Chapter 6: An enchanting evening.

The spot proved to be as good as advertised. After a few minutes of traipsing through little-disturbed underbrush (the near-full moon helped), we emerged into a grassy clearing, bounded by trees on three sides and gently moving water on the fourth. If Maddie hadn't told me otherwise, I'd have sworn that no one had ever been here before.

"It's beautiful," I breathed. Turning to her, I asked, "How did you ever find this place?"

"Rachel and I used to come here a lot. We stumbled across it two years ago, and decided to take a different way here every time, so as to not leave a track."

"No wonder you guys wanted to keep this to yourself."

"I'd lie on the grass and read while she sat and sketched." She turned and started walking around. "The animals here are much less timid, and she even sketched a doe with her fawn once. I started coming here at night by myself when school started because it was so peaceful here." She read the question in my eyes and continued, "I knew the area well enough to find my way here-"

"-Even on a night with no moon, as the outlaws did?"

"A Robin Hood fan, I see."

"Sometimes." I walked over to the water and dabbed my hand in the water. Nice and cool, I thought, and started taking off my shoes and socks.

"What are you doing?"

"I just want to dip my feet in the water."

She joined me, and started taking off her sneakers (she had taken off her pumps earlier). The pleasant shock of the cool water to our feet hit us at the same time, and we both let out sighs of contentment. Her fingers found mine, as she leaned her head against my chest.

"How old are you?"

"It took you that long to ask again?"

She poked me in the ribs, none too gently. "Well?"

"Do you remember what I said?"

"That you changed the subject?"

"Before that."

"The part about being either a 17-year-old freshman or a 27-year-old professor?"

"I've been the former, though I probably won't be the latter."

"Being twenty-seven or a professor?"

"Chances are that I'll be both, just not at the same time."

"So you're a grad student."

"And almost twenty-three, to answer your question." She thought for a second. "Was that why you picked 17 and 27?"

I ran my hand through her hair. "Few people would have picked up on that."

"Don't change the subject. Why couldn't you just say you were twenty-two in the first place?"

"When you get to be my age, you start appreciating the moments when someone thinks you're young enough to get carded."

Brief silence.

"I-"

"Where-"

"I'm sorry. Go ahead."

I felt her take a deep breath, her body tensing. "Where do we go from here?"

"If it were up to me, we'd stay here until dawn, and I'd ask you out to dinner tomorrow night."

She relaxed slightly. "And then?"

"Maddie, we've known each other for-" I snuck a look at my watch, "-five hours, and I've enjoyed every moment. Still, we don't really know that much about each other. I may have a penchant for writing bad poetry that you can't stand. You might be a closet Hanson freak, which would make me mmmbop out the nearest window. We might be totally wrong for each other, but I'd like to find out that I'm wrong by getting to know you better."

"That has to be the most honest thing a guy has ever said to me."

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Only if you answer my next question."

"Shoot."

"Why haven't you made a move on me yet?"

Dead silence.

"Don't you have to call someone in, oh, ten minutes?"

"My cell's in the car." She rose effortlessly to her feet, and helped me up. Just before we left the clearing, she stopped me. "Is there someone else?"

I shook my head. "Just waiting for the perfect moment." Leaning forward, I gently cupped her face in my hands. Our lips met, burned for a second, then drew away. Both of us seemed to have trouble catching our breath. I took her hand, and we walked back toward the car together.