Living Alone Together - Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten.

After his date, William went back to the office.
When he got there, he realized he didn't have anything to work on, so he left and drove home as quickly as he could without breaking any laws.

He'd have to make it officially known to his sister, that blind dates were definitely not for him. A list! He'd have to work on writing down a list of activities to fill up his time. Maybe that way he wouldn't feel convinced that a date was all he needed to fill in his leisurely hours.

The date he had tonight, was probably the perfect woman of any man's dreams, but there was something missing. He didn't feel that pull towards her. Not like...

Wait.

He shouldn't be thinking about her that way. And by her, he meant the woman who makes the best tasting coffee. He wasn't even sure she did anything special to the coffee but when it came from her, it seemed like it was the perfect blend. He shrugged at where his thoughts were floating.

Turning at the corner of the road, he thought he was hallucinating. Somehow, he had managed to conjure her figure.
Hold on, he squinted and adjusted his eyes, it really was her.

What was she doing on the streets at this time? And where was her date?

He had slowed his car to a crawl beside her. He lowered the passenger window, and waited for her to look up but she wouldn't look his way.
Suddenly he stepped on his brakes, and shouted loud enough for her to hear.
"Ace!"

Aislinn's head quickly shot up in surprise at hearing a familiar voice.

"William, what are you doing here?" she asked, not quite believing he was there.

"I was on my way home. Hop in."

She slid into the car and he drove off.

"Why were you alone?" William asked while he steered a right turn.
When met with silence, he tried again.
"I'm guessing your blind date was flop?"
She shrugged.
"He didn't show?"
She shook her head.
"Who was he?"
She shrugged.
"Are you not going to speak?"

She leaned into the head rest and looked out her window and sighed.

He drove straight ahead, not really wanting to drop her off until he found out what happened.

It turned out, William didn't have to wait too long.

"William, I'm tired," she whispered and leaned her head against her window to face him.

He took a glance at her and asked quietly. "Tired of what?"

"Of believing that there's someone out there who's looking for someone like me. I've waited and nothing happened. I've searched and found, but they've all turned up being jerks. My hopes just get crushed. I'm tired of holding on to the thought that I could have the whole family package. Maybe getting stood up tonight was a sign that I should just resign myself to focusing solely on my Grandfather, nephew and sister."

e murmured.

He didn't know if there was anything he could say to make her feel better considering he was in the same boat.

Opening his front gate with the remote, he slid in front of his house and turned off his engine.

When he looked over at her, he saw a reflection of how he felt, only he wanted to shield her from it. Getting out of the car, he walked over to her side to open the door and offer her a hand.

Taking it, she stepped out of the car. He led her to the front door, pretending not to see her wipe away at unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No, no... Get it off your shoulders, Ace."
"But you must think this is all that matters to me. That having a significant other is the biggest goal, after what I said."
"Hey, Ace... If I said what you said, would you think the same of me?"
"Honestly? I wouldn't think you'd ever be in my situation because you could have anyone out there."
"And what if I didn't want just any one."
"Then, I'd say you seem to know exactly what you want. Isn't that a good thing?"
"I don't know. Seems like I know exactly what I don't want. What I want is not exactly as clear as I'd like it to be."

She considered this. But instead of answering, she focused suddenly on her whereabouts. She'd seen enough pictures to know this was his home. There had never been a reason for her to ever see it up close.

Stopping on her tracks as he opened the front door, she was in awe at the beautiful foyer.

William reached for her hand to give her a little tug forward into his house. Almost stumbling in, she got a peek at the upper hallway. The paintings that hung on every other wall were beautiful still-lifes.

There were a few framed family portraits scattered about the living room walls, she noticed as he led her through the main corridor towards the back of the house.

"William, are you the only one living here?"
"Yes, why?" He asked, still leading the way to the back of the house.
"No house help?"
"Nope."
"Where are you taking me?"
"The kitchen. You must be hungry, Ace."
"But-"
"Aislinn, will you have dinner with me tonight? Let me be your date."

She yanked her hand away and stopped just before the door he held open for her.

"Stop! Just bring me home, William," feeling as though this was some pity display for the vent session she just had.
"Did you ever realize, you're the only one to call me William?"
"Where's your phone, I'll call a cab."
"I'll call your cab after you've had your dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she answered, not wanting to step into the kitchen.

Aislinn stood by the door while William was banging the cupboard doors, and the fridge door open and shut. A few drawers slid open and shut, too.

"Come in, Ace. I won't bite, promise."
"William, I told you I'm not hungry."
But as if on cue, her stomach growled in protest.

He chuckled faintly and turned around to put some chicken in the toaster oven and a pot on the stove.

In surrender, she padded to the island bar stool and sat there watching him work around the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

"So, I never got to ask you about your date. How was it? You think tonight's woman is the one?"

Although she asked, Aislinn really didn't feel like hearing the answer. And just as he responded to her question, she knew why she wasn't eager to hear the answer.

"You know," he replied as he opened a bottle of wine. "I think I may have found the one," he said and gave her one of his ear-to-ear smiles that never failed to melt her heart.

Except this time, she wanted nothing better to do than run out of there crying and screaming at the top of her lungs in frustration.

Instead, she was forced to smile back and focus on the conversation.

"So, why isn't she with you?"
"Mmmm.. Oww!" His hand had slipped on the side of the can of chicken stock.
"Oh no!" She grabbed a clean kitchen cloth from the drawer she'd seen him open earlier.

Pressing hard around his thumb, she winced for him.
"Are you ok?" She asked with wrinkled brows.
"I'll survive," he answered as his thumb felt like hot water was spilled over it. He wasn't feeling much pain, just searing heat in his thumb.

Consciously giving him back his hand, she chided, "I guess that's what you get for using canned chicken stock."
"Give a guy a break, I don't exactly have time to make my own home-made version."
"Maybe your girl would make you some next time she's over."
"Yeah, maybe," he agreed.

Clearing her throat as jealously began to gnaw at her, she asked him if he owned any band-aids. Attending to his cut, she offered to finish cooking the meal for him.

"No, no. I'll finish. You just sit there and look pretty."
"Hard to do, but I'll try."

Finally, after half an hour of small talk and safe topics, they sat beside each other at the island bar stools and ate William's chicken pasta.

"This is delicious, William!"
"Of course it is," he smirked.
"Hmm... The hot shot advertising king is a cook too, huh? Now I am surprised your door isn't being knocked down by women all over town."
"Oh they are, you just can't hear them in here from the gate."

She rolled her eyes and finished off her plate.

"Ace," he began with a hint of concern, "what'll you say when your sister asks how your date went?"
"Well, I was thinking about that earlier. I was trying to take my time getting home, so she'd believe I went out. But now, I can honestly say I had a great dinner."
"And she'd be ok with just that?"
"She'd have to be, because there's nothing more to it."
"Right," he answered, not knowing why he felt a sharp pang in his chest. Wouldn't she tell her sister about her dining at his place? Did he not count?

"How's the thumb?" She inquired.
"It'll heal," he answered, unknowingly and unintentionally blowing her off.
"I hope so. I'm just going to make a phone call."
"Right, you wanna go home. Forget the call. I'll drive you."

Unbeknownst to them both, their hearts were whole again, only aching because something just wasn't settling them about how they each felt about the other.

"This place sure is too big for one person," she sighed passing through the corridor.
"Yeah, I can't wait to fill it up."
"Mm..." Was the most intelligible thing that came to her mind.

The ride to her place was silent. Tension hung in the air, but no one was about to confront it.

As much as she'd like to mimic one of her many dreams and kiss him good night on the cheek, she gave him a stiff "thank you for dinner, William", "see you tomorrow" and "good night" before rushing to her front door wanting so badly to forget every dream that featured that man.

Her dreams were just that. Dreams. Why bother to hope for something so much more? This is the home she belonged in. These are the people she should pour her attention on, the three people who live under this roof.

From here on out, she promised herself, she'd forget her frilly notions.

Dreams aren't reality, Ace. Not for you.