Setting Up For a Fall

Chapter Four - Liebe

Skye wrapped her lightweight scarf around her neck and pulled her knitted sweater around her body more snugly. It was early November, and she was currently in a food tour of San Francisco and Napa Valley. She went on the trip alone, wanted to experience travelling on her own for five days. She and her fellow foodie tourists were in Chinatown, sampling authentic and traditional Chinese cuisine. They were sampling some Peking duck wrapped in soft pillowy bao buns with a little bit of hoisin sauce and thinly sliced scallions to dress the dish up, and she swore she died and went to heaven. She let out an involuntary moan as she slowly chewed the delicious dish.

"Hmmm is right," a tall, handsome man she didn't realize stood next to her said.

"Oh," she covered her mouth with her free hand and let out a girlish giggle. "I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone was paying attention to me."

"Dylan O'Connell," the man said to her and held out his hand.

"Skye Garcia," she reached for his hand and shook it.

"You alone?" he asked her.

"Yup. You?"

"Yup," he mimicked her.

Dylan was tall, lanky, and impossibly handsome. He had a fair complexion, thick hair, and dimples no woman could resist. His black rimmed glasses framed light brown eyes with impossibly long eyelashes any woman would be envious of. His glasses added to his handsomeness, she was a sucker for a man who wore glasses after all, and Skye couldn't help but just stare at this man before her. If she hadn't just shaken his hand, she was sure he was just a figment of her imagination.

"What brings you to this tour, if I may be so bold to ask," Skye asked him.

"I have a travel blog. I go on all kinds of adventures and trips and then write about it on my blog."

"Oh, that's nice," she smiled.

"What about you?"

"Frankly, I just came here for the food," she shrugged at him.

Dylan laughed. "You're funny, Skye. I like that."

"Thanks," Skye took another bite of her bao.

She was so nervous. Dylan made her nervous. It's not everyday a drop dead gorgeous man made small talk with her. She just wasn't the kind of girl guys began random conversations with. She figured she didn't give off an approachable vibe. She wasn't the kind to turn heads after all, she thought to herself.

"Would you mind if we go on the rest of this tour together...I mean, I think we're the only ones here who went at it alone."

"It looks like. Well, it would be nice to walk around with someone."

"And bounce ideas off of someone," he added.

"So you just need a sounding board for your blog, right?" she smirked playfully at him.