Tom hurried me off into the room to change, while he did the same in the bathroom. "What should I wear?" I shouted through the door.
He opened the door and peaked out, "Something comfortable."
I laughed, "So, a t-shirt and shorts aught to do it?"
He smiled, nodded, and then shut the door, leaving me once again in silence to ponder what exactly he had planned. Even after 15 minutes, I still couldn't think of a single guess as to where Tom was planning to take me, but he stopped my thoughts by opening the door and coming back into the room.
Tom looked great, in a plain green t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. I had never seen someone who could look so spectacular wearing something as ordinary as a t-shirt. It made me feel inadequate in my grey v-neck and old blue jeans.
Tom looked at me thoughtfully. "What?" I asked, suddenly extremely self conscious.
"Nothing, you just...you look great."
I raised my eyebrows suspiciously, waiting for the punchline, but he said no more and walked out the door. I followed him, completely confused.
As I descended the stairs, Tom's mother and sisters were watching from the kitchen table. I looked at them, silently asking for an explanation as to what was going on, but they shrugged, evidently as clueless as I was. Tom held the door open and led me out to the car with a silly grin on his face.
A few minutes after we set out, I could handle my curiosity no longer. "Alright, where are we going Tom?"
He just kept grinning and shook his head, "Oh no, this is a surprise, remember? If I told you, it would defeat the point."
"Just one little hint," I pressed.
"No."
"Pleeeeaaassseee?" I begged. Instead of answering, he brought his hand to his lips and mimed zipping them closed. I huffed, defeated, and sank down in my seat.
Tom was silent for a few minutes, before asking, "Are you looking forward to going back to school?" I could tell he had been trying to think of some way to change the subject.
"Kind of. I mean, I miss my dorm and the familiarity of my schedule, but it's so beautiful here, I could definitely stay for a while longer." As I said this, I stared out the window at the rolling hills that I had become accustomed to during our stay. It was nothing like Cambridge, with its rows of little shops everywhere. There was a peace about this place that was like nothing I had ever experienced.
Tom smiled wistfully, eyes scanning the landscape as well, "I know what you mean, I miss it out here. The city is home too, but these past few weeks have been a reminder of how nice it is to get away and come home."
I was happy to see him so content, it was a side of Tom that was always there, but out here, it shined. "It's crazy how, no matter how far away you go from home, it will always be waiting to fill you with memories whenever you come back."
He smiled. "Do you miss America?"
"Of course I miss it," I replied, "My family is there, along with everything I had ever known before I came here. But you have to know that I wouldn't change my decision to come here for anything." I smiled at him and he beamed back.
We entered the town a few minutes later and I asked, "So how are you liking being back? I feel bad that all you've done is take me around."
Tom scoffed, shrugging off the insinuation that I was being a nuisance, "I love it here, it holds so many memories for me. Take that shop for instance," he pointed to a bookshop just ahead off to the left, "I used to go there all the time, and that pub was were my rugby mates and I used to go after practices and games. It's such a small town that I have an experience tied to every building here, and I love getting to immerse myself in that."
I grinned as he continued to tell me about all his childhood times here. He looked like a kid, and for a moment, I could picture a far younger version of Tom walking down the sidewalk casually, or talking and laughing with his friends. It was really cute to see how excited he got while recounting these stories.
After driving for about a half an hour more, we left the town behind us and I started to really get frustrated at not knowing where we were going. "Tom, how far are we going to drive?"
He just adopted that goofy grin again and said, "Not long now," which of course made my curiosity burn even more.
Tom was right though, we stopped ten minutes later and he pulled off onto a shoulder of the road lined with trees. "Here we are!" he said enthusiastically.
I looked around in confusion, "And where is 'here' exactly?" There was nothing around us, only road and trees.
"Look closer," he replied, pointing to the tree-line. I noticed a small, brown sign I hadn't seen before. There were faded white letters on it that read "Harsely's" and had an arrow pointing into the woods. A faint trail led off into the trees, but I couldn't see where it ended. "Come on!" Tom whispered, getting out of the car and coming over to open my door.
He helped me out and we started on the trail. Hiking? I thought He's taking me hiking? But I followed him, not wanting to be left behind. It was a relaxing walk through the woods. The trees were green and the forest teemed with life. Birds sang overhead, squirrels scampered up trees, everything was so beautiful. I smiled at my surroundings and looked up to see Tom smiling at me. "What?" I asked.
"Nothing, I'm just glad you're enjoying it." Something in his smile made me think he still had something left to reveal.
I looked around again, wanting to take in every aspect of this place. The sharp, earthy smell of the forest mingled with Tom's cologne and natural mint scent to produce a sensation unlike any other. I breathed deeply, content to walk here for hours.
It didn't take long though, before Tom said, "Okay, close your eyes, we should be almost there now." I raised my eyebrows, but did as he said and allowed him to lead me over a small rise. "Alright, open!"
My eyelids flew open, my heart thudding wildly from anticipation. I gasped at what I saw next: a small structure sat nestled into the trees. It was mostly glass, and inside I could see a few people sitting at tables, eating. A restaurant. I was amazed, "How did you find this place?"
"I knew Chris Harsely from school, he and I were good friends and we've kept in touch over the years. He just opened this place a few months ago, and he emailed me the details and made me promise to come by sometime. When I told him about you, he said I had to bring you along and I thought you'd like it here. Shall we?" He offered me his arm and took me inside. Tom gave his name at the hostess stand and a young blonde led us into a small enclosed room. She handed us our menus and left, closing the sliding glass door behind her. Again, I took the opportunity to gape at the greenery outside. The walls of our little dining space were all glass, offering a stunningly clear view of the forest.
"What do you think you want darling?" asked Tom, opening his menu.
I unwillingly tore my gaze from the windows and focused on the meal choices. My eyes roved over the delicacies offered, from steak to foie gras, before I finally settled on salmon filet. Tom decided to order the shepherd's pie, and our waitress reentered at the perfect time, taking our orders and exiting again.
"This is...perfect Tom, truly perfect." He looked pleased. "And thank you for bringing me here, I've had a wonderful time and your family has been so lovely. It's been exceptional."
"I was worried you'd find my sisters a bit overbearing," Tom replied, flushing slightly.
"Overbearing? They're so sweet, and your mother is extremely kind. I'm just afraid I've been less grateful than I should have been..."
"Nonsense," Tom laughed, waving away the thought, "they all love you, they told me themselves."
"Really?" I asked, glad that I was approved of.
"Absolutely! I knew they would. Did you not think so?"
I blushed, aware of how stupid I sounded, even to myself, but I was legitimately afraid of what Tom's mother and sisters thought of me. I had wanted so badly to make a good first impression that it felt wonderful to hear Tom say that they liked me.
We were interrupted, after a few minutes more of chatting, by our waitress, who brought our plates.
The food was exceptional, possibly one of the best meals I had ever had. As we finished our meals, the sun was setting through the trees, giving everything a pinkish-gold glow.
When we were done, Tom paid the waitress with a card, not letting me see the bill and refusing to allow me to pay for myself, and we left. The walk back to the car felt far shorter than the one to Harsely's, but I suppose it was due to my lack of impatience. When we got back to he car, Tom and I climbed in and began the drive back, talking animatedly about the next time we were going to visit this town. I also told him he would have to make the journey over to the states to see my home town, and he agreed readily, saying that he would love to meet my family. At that, I blushed and looked out the window, imagining how embarrassing it would be.
We arrived home shortly after dark, but everyone was already asleep. Quickly and quietly, Tom and I got ready for bed and climbed into the cool sheets. It was only when my head hit the pillow that I really realized how exhausted I was from the long day. Right before I drifted to sleep, I felt Tom press his lips to my forehead and whisper, "Goodnight Gabi."
I murmered a slurred, "Goodnight Tom," before sleep took me, bringing dreams of green trees and minty-sweet scents.