car.
“Again, thank you so much for your s-s-service today. It r-r-really means a lot to the children.” Father O’Brien sent Ethan and Zoe off with hugs and kisses.
“It was totally our pleasure,” Zoe responded.
Chapter Fourteen
Zoe
“You can open your eyes now, we’re here.” Ethan and Zoe arrived at an open gate that had two circles with the letters A and V inside of them.
“Ah, Arrington Vineyards!” Her eyes lit up as she clasped her hands and submitted a smile of great contentment. “I’ve wanted to come here, but I just couldn’t seem to make time. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this place. How…how did you know?”
“I made some inquiries to some friends in high places about the things that interested you and the places that you haven’t been but planned on going.” He parked the car, coiled out, and opened the door for her.
While they walked toward the vineyard, they were welcomed by a breathtaking sunset where the sky flamed with a sunburst of red and yellow. The scene looked like a priceless painting, a column of trees on each side. There were rolling hillsides that looked like dark green gentle ocean waves that enhanced scenic acres of grapevines that hosted dark, voluptuous fruit. The air was filled with the smell of a sweet summer breeze that whispered secrets of epic loves of long ago. The enchanting surroundings seemed to cultivate a culture of love in the hearts of those who’d never experienced true love but desperately longed for it, pleade
d for it, ached for it.
The vineyard was dotted with people laughing, drinking, eating, dancing, and falling in love in front of a sublime sunset that was the color of love. Couples fixated on one another, frozen in an affectionate trance, seizing and relishing a fleeting moment.
Ethan carried a picnic basket while Zoe linked her arm with his as they walked through the vineyard soaking in all of the sights and sounds. They came upon an oak tree that shaded a white blanket that had Zoe’s name on it in big blue letters. Around her name were rose petals in the shape of a heart.
“Hmm, this spot looks like it’s reserved just for you. It has your name on it. I guess we’ll settle here.” Ethan bent down on his knees and nonchalantly placed the picnic basket on the blanket.
“How did you…I mean…I…I…” Zoe stammered. “When did you get a chance to do all this?”
“Do what?” He looked up at her. “I’m just as surprised as you are,” he joked.
“You know what?” She gave him a slight shove. “This is the most romantic thing that I have ever seen in my whole life.”
“I must admit this is new level stuff. Whoever did this must be trying real hard to impress you. Looks like I have some competition.”
“Stop messing around, silly. I know this was all you.” She gave him another playful shove that landed him on his back.
“You are truly remarkable, I am beyond impressed. In fact, I am completely blown away.” She shined a smile and cupped his face. “If you’re not careful you’re going to make me fall in love with you,” she confessed.
“Well, I’m going to be as careless as possible.” She took off his mirrored shades and kissed him with a kiss that was soft as a prayer that penetrated through her soul. His kisses submerged deep within, drowning her thoroughly with a fervent passion that caused her heart to leap and turned over.
She was familiar with desire, but she was unfamiliar with closeness. She never knew an intimacy of this magnitude. The emotions between them were so palpable that they both began to shudder with euphoria as their hearts began to beat swiftly and loudly in an antiphonal form, back and forth as though they were communicating in song.