Chapter 61
Gen could tell they were close. Really, it couldn’t be more obvious. The anxious glances she kept getting from the corner of his eye alone were enough to tell her they weren’t far. It was enough to make her feel… well, terrified is a pretty strong word, but it was one that seemed to accurately sum up her emotions right now. She felt like she was on a roller coaster in the dark- the next move, the next sensation was entirely unknown to her, and she had no clue where they would ultimately end up. She had butterflies in her stomach, her throat was dry and her hands were clammy. Nervously, she shifted in her seat, as if a subtle change in position would miraculously relieve her of her anxiety.
“Gen, are you Ok?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied, wiping her palms on her pant legs, “I’m just a little, um, scared, is all.”
“Scared? Why?”
“Uh, not sure. Fear of the unknown, maybe?”
“What’s to be afraid of? My house isn’t haunted, y’know,” he grinned, trying to get her to relax. He could tell she was nervous and he sort of understood. This was a big change for her; what her life would become from this point on was totally unknown to her.
She smiled. His joking did nothing to calm her uneasiness. “It isn’t that,” she sighed. “It’s just that…” Her breath caught in her throat as he turned the car on to a quiet, tree-lined street. ‘This must be it’ she thought. To be honest, she imagined a new, sun drenched California type of house- one of those hacienda kinds of places with stucco and a tile roof, no trees and little character. There were none of those in this neighborhood. These were older homes and they were gorgeous!
“It’s just what?” he asked as he pulled into the narrow driveway.
“It’s just that… you have a beautiful home!” she said excitedly, forgetting her initial train of thought.
“We have a beautiful home,” he smiled proudly. “So you like it, huh?”
She did! She nodded enthusiastically, but remained silent, choosing to quietly take in the sight of her new home. It was the kind of house she’d always dreamed of living in- a handsome craftsman style bungalow. There was a shady front yard and a big front porch that looked out over it. So the flowerbeds needed some tending, so what? He wasn’t here very often and it was a project that she could dive into making herself useful. The heavy oak front door bore testament to the fact that this house had stood solidly through many California tremors. There were large windows to let in the filtered sunlight. The windows, many of which had colorful stained glass styling around the edges, were period details original to the house, she was certain. The driveway led to a detached garage that sat in the back. The backyard was not as shady as the front, and therefore had a few more colorful flowers that, while they didn’t appear to be too well cared for, showed forth with brilliant splendor.
“I love it!” she gushed, beaming from ear to ear.
He smiled happily as he shut off the ignition and reached around to grab a cat. “C’mon, I’ll show you the rest, y’know, if you’re interested.”
They entered through a screened porch in the back that looked like it held the remnants from some past parties- chairs stacked high, tables leaned against a wall, and a few random party decorations casually tossed in the corner. “I really need to get this crap outta here.” He bobbed his head toward the abandoned party remains. “I was thinking we could keep the cats out here for a while. Y’know, till they’re used to the others.”
“Sure,” she shrugged and set Mojo Jojo down beside Sashimi. The cats immediately ducked into a hiding place in the corner.
John took a deep breath and let it out again quickly. “So, are ya ready? I feel like I should carry you over the threshold or something.”
A playful look of panic swept across her face. “No, that’s Ok. Let’s take this one step at a time.”
He unlocked the door, and revealed to her their kitchen. “It’s probably not the cleanest kitchen, but it’s a pretty nice one, y’know. It was fixed up by the guy who owned it before and he liked to cook, so it’s kinda cool.”
The deep wood tones of the cabinetry contrasted cleanly with the almost retro feel of the room. There were spacious counter tops and lots of windows. It was a great kitchen, even for someone like Gen, who didn’t enjoy cooking. There was a comfortable eatng area that held a small kitchen table that lay cluttered with mail and other sundry items. Unlike the apartment in Buffalo, it was obvious that a man lived here. Not a floral dishtowel in sight!
He took her hand and led her to the next room. “This is the dining room, here, obviously,” he pointed out in passing. The room sat just between the kitchen and the living room. There wasn’t much in it, but it did hold a tasteful mission oak dining set that looked as though it had been here since the home was built; it was a perfect compliment to the room.
The next stop was the living room. It was decorated a little more modernly than the others. The bright red couch and colorfully patterned chairs looked comfortable and lived in, and were completely John. A large front window looked out into the yard, but was still secluded and private. It was the kind of place you could sit on the couch all day and take in the tranquility of the view. The place was pretty sparsely decorated, but it was still stylish. And what he did have was of exceptional quality. No more castoffs from relatives for him!
“Johnny,” she sighed as she plopped herself down on the couch, “I really like it here. It’s so peaceful and calm.”
He sat down beside her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. “That makes me happy, Gen. It’s your home too now.” He gasped suddenly and grinned, “That reminds me…” He jumped off the couch and ran up the stairs.
She could hear him rummaging around up there. It wasn’t long before he reappeared with something behind his back. She eyed him suspiciously to which he returned a sexy grin.
“Your first act of business as the lady of the house is to find a place to put this.” He smiled brightly as he held up the Eiffel Tower figurine.
She giggled with delight. She hadn’t seen the trinket since she left it sitting on the nightstand beside the bed in their London hotel room. “I completely forgot!” Enthusiastically, she pulled it from his grasp and walked around the room deliberately with it, searching for just the right place. She set it down on the mantle, then picked it up again. “No, that’s not right.” Pacing across the room, she found a small table and tried that. “Nope, don’t like that either.”
“Darlin’, I have an idea.” He took her hand and led her to the stairs. “Have you seen our bedroom yet? Cause, I think that might be the perfect place for it.”
Her eyes popped when she walked into her new room. It was magnificent, all done in deep blues and grays, manly, but not too masculine for her tastes. The room was light and airy, but had a very cozy feel. Between this fantastic room and the kitchen, she could see why John fell in love with this home. The furniture was an attractive red oak that fit in with the craftsman style of the house. The size of the room and the apparently enormous adjacent bathroom led her to believe that this had all been accomplished in a recent remodel; houses simply weren’t built this way seventy years ago.
“Have I told you already that you have a beautiful home?” she asked, in awe.
“Babe, it’s our home. And yeah, I really like it here. It’s a great house, isn’t it?” He surveyed the room admiringly, as if he was seeing it again for the first time. “Now, pick a place for that thing! I’m getting hungry,” he mumbled as he stepped behind her and kissed her on the back of the neck. “And I’ve got someone I kinda wanted to do before dinner.”
She snuck a peek at him over her shoulder. “At least let me see the whole house first!” she laughed. “And I have to find the right spot for this,” she said holding up the knickknack. Gazing around the room, she tried to locate the perfect location. She noticed that he had obviously cleared out closet space for her, and had made room for some of her things. It was a nice touch, she thought. He had gone to a lot of effort to make her feel at home here. She approached the empty nightstand on what she presumed would be her side of the bed. “How about right here? That way, every night when I go to bed, I’ll be reminded of our romantic trip to Paris.”
“You’re so sappy, it’s cute! Yeah, I think that’s a perfect place for it.” He smiled and rolled his eyes in that charming way he had….the one that, she was certain, he had no clue how sexy it was. “Now, c’mon, I’ve gotta finish this tour, darlin’.”
Quickly, he rushed her through the rest of the remaining rooms. There was the guest room, a small room that had been converted into a studio of sorts, another bedroom that, besides a bed, held all kinds of junk, from fans it looked like mostly, and a bathroom decorated in a peculiar shade of green tile, apparently a 1930’s original.
“Well, this is unusual,” she commented on the claw foot bathtub and bottle green tile.
“You know, every one hates it. They say I should remodel in here, and I probably should, but I kinda like it myself. I think it’s sorta cool, this old time stuff, y’know.”
“No! Don’t redo it,” she exclaimed. She felt a little odd defending an outdated bathroom, but she loved old stuff like this too. “That’s what I meant about it being unusual. I really like that it’s old and original. It reminds me of my grandma’s house. Everybody just gets rid of stuff like this, but I love it! Besides,” she said with a flirty twitch of her eyebrow, “claw foot tubs are really romantic, don’t you think?”
“Oh Gen,” he sighed, “This tour is over.” He whisked her off her feet and carried her the few steps back to their room, tossing her on the bed. He sprawled out beside her and began slowly unbuttoning her shirt. “And now for your second act of business as lady of the house…”