Logan smiled as he poured a small drink for Joan. He placed it on the bench to his left as he poured one for himself.
“This isn’t what I imagined when you invited me to an intimate dinner at a nice place,” Joan said, teasing him.
Logan waved in the direction of the creek below. “This? Best reservation in town. You’ll see.”
The bench sat atop a small rise, looking down toward a gurgling creek. Trees canopied on both sides of the water. The sun was behind the trees and declining in the sky. An occasional bright beam of sun reached them through the mass of trees. The air smelled of honeysuckle and water.
From the insulated backpack at his feet, Logan pulled a sealed container and popped it open. Inside were a dozen slices of cheese, each a slightly different color, shape, and texture.
He held it in front of Joan. She took a wedge from the container and nibbled on it.
“Yum! I didn’t know I was this hungry.” Joan laughed.
“Take a sip of the whiskey. It’ll surprise you.”
Joan held the small glass to her lips and sipped. The ice clinked on the glass as she did. Her eyes widened slightly.
“This is amazing. I don’t really like whiskey.”
Logan smiled. “Honestly? Me neither.”
They both took little bites of cheese and an occasional sip of whiskey. Each of them attempted to take furtive glances at each other without being obvious. It wasn’t working.
Logan looked at his watch.
“Someplace to be,” Joan asked, teasing him again.
“Yes, right here. Two minutes away from the spectacle, if I timed it correctly.”
Joan laughed. She realized he wasn’t joking about something about to happen. She had no idea what it might be and it was refreshing.
Joan and Logan reached for a piece of cheese simultaneously, taking the last two wedges. After finishing his piece, Logan bent down and removed another contained from the backpack. He opened it and tilted it so that Joan could see the contents.
Inside the container was a sandwich cut in half diagonally.
“I could eat the container at this point, Logan.”
“Me too,” he said and looked directly at her face. His cleverness always sat on the periphery of conversation.
Joan reached for half the sandwich and took a bite.
As she half-covered her mouth, she said, “This is good, Logan!”
“Thank you. It’s infused cream cheese, thin cucumber slices, butter lettuce, and bacon. I had a hunch you’d enjoy it.”
“I do!” She took a sip of whiskey and placed the glass back on the bench. She immediately took another bite as Logan did the same and watched her face indirectly.
Logan noticed a brighter glimmer of sunlight pass across them.
“It’s starting. Just in time.”
Joan looked up in the trees across the creek as Logan pointed. Little dancing bright lights oscillated from between two of the taller tree branches. She could almost see the object hanging below one of the branches. Within seconds, the object cast dozens of colored reflections across the branches below it.
“It’s like fireworks with light! It’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? It was rough calculating the angle of the sun without it being in our eyes.”
Joan hesitated. “You mean you put whatever that is up in the tree?”
Logan shrugged and laughed. “Yes. It took me five tree climbs to figure out the height and angle.”
“Seriously? That’s impressive.”
They both watched for about half a minute as the sparkles diminished.
Joan finished her sandwich and applauded softly. As she looked at Logan, he nodded his head. Joan found the gesture to be endearing.
“I wish it lasted longer, but it’s like a sunset. It’s only the first glance that lights you up inside.” Even though Logan said it casually, Joan somehow knew he was exposing an essential part of himself. She felt a tiny spark of interest light up inside her, too.
“Are you game for having dessert non-traditionally, Joan? It’s up to you.”
Without hesitation, she said, “Of course.”
“Let’s take our shoes off then, shall we?” He turned slightly away and began removing his shoes, then his socks. She did the same.
“We need to Tom Sawyer our pants, too.” Logan laughed. He suspected Joan hadn’t rolled her pants up in… maybe never.
Joan leaned over and rolled her pants up on both legs. She stood up from the bench. “I look ridiculous!” She laughed, as she turned in a pirouette.
“Anything but that, believe me,” Logan said, watching her spin as if she were twenty years younger.
Logan bent and removed another deeper container from the backpack. It rattled a little as he picked it up.
“Let’s go to the creek.”
Joan offered him her left hand and he took it in his. Neither stopped to think that it felt as natural as if they’d known each other for a decade instead of a week.
Logan led the way down, moving at an angle. Joan saw a break in the grass and little bushes along the creek’s edge. Logan stepped on a flat rock sitting slightly above the water. The creek was clear and moving faster than she’d imagined.
“It’s a little colder than you would think. It feels amazing, trust me.” He looked back to Joan, who met his eyes.
Logan stepped into the creek and on the limestone exposed under the water. Joan followed him. As the cold water covered her feet past her ankles, she said, “Wow.” She laughed and looked at him. Logan seemed a little puzzled, standing there with the dessert container. Shards of light passed across him from the sun peeking through the trees.
“Been a while since you’ve been in a creek, Joan?”
She nodded. “Yes. Why has it been so long? This is amazing!”
Logan flipped the lid over. Joan saw that there were two plastic cups inside, as well as two small spoons. Each cup held what looked like fudge. Whatever it was, if it were half as good as the cheese and sandwich, she might wrestle both of them away from him.
Joan removed one of the cups and a spoon. Logan took the other and then lightly tossed the container onto the bank. He waited for her to taste the first bite.
As the mousse touched Joan’s mouth, her eyes lit up again. “I taste chocolate and coffee and something else. It’s delicious, Logan.”
Logan took a bite of his. He was more interested in watching Joan. She didn’t hide her pleasure when eating. She seemed to be that way about everything.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to forget this feeling. Standing in a cold creek and eating the best mousse I’ve ever eaten.” Joan looked Logan directly in the eyes and winked.
“You won’t have to.” Logan laughed.
“My my. That’s confidence,” Joan said, teasing him for the tenth time.
“I will always climb a tree for you if I can.” Even though Logan smiled as he said it, Joan felt a delicious chill run across her spine.
A couple of minutes later, after standing quietly in the water and holding hands, Logan led her out of the creek. The sun now nestled barely visible behind the tree line and probably the horizon. Logan picked up the dessert container and led them back to the bench. Without discussion, they sat on the bench again. Joan moved closer to him and she felt his arm around go around her shoulders.
They both looked across the creek as the shadows grew long. They sat quietly, each thinking the thoughts that people consider when optimism pays a visit.
X
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P.S. Parenthetically Speaking 