She joins me at the table, taking a seat, and looking at me. “So, Tessa texted me, apparently you’re her brother in law.”
Will she have a problem with that?
“Yeah, small world, huh?”
Seriously though, out of all the girls, how did I end up finding Tessa’s only friend?
“Is that a problem?” she asks, looking at me while taking a sip. “It’s not for me.”
“No, of course not. Just won’t talk about us in front of her.”
It shouldn’t matter if she’s friends with Tessa. Only that she and I are hitting it off, and like each other. It’s actually kind of nice she knows someone in my family already. It will make introducing her less nerve-racking.
Dinner is pulled out of the oven, and dished onto two plates by Harper.
“One thing you don’t have to worry about is cooking when I’m around. My dad loved to whip things up with random items in the pantry. He could’ve been a great chef, but never pursued it. He was more worried about making money and supporting my mom and I.”
This is an area I am familiar with, talking about my parents after their death, and knowing it only shifts my mood for most of the day afterward. Sadness isn’t something I want her to feel on any of our dates, but is one of the things we have in common. It’s nice to have someone who can relate.
“I’d love to hear more about your parents sometime. I miss mine every day.”
“Yeah, I moved here after they passed. Home just didn’t feel the same without them, and don’t think I could’ve stayed in their house so it ended up being the perfect time for a new start in Grapevine.”
“Let’s have some more wine,” she says, filling both glasses.
Harper is opening up to me in a way no girl ever has, and it shows that she trusts me to an extent. I want to get to know her better, and see what kind of woman she is, and what her ambitions are.
Once we finish dinner, I gather the two plates and take them to the sink and begin washing them.
“What are you doing?” Harper asks.
“You cooked, so I’m cleaning.”
She sits back down and finishes her wine while watching her eyes are locked on me. I get the feeling she is thinking very dirty things right now.
“Do you leave them wet?” I ask.
She snaps out of her daydream and eyebrows raise. “What?”
“The dishes. Leave them wet to air dry or?”
She laughs. “Yeah, put them on the rack and let them air dry so we can go into the living room and sit.”
Once we migrate to the couch, the real ness of this dating game comes to fruition. Is she expecting us to have sex tonight? I mean it is our third date? She moves closer to me. Instead of initiating that, I think it’s better if we get to know each other first. Although, if her hand comes any farther up my leg, I’m going to get hard and it will be noticeable.
“So, what do you want out of life? A relationship?" I ask.
She bites her lip. “Let me think about that. What about you?”
“I like the idea of having someone to come home to, sharing things with someone is important to me. Life isn’t the same without having someone to enjoy things with, even the ups and downs. My future wife should be someone I can lean on, count on, and talk to about anything.”
Her hand moves to caress my cheek. “That sounds amazing. I’ve always been envious of my parents' marriage. They were married for over twenty-five years, and hardly ever fought. They didn’t let anyone else into their marriage, no social media, or talking about each other to friends. That’s how a marriage fails fast. If you can’t speak about it honestly with your significant other, then why are you with them in the first place? It’s all about communication and trust.”
Harper is 100% correct.
“So, do you want kids someday?” she asks.
At first, I’m not sure how to respond, and decide telling her I want kids isn’t a lie.