“I don’t eat pork chops, or pork roast, or pork tenderloin. I will eat smoked or otherwise processed pig products like ham, bacon, and sausage.”
“Basically, as long as the pork doesn’t taste like pork, you’ll eat it. What about ribs?”
“I’ll eat a rib or two if they’re good and there’s sauce, but they’re not my favorite.”
“Interesting.” Everything about her was interesting to me. What she was saying, the way she was saying it, the faces and gestures she made while talking. All of it captivated me and I wanted more.
“Well, Mellie, I think we’re going to be good friends.”
“Why’s that?” she asked. If she was surprised at my statement, she hid it well.
“Because I have a business to run, too. It’s my grandfather’s hardware store but I run the day-to-day operations now. And I’m also not ready to have kids. And I don’t need or want a woman who stays home and cooks because I can cook for myself.”
“You can cook?”
“Yep. My grandmother taught me, so I can roast and sauté and bake with the best of them.” I’m sure Gram never imagined I’d be using my cooking skills to make myself more appealing to a woman, but I’d sure be thanking her for those lessons later. “My grandparents raised me, and I live in their carriage house. We’re very close.”
She studied me for a minute, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“So, no traditional marriage for you?”
Now that was a question I wasn’t prepared to answer, but since we were being brutally honest and laying all our cards on the table I figured ‘what the hell’. The worst that could happen was that she would run away and I’d never see her again. That would suck, but she hadn’t pretended to be something she wasn’t, and I had to give her the same respect she gave me.
I lowered my voice so no one could overhear what I was about to say. “In some ways I want a traditional relationship. I think a couple should love each other and respect each other, but ultimately someone’s got to be in charge, and I want that person to be me.”
Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. I’d inadvertently leaned toward her as I spoke and we were close now. So close I felt her breath coming out in quick puffs as it hit my cheek. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell if her rapid breathing was because she found my words intriguing or frightening.
She digested that for a moment and didn’t get up and leave, which I found encouraging.
“What does that mean?” she asked. “How would you be in charge?”
I held back a cringe and debated trying to change the subject. While there were plenty of people in Walker’s Grove and the surrounding area who agreed with that way of life, I didn’t think Mellie was local and this really wasn’t the time or the place to get into the details. But we were being honest, so…
“It means there would be rules and expectations, and if my partner failed to meet those, there would be consequences.” Her eyes grew wider with every word I spoke. “For example, if my woman started the grill on fire and placed herself in danger because she got distracted by the phone, she wouldn’t be sitting comfortably for several days after.”
She gasped, and I reached over and grabbed her hand.
“Does that scare you? I’m not talking about abuse. Everything would be consensual.” I realized how insane it was for me to be sharing this with her mere moments after we met. Any chance I had of seeing her again was probably gone.
“No,” she whispered. Then she repeated it, louder, as she pulled her hand out of my grasp. “No. I’ve heard of people living that way, so it doesn’t scare me. But it doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m not interested in dating right now, so how you want to structure your future marriage is completely up to you. You should probably go find a seat if you want to try finding someone tonight. It looks like they’re about to get started.”
I looked over and found that people were beginning to take seats at the tables for two set up in rows at the front of the room, but I had no desire to sit through an hour of seven-minute dates when I’d already found the woman I wanted.
“Are you going over there?” I asked, nodding my head in that direction but keeping my eyes on her face. It would drive me nuts to have to watch her interact with other men, but at least I’d keep her in my sight.
“No, I don’t think so.” She picked up her purse, fished her phone out, and hopped down from the stool. “I’m going down to the restaurant and having dinner.”
She shot off a quick text, probably to her friend, and extended her hand in my direction. “It was nice meeting you, Dixon. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
I paused with her hand clasped in mine, unsure if I’d scared her and she was running from me, or if she really didn’t want to do the speed dating. My heart told me to pursue her, follow her to the restaurant and force my way into her dinner. But my head told me a tactical retreat made more sense. If she was scared, pushing harder wasn’t the way to go. I knew how to find her—Ellicottville wasn’t that big a village—so I gave her hand a professional shake and let her go.
“It was very nice to meet you, too, Mellie. Maybe I’ll see you around some time.”
I swore a hint of disappointment slid across her face, but it was gone in a second, replaced by her friendly, business-owner smile.
“Goodbye, Dixon. Have fun.”
She turned on her heels and walked away, not looking back once. I watched her go, appreciating the way her backside moved under her skirt, only heading to my designated table when she disappeared into the hallway.
“How was that sport dating thing your grandmother strong-armed you into attending the other night?”
It was Thursday afternoon and Gramps and I just had our weekly meeting to review the books and discuss any issues that had come up over the past seven days. I didn’t really need his help, but, as the owner, he was still entitled to the information. In my opinion, a monthly update would be enough, but getting him to release his hold on the store was turning out to be a slow process.
“Speed dating, Gramps, and it was interesting.” I chuckled, remembering Mellie’s face as she told me the grill story. “None of the women I chatted with during the speed part of it clicked, but there was one I talked to in the beginning I’d like to get to know better.”
“Your grandmother will be excited to hear that, though it sounds like a funny way to meet a woman.” He stood up and started getting his coat and hat on, which was also a slow process.
“No, don’t say anything to her. I don’t want her to get her hopes up, and she’s not exactly the type of woman Gram was hoping I’d settle down with.” It sounded insulting to Mellie, but I didn’t know how else to phrase it in a way that he’d understand.
“What does that mean?” The old man narrowed his eyes at me. “She a hussy?”
“Gramps, that’s not nice.” He grunted at my rebuke but we both knew he wasn’t going to change his ways anytime soon. “For one thing, she wasn’t there to find a date. She’d gone with a friend, but Mellie didn’t do the speed dating portion.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.” He looked at me like I was an idiot for even thinking about this woman.
“I know, but there was just something about her. She owns her own business in Ellicottville and is devoted to making it a success. She’s independent and driven and smart. But she’s not planning on settling down anytime soon and doesn’t want to be a stay-at-home mother, so Gram isn’t going to like her very much.” Even though I was a grown man, I hated disappointing my grandparents. They’d done so much for me that it was important I made them proud.
“Is that something you want? A wife who stays home?”
“No. It’s never been what I was looking for in a woman. That was all Gram’s idea. If I manage to get Mellie to date me, I don’t want Gram sticking her nose in our relationship.”
He grunted again and went back to buttoning his coat.
“If you get a date, I’ll talk to your grandmother. Deep down she just wants you to be happy. You’re a grown man and know your own mind. I’ll remind her of that if I have to.”
“That’s good because Mellie doesn’t seem like the type to sit quietly if Gram gets on her case. She doesn’t need a man to support her. She’s seems to come from money and has her own business, her own house, and her own friends. She’s not a shy little thing sitting around waiting for a prince to sweep her off her feet. She’s educated and ambitious, and I like that in a woman.” My voice grew louder and my tone more passionate with every word.
“All right. Settle down, Dix. I won’t let her get involved.” He held up his hands in surrender. It seemed he and I both realized just how much Gram’s matchmaking attempts always annoyed me, and now that I’d found someone who truly interested me, the thought of Gram scaring her away made me face how I’d ignored the problem.
“I should have been clearer with Gram about how much her interference in my dating life bothered me. She’s been pushing and prodding and setting me up with these women I had no interest in for so long I was hoping she’d eventually get the hint.”
“Your grandmother needs more than a hint to get her mind off something once she’s focused. But, Dixon, you’ve been clear enough, and I should have stepped in sooner. Don’t worry. I’ll put an end to her shenanigans.” He pulled on his gloves, then paused and looked me in the eye. “Are you sure you want an independent woman, though? She may not agree to be handled the way I deal with your grandmother.”
We didn’t talk about it a lot, but he knew I agreed with their relationship structure.
“Don’t worry about that, Gramps. I already laid that card on the table, so if she agrees to go out with me, she’s doing it knowing full well what my expectations are.”
That made him chuckle. “All right, Dix. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, but, then again, you always liked a challenge.” He opened the door to leave but called over his shoulder, “I’ll come in at three tomorrow so you can take a ride over to Ellicottville and do a little shopping.”