Choices
Copyright© 2001 by Ashes of Roses
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?"
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