Perfect on Paper (11 page)

David emerged with a beautiful and graceful Irish Setter and a somewhat scruffy-looking Black Labrador. He looked happy to be with them. His friends. It was as though there were three tails wagging instead of two. Nadine giggled at the sight and opened her door.

“Who’s who?” she asked.

“This is Duchess,” David said of the Irish Setter. “She’s four. And this is Duke.”

Nadine put her hand down and let the dogs sniff her before she gave them each a scratch behind the ear.

David opened the trunk of his station wagon, spread out a thick blanket and let the dogs hop in. They panted in excitement. David closed the back door and walked around to the driver’s side.

“Where are you taking us?” Nadine wanted to know.

“It’s a surprise. It’s a bit of a drive, but like I said, Duchess and Duke don’t get out much so this’ll do them a world of good.”

“What’s their story?”

“It’s kind of sad, actually. Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Duchess is Duke’s best friend in the whole world. They’ve been inseparable since Duchess was just a pup. Duke was already ten then.”

“So he’s fourteen?”

“Yeah. And their owner is a lovely woman, Mrs. Bronstein, but she’s just been moved to a nursing home and they won’t allow dogs. Sometimes they take little dogs, but Duchess and Duke were too big.”

“So they’re here?”

“Mrs. Bronstein’s kids couldn’t take them.”

“That’s so sad.”

“There’s more.”

“Oh no.”

“I don’t have to tell you. I don’t want to make you sad. I just thought it’d be nice for us to do something good for Duchess and Duke tonight.”

“I want to know.”

“Okay, well, Duke has cancer.”

“Oh no.” Nadine began to tear up. She looked back at the two of them, where they lay all cozy and looking out of the window together. Their affection for each other was obvious.

“Yeah, this is his last night.”

“You mean?”

David nodded. He also had a tear in his eye. “That’s why I thought it’d be nice to let them have a really special evening with us.”

Nadine turned into a giant mush ball. “Can’t anything be done?”

“Not at this point. It has spread too much. Besides, there’s no one to pay for the chemo. Mrs. Bronstein has her own health problems to worry about.”

“Doesn’t it make you sad to volunteer for the SPCA?” Nadine asked.

“No, it feels good to know I’m part of something bigger than myself. These dogs are pure love and joy. I mean, just look at Duke. He knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. You think he lets that ruin his day? No.”

Nadine looked at Duke. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and he was panting and enjoying the view.

“He’s a strong spirit,” Nadine said.

David nodded. “I have learned so much from my friends over the years.”

“What’s going to happen to Duchess?”

“I’m not too worried about her. Look at how charming and beautiful she is. She’ll find someone who will love her back in no time.”

“You’re so confident. I heard that adult dogs have a hard time getting adopted.”

“Some do. Duchess won’t. Just wait until you see her in action on the mountain.”

“Mountain?”

“We’re going up to Potawatomi Trail for an evening hike.”

“But I’m not wearing proper footwear.”

“Trust me. It’s not so bad. It’s a wheelchair accessible hike. Duke can’t handle much in the way of hills, but he’s gonna love the view from up there. I think you will, too.”

“David, this is really sweet and not at all what I was expecting.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I really had no idea.”

“Good.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I don’t want you to have expectations. It’s better to be open-minded.”

* * * *

The air was chilly and Nadine felt a breeze tickle her cheeks as she stepped out into the evening. While David ran around back and got Duchess and Duke outfitted in their leashes, Nadine thought of Grandpa Winston and the sweetness and preciousness of life.

“Here,” David said, passing her the leashes. “Hold these for just a second.”

He whipped around the car, locking the back door to the trunk and opening the back seat door. He lifted out a backpack and put it on, then he came back and put his hand out for the leashes. “Do you want to take one? You don’t have to.”

“I’d love to.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know.”

“All right. Close your eyes.” She followed the instructions. “And open them.” She did.

David’s eyes were still closed. He’d taken one leash from her. “All right!” he said, opening his eyes. “It’s you and me, Duke,” he said to the dog. “We’re about to have the best night of your life. You ready, boy?”

The dog wagged his tail. David took him into his arms and explained that he probably shouldn’t exert himself too much on the trail, but he could run around a little once they were up top.

Nadine looked at Duchess. Her big brown eyes made Nadine feel so warm inside, in spite of the slight temperature drop with the increase in elevation.

“Duchess doesn’t need a leash,” David said. “You can take it off her if you want.”

“What? Really? What if she doesn’t listen to me?”

“She will.”

“But…”

“You don’t have to, but I think you’ll be impressed with her. She’s so incredibly well trained. Mrs. Bronstein worked with her from the time she was born, and she used to be a professional trainer.”

“No kidding.” Nadine shook her head. “How do you know all this?”

“I always get the whole story when I do intake. It’s important to know the history of the dog in case there’s been any abuse or whatnot. I know, it’s not nice to think about, but not all dogs have great lives and it really affects the kinds of homes they should go to. Duchess here can go anywhere.”

He scratched Duchess on the head and reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of Milk-Bones. “Check this out.”

Both dogs sat down in anticipation.

“Duke, lie down.” Duke did. “Sit up.” He did. “Speak.” Duke barked. “Now sing!”

Duke let out a long series of howls and David tossed him the treat, which he caught with his mouth.

“Now, Duchess, you get to really show off what you can do.” David put the Milk-Bone behind his ear and held his hands out. “Duchess, dance.”

Duchess jumped up on her hind legs and did a pirouette in front of them. Nadine almost couldn’t believe it, but Duchess wasn’t finished. She rested her paws on David’s palms and they did a type of two-step around the parking lot. David tossed the treat to Duchess. Nadine laughed so hard. This was the most amazing sight she’d ever seen.

“Incredible! I’m almost jealous,” she said.

“Is that so? Would you care for a dance?”

David gestured for Nadine to take his hands. “Duke and Duchess, sit!” he ordered and they obeyed. Then David and Nadine two-stepped. Duchess barked. Nadine cracked up.

David said, “I think I know who’s jealous.”

The gang took the path marked with a sign that pointed out a scenic area ahead. Walking in silence with their two furry companions, Nadine felt an overwhelming sense of peace come over her. It was as though this moment was utterly complete, like she could think of nothing more that could possibly enhance it.

Then they arrived at the viewpoint and saw the glimmering city lights below. Her tummy, filled with butterflies, told her that this was all too much. It was like she was floating.

“David, this is amazing. I’m having the best time.”

“Just wait.”

“What? There’s more?”

“A little something.”

He opened the backpack and took out a Thermos. “I made you my famous hot chocolate.”

“Oh my God.”

If there was one thing that could have improved on the magic of the moment, this was it. And she saw that David was the kind of guy who really thought of everything. He opened the spout and poured some hot chocolate into the lid of the Thermos, which also functioned as a cup.

“Sorry. We’re going to have to share,” he said. “So you’ll have to stay close to me.”

“I don’t mind.” Nadine couldn’t conceal her smile.

He passed her the cup and she got a whiff of the chocolate-y goodness. “Wait just a second,” he said and dug into the backpack. He pulled out a little plastic container, opened it and sprinkled a few mini marshmallows into the cup. “All right, now try it.”

She lifted the cup to her lips and was instantly transported to heaven. The flavor of dark chocolate with a creamy hint of cinnamon swirled around her palate and tasted so good.

“Whoa. This is seriously the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.”

David nodded humbly. “It’s from scratch. I grated Bernard Callebaut dark chocolate into some organic homogenized milk.”

“Wow.”

Nadine had never before experienced real hot chocolate. This was a first. It was also a first that such a gorgeous guy made something like this happen for her. It was without a doubt one of the kindest gestures she’d ever experienced.

“You’re romantic,” she said. “This place is astounding.”

“I wanted to do something you’d remember.”

“David, it’s incredible.”

“I wanted you to know how much this night matters to me. I’ve been looking forward to bringing you here ever since that day you put the coffee in front of me.”

“I’m so glad I did that.”

“Were you trying to say something with it?”

“I just thought it’d be a nice thing to do for someone on his first day of the big rush.”

“I wasn’t the only one there that day. A lot of guys were having their first day.”

“Okay. Fine. I thought you were cute. But, I didn’t think we’d be sitting here together. So, no, I wasn’t hitting on you or anything. I figured you were way too young and wouldn’t go for someone like me.”

“What? Someone like you? You mean the beautiful goddess? Nadine, you have to know that any guy would go for you. You’re, like, universally sexy. Tell me you know that.”

“I don’t think of myself that way.”

He shook his head. “I guess that’s the paradox. That’s what makes you so damned sexy.”

She smiled. “You really think so?”

“Nadine.” He shook his head and didn’t say anything. He grabbed her and pulled her in close and kissed her. It was passionate abandon and she did not want to let go this time. She needed him to know that she was attracted to him. There was no reason to conceal this from him, no reason at all.

“This is easily the best date I’ve ever been on,” Nadine said.

“I’m glad. I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with the simple things, you know.”

“I love this, David.” She gestured out at the breathtaking vista. “I mean, it’s absolutely romantic.”

He looked shy for a minute. “I love simple things. That’s the kind of person I am. I figured I could take you to a trendy restaurant or something, but it’d be misleading, because that’s not the kind of place I like to go. I come up here quite a bit, to tell the truth, though never with a date, not even the furry kind.”

Nadine laughed at his joke. But she really enjoyed the image of a guy who came up here by himself.

“What do you do up here?” she wanted to know. “Drink hot chocolate?”

“Not usually. By myself, just tea. I come up here to think. I do a lot of thinking.”

“Philosophy?”

“Yeah. Meaning of life. That sort of thing. Kind of a natural reaction to death, I suppose.”

“Oh, David. Who?”

“My parents. My brother.”

“David,” Nadine whispered. She didn’t know what to say except his name.

“It’s okay. I’ve made peace with it. I know they’re out there, you know. I can feel them when I come up here.”

Nadine had tears in her eyes. How she ever could have misjudged David was beyond her. He was an old soul and that was as clear as the crisp night sky.

“When did you lose them?”

“A few years ago now. My senior year. Car accident. Instant.”

“Oh, David. That must have been so hard.”

“It was.” He looked out at the skyline as though for a second he was far away. Then he took another sip of hot chocolate and smiled at Nadine. “But you know what I realized?”

“What?”

“That there were two ways to go through life. I could either feel sorry for myself or I could let myself feel the pain of loss and move forward with all the love that I still feel for them. I chose the latter. My grandparents helped. They are amazing. I’d like you to meet them.”

“Sure. I’d love to.” Nadine was surprised to hear the words come out of her mouth so quickly and enthusiastically on the first date.

“They’ll like you a lot. I’m sure.”

Nadine smiled at the thought. “Did you live with them after?”

“I did. It wasn’t a big change, since they already lived downstairs. We did some rearranging that year and moved them upstairs and I took their old suite and we remodeled and repainted, just to sort of change up the energy, you know?”

“That makes sense.”

“They’re such strong souls. It really helped me to watch them deal with everything. It wasn’t easy for them to lose their only son.” He looked out over the horizon again.

Nadine could tell it was hard for him to share so much with her.

“But they have such strong faith, you know. It’s really amazing. My grandmother says we’re all eternal beings, and there is no real beginning or end to life. Things just change form.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Nadine said. She took his arm and looped her own in it. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Life is about savoring each moment. That’s what I believe. So I try to surround myself with beauty as much as I can, and I try not to dwell on bad stuff or spend time doing anything I’m not sincerely passionate about.”

“That makes so much sense,” Nadine said. “We have to enjoy life.”

She thought back to her previous hesitations about David based on shallow surface things like age and income difference, and she made peace with her choice right then and there. She was passionate about him. She loved being here with him in this moment and, after all, that was the whole point and the only thing that mattered.

“Speaking of enjoying life, I brought something else along, too.”