Setting Up For a Fall

Chapter Four - Liebe

"No, but now that you've mentioned it..." he laughed lightly.

"Okay, it'll be fun. I mean, as much as I loved being lost in my own thoughts the last couple of days, it's high time to get out of my head...that and I feel like I've forgotten how to speak since I haven't had anyone to talk to."

"Well, Skye, fret no more. You can talk my ear off, if you'd like," he winked at her.

Skye felt butterflies fill her stomach and flutter their wings like crazy. She tried to recall the last time she felt this way, and remembered all the way back to when she first met Jeremiah. Had it really been that long since she honest to goodness liked a guy? Sure, she'd been on a handful of dates with some guys in her classes, but those were not serious and they were few and far between. The guys she hung around with were also the silent bookish types very much like herself. Not exactly the bravest of souls, those guys. She tried to be open to dating, but during college, as it was during high school, she was all about academia. As expected, she graduated summa cum laude in Chemistry. While she didn't go to the same university as Jeremiah, they did both end up staying local, both going to universities in Los Angeles. They both dormed their first two years, but before they became juniors, Jeremiah told her that he was going to get himself an apartment and that she should just agree to rent the other room. And they've been room mates ever since.

Here she was again, falling for a man who seemed to be out of her league. Dylan, with his rugged good looks, was personable, affable, witty, adventurous, and fun to be with. She checked out his travel blog when she got back to her hotel, and was instantly drawn to his style of writing. He seemed like he was a friend who not only recounted tales of his adventures but urged you to try it next time, to go with him on his next trip out. He also posted a bunch of beautiful color photographs along with his articles, and she genuinely became interested in travelling the world, in seeing these places first hand. She wanted to experience what it was like to do things she never thought she could do. Dylan made her want to break even freer from her shell, to see the world around her, to be free of her insecurities, to learn how to be fearless. A quote from his very first blog post resonated with her; that courage wasn't the absence of fear, but rather the triumph over it.

She wanted to conquer her fears; she wanted to grow up, to be unafraid of her own shadow. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do things without worrying about what other people thought of her. Befriending Dylan was a bold first step for her. She actually conversed with him and maybe even flirted a bit with him, but she couldn't be too sure. She didn't even think she knew how to flirt. She figured he hadn't gone running and screaming in the opposite direction so she must have done something right.

***

As they have previously talked about, Skye and Dylan decided to buddy up the following day. She wore a cream colored cowl neck cable knit sweater dress over black leggings. On her feet were sensible knee high leather boots and she wore a red and blue tartan plaid moto jacket over her sweater dress. While she didn't necessarily dress to impress, she did try to look more put together for her handsome new friend. She lightly curled her long hair and applied a shimmery pink lip gloss on her lips and black mascara on her lashes more liberally than usual. Dylan looked devastatingly chic in dark blue jeans, gray cashmere sweater, and black blazer with gray patches on the elbows.

They were going to Hayes Valley for the third day of their culinary walking tour. They had just sampled gourmet cheeses, artisanal salami and fresh baked pita bread, gourmet olive oils and vinegars from Spain, and French macarons from several of the restaurants and specialty shops in the neighborhood. Now they were in line for the freshest, purest, creamiest ice cream made to order right in front of their eyes with a little help from liquid nitrogen to quickly freeze the cream.