A second chance...At first love (Second Love Series Book 1) (5 page)

“I love you guys.”

“And we love you too Izzie, you will always hold a special place in our hearts."

"Thank you that means so much to me."

"I do have a question for you, sweetie.  The troopers said they found a package for you in Timmy’s car, what was it? If you don't mind me asking.”

“Honestly Mrs. DeSantis, I haven't been able to bring myself to open it.”

“I understand.  Take your time, sweetie.  Take your time.”

Izzie sat with Mrs. DeSantis for a little bit longer.  As they sat there, she told Izzie fun stories about Timothy as a child. This had actually become a bit of a tradition over the time that Izzie and Timothy were dating.  She would come over and while Timothy was doing whatever he needed to around the house, Mrs. DeSantis would pull out old pictures and tell stories. Izzie loved it, Timothy would always outwardly cringe and sigh loudly but secretly it amused him that Izzie enjoyed it so much. Anything that made her smile, made him happy. One of their last days together he told her so. So she sat, looked, listened and remembered the love of her life.

When Izzie went home, she looked at her night stand and saw the card and box that Timothy had for her.  This was the last gift from “her Timothy.” In the few months they had been together, he was constantly surprising her with presents, some big and some small.  For their one week anniversary he gave her a teddy bear wearing his number on a hockey jersey. For their one month, he gave her a silver bracelet with a cello charm.  There was no shortage of his affection physical or material, from balloons to flowers to jewelry and everything in between. One time, just because, he got her a really expensive bottle of perfume, because she commented on how pretty it smelled.  He told her that day, that “the perfume should consider it an honor that you like it.” She giggled when he said it; he was always saying cheesy things like that.  She caught herself smiling as she reached for the package.  She opened the card first, it had “I love you” in a lot different sizes and colors written all over it.  She opened it and printed inside it said “I love you in so many ways.” 
Oh Timothy,
she said to herself. Next she saw his writing, and noticed it was the day of the party at the cabin…

Aug 20, 1994

My dear sweet Iz,

You were “my Iz” before you knew it, long before prom night. I fell in love with you many years ago. I can tell you the exact moment, it was the day you stood up for yourself against Robbie Shields. You were so small and so meek, but you didn't show an ounce of fear. I wanted to protect you so fiercely then and knew that I would always want to protect you and keep you safe.  I knew then that I would always love you.  People say that when you're young you don't know what true love is, they are wrong. I loved you from that day and never stopped.  I would watch you walk to class or try to hide away in the band room. I loved watching you play the cello; you have such passion and drive. I love everything about you from your beautiful smile to your insanely wicked sense of humor.  The way you bite your lip and twirl your hair when you're nervous. I love how clumsy you can be and it doesn't seem to faze you at all, you just laugh it off. I love the way your voice shakes when you get nervous or how strongly you stand for something you believe in.  I love to watch you when you don't think I am.  I love the way you get so into a movie, like you're a part of it.  You have such a sweet caring nature and I can't lie and say you aren't the most stunning person ever, and let's just say your body doesn't hurt the situation :) You know I love every inch of your caramel smooth skin, your beautiful full lips. The taste of your skin, your scent. Iz, I love you. I know I say it and I wonder if you believe me but it's true.  I am not looking forward to the day I have to leave you but I know that will not stop us, it will not separate us because, you are “my Iz.” You've been mine longer than you know and will always be mine.  I know I can't ask you to come with me right now while you are still in school, but I can ask you to be patient and to continue to be mine.  When you graduate next year I will be there and when that time comes I will officially ask you to be mine forever.  This gift that I have for you is my promise that I will be there for you, because you are mine.  I promise there will be no “beautiful London socialite,” because there is only you.  I hope that you will accept this gift and my promise to you. Isabella Chloe Bunton, I love you more than words can express, I need you in my life and I promise you will always be “my Iz.” I can't wait to see this ring on your finger.  I remember the day you saw it in that magazine.  You didn't say a word but your eyes sparkled so beautifully and I knew I'd do anything to see that sparkle again.  With this ring, I can see that sparkle again and again. I love you Iz!

~Timothy

Izzie opened the ring box and saw a beautiful ring that she recognized.  It was a ring she saw that singer Brandy wearing in a magazine.  She just thought it was so pretty, but she never said a word about it. She couldn't believe he noticed.  She put it on her right hand and broke down in tears. She didn't know how she would get through this pain, how she would survive without her Timothy. Once again Izzie cried herself to sleep.

Izzie

The weeks passed and it was time for school to start up again.  Everyone was overly nice. The school had framed Timothy’s hockey jersey and it was hanging on the hall next to the trophy case.  She thought it was a beautiful tribute. Everyone was wonderful to her, people she had never spoken to before wanted to give her their condolences. It all was a bit overwhelming.  As time passed she tired of the niceties and wanted a bit of normalcy, if she heard one more person say
“time heals all wounds,”
she thought she would punch someone and she wasn't a violent person. It was hard to get through the days, the weeks, the months, but she had to. If it wasn't for her best friend Teddy, her parents and the DeSantis’, especially Timothy’s mother, she never would have survived. Izzie threw herself into her school work and her cello. Playing was therapy for her, it was how she coped.  She always thought about him when she played, especially after she knew how much he loved listening to her. She felt connected to him on some level, like she was playing just for him when she practiced. Izzie got so good at distracting herself, that before she knew it, it was time for graduation.  She decided to attend a school in New York City.  While she hated to leave home, the memories there were still really hard for her.  She picked music as her major.  She had told Timothy that her dream was to play in the New York Philharmonic and that was what she was going do.  She was determined to make it, she had to. 

Izzie

Present Day

College breezed by for Izzie; she threw herself one hundred percent into her work and cello practice. Teddy and Izzie went to same school in NYC; they were roommates in undergrad.  They moved off campus and got a place together during grad school and continued to live together after graduation, until recently when Teddy moved out to live with her boyfriend.  They had always been best friends but Izzie knew if she didn't have Teddy by her side during that difficult time years ago, she wouldn't be here today.  Izzie had just received word that she was to being hired on to play with the New York Philharmonic, which had always been a dream of hers.  She called Teddy to tell her that they needed to celebrate some good news. She asked her to meet her at their favorite café on the corner by her apartment.  She was so excited, as she was walking she wasn't paying attention, she missed the curb and slipped into a puddle of water.  To top it off the wind was heavy and her umbrella had blown inside out, so she was soaking wet.  She was used to it, she was quite clumsy at times, and it was one of the things she remembered Timothy loved about her. 
Oh my Timothy,"
she thought.  The pain over the years had gone from a constant ache to a dull throb. It was always present; time had just given her the opportunity to learn how to deal with it.  As she sat and waited for Teddy to arrive, she unconsciously twirled her cello charm bracelet, a gift she hadn't taken off since the moment he gave it to her years ago.   It was a small café; she sat at a two person table off to the left, when you walked in.  She and Teddy frequented it quite a bit.  She loved the pasta con pollo.  It was an eclectic place; they had a mixture of all different types of food.  Today she was in the mood to try something different.  The menu was on the table and she glanced between it, the front door, and the window next to her waiting for Teddy.  Something on the menu caught her eye, when she heard the door open, she looked up hoping to see Teddy and she saw him. He was gorgeous, not your typical "oh wow, he's cute" type of gorgeous, no, he was jaw-droppingly handsome.  She felt herself staring and had to catch herself.  No one had caught her attention like that in years, fifteen to be exact.  Sure she had dated casually but no one held her interest.  She had a couple of sexual encounters over that past fifteen years as well, but they were nothing more than her trying to satisfy a natural urge.  The minute she was done, she hated herself for it.  She decided about three years ago that she would just wait until she found someone special.  She didn't really have high hopes of that happening. She had met the love of her life early and she was starting to convince herself that it wouldn't happen again.  As soon as she realized that she was staring, she looked down at the menu afraid to look up for fear that she had been caught by him. She was twirling the ring on her right hand, another gift that she'd had for many years, trying to keep herself from staring at Mr. Gorgeous that was standing at the counter.  She had the feeling that someone watching her.  She looked up and locked eyes with him,
God, he's gorgeous
, she thought.  He smiled and she felt her stomach drop.  He was tall, at least 6'3", tanned, dark brown curly hair and beautiful green eyes; his eyes, they were mesmerizing. Then there was his smile, beautiful straight white teeth and dimples, big deep gorgeous dimples. She realized she was staring again and looked away. 
"Where the hell is Teddy?"
she thought.  She was so uncomfortable, sitting feet away from this man, this magnificent man; he could have been a Greek god.  She started to wonder what he looked like under his designer suit.  She shook her head and thought, s
top it Iz!  You don't know anything about this man.
She looked up again and he was still smiling at her.  If Teddy didn't get there quick, she was going to have to get up and leave.  Just as it seemed that he may be walking over to say something to her, Teddy walked in.  She jumped up,

"Teddy over here!"  She yelled, then she felt kind of silly, the place was so small that Teddy would have had no choice but to see her when she walked in.  Still she needed to give "Mr. Greek statue," a hint to leave her alone. 

"What in the world is wrong with you? You seem to be on edge," Teddy asked as she sat down.

"Teddy don't look, but that guy at the counter is gorgeous.  I haven't found anyone that attractive since..." she trailed off.

"I know, since Timothy.  Izzie, girl we have got to find you a man.  I know you loved him but that was fifteen years ago!"

"I know Teddy, I can't help it.  I try to date and I just don't seem to find anyone that I'm attracted to.  If they are good looking, they are boring or just weird. Do you remember that one date I went on?  The first and last date with "Mr. Alien Invasion?"

Izzie had been set up by an acquaintance, with a guy that seemed relatively normal. He was good looking, tall and worked as a bank manager.  He didn't seem crazy at all, until after dinner and apparently one too many drinks when they started talking about their interests.  He said one of his passions was science, which of course made Izzie's ears perk right up, until, she realized he meant science fiction and by love of science he meant aliens. This wasn't just a passing fancy, heck Izzie loved Doctor Who; a hot alien with a British accent, who wouldn't love that, but this was an all-out obsession.  He used star signs and recent news reports to prove that aliens were real. He had even told her about his special alien room.  It was a room dedicated to his research and equipment to contact extraterrestrial life. Fortunately, Izzie and Teddy had a text/phone system worked out for dates, just in case something like this happened.  In this case, Izzie discreetly texted Teddy, Teddy called the restaurant and asked for the manager and gave a detailed story about an emergency, and the manager delivered the news to Izzie so she could excuse herself.  She didn't think the manager would ever make it to her table, it took him forever.  She almost audibly sighed in relief when she saw him walking over.  That date was one for the history books.

"Haha, how could I forget that one? He called for weeks after that.  Poor guy, I never did figure out how he can manage a bank and be a total loon," Teddy said.

"Teddy, trust me, I would love to find someone.  I just don't think it’s meant to happen for me."

"What about Mr. Greek God, over there, that's been watching you since I walked in?

"Did you hear what you just said, he's a god, and he should be in someone's museum somewhere, Teddy.  He would not be interested in me."

"Well, maybe you should tell him that because he's headed this way."

"What! Oh no, he can't.... I can't...Teddy no..."

"Hello ladies, I'm Ellington, Ellington Scott, my friends call me Scotty."

Ohhhhh Myyyy Gawddd, his voice,
Izzie thought, did he just make her wet? Just by talking? 
There is no way he was talking to me,
she thought.  She looked over at Teddy because she just knew he had to be talking to her.  Teddy was looking at her, waiting for her to speak, as was "Mr. Greek God statue" aka "Scotty" who was holding out his hand to introduce himself.  

"Um...uh...hi...um I'm Teddy, no I mean I'm Izzie, Isabella Bunton and this is my friend Teddy." She extended her hand, he kissed it.

"Pleasure to meet you Izzie.  And you as well Teddy," he said without moving his eyes from Izzie.  She pulled her hand away, and felt herself shutter.  How could one man exude so much sex appeal?  He was tall & gorgeous, his voice was so deep and smooth and he smelled amazing.  One of those scents you knew would linger and then when it did finally fade you would spend the rest of your day trying to find it again. 

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Scotty did you say?"  She wasn't trying to play coy; she was honestly so caught up in his presence that she had to make sure she heard him properly.

"That would be me.  So tell me Izzie, What do you like for breakfast?"

"Excuse me? What?"

"I just want to know what I should serve you tomorrow morning." he said with a cocky laugh.

"Um really? Are you kidding me? Does that line actually work?" Izzie said, snapping out of her haze and rolling her eyes.

"Sometimes yes, it does," he chuckled. Izzie heard a slight chuckle from Teddy as well.

"Well I'm sorry it won't work on me, I hope you have a very pleasant day Mr. Scott.  My friend and I are trying to have a conversation."

Teddy obviously still mesmerized, was smiling wide at him. Izzie smacked her arm.

"Teddy!"

"Huh, oh sorry Iz."

Ellington didn't move an inch, he knew what he was doing, this was a game he played often and he was the master of it.

"Um...again, please excuse us, Mr. Ellington!" Izzie said sounding more agitated than before.

"I'm sorry if I came across crass, the way you were staring earlier, I honestly thought it was invitation.  You know women can be kind of forward these days.  Not to come across as arrogant but I do get quite a few invites and I am a man after all, so if a beautiful woman such as yourself was presenting an opportunity, then I would humbly accept in a heartbeat.  Again, I apologize."  Izzie seemed flustered

"Oh, no, I guess it's me who should apologize, I didn't mean to stare.  I'm sorry if I sent you the wrong signals."

"Well Isabella, it was a pleasure meeting you, please enjoy your afternoon." He reached for her hand and kissed it again and left.

Izzie and Teddy watched that gorgeous specimen of a man walk away and then giggled like they did in high school, crass or not he was gorgeous. They looked over the menu then ordered their food.  Izzie decided to try something different today, pork penne rustica; she was after all celebrating her new job.  Teddy got Izzie's usual, pasta con pollo.  Izzie then told Teddy about her new job with the Philharmonic and they spent the rest of the meal catching up on each other's lives.  Izzie hated not having Teddy as her roommate any more but she was overjoyed for Teddy that she had found someone.  He seemed to be a really great guy too.  He was good looking, average height and treated her very well, which was the most important thing.  When it was time for the check Teddy grabbed it since they were celebrating Izzie's good news, Teddy told her she wasn't going to let her pay.  When Teddy turned the check over, she saw it had already been taken care of.  "Paid!" was written across the bottom of the receipt and attached was a note that read:

"Again I apologize for my behavior.  I saw a beautiful woman from across the room and I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by, I misread your signals and I'm sorry.  I hope I didn't ruin your celebration with your friend. Please accept this meal on me and congratulations on whatever it is you are celebrating. 

Best wishes to you

~Ellington Scott/Scotty (whichever you prefer ;)

They both read and re-read the note. 

"He paid for our meal Ted!" They couldn't believe it.  Maybe she had misjudged him.  Ugh, she could smack herself; she let that gorgeous and apparently very sweet man walk away.  Just her luck!