Leah had felt well enough to join Charles downstairs all wrapped up in a long warm white terry cloth bath robe. The rain had not let up and Charles kept the fire going as Leah sat curled up in a wing chair beside the stone fireplace. She sipped slowly from the cup of warm, delicious soup staring into the flames watching as they danced listening to the hissing and popping from the burning wood. Charles sat in the chair across from her not saying anything, just waiting to listen if she chose to speak, but she did not it was calm and peaceful something she was not accustomed to, it was nice.
A few minutes later she sipped the last drop of soup it warmed her belly and she wanted more. "This is wonderful Charles, thank you." Leah smiled handing him her empty cup.
"Let me get you a little more." he said happily going to the kitchen returning with a fresh helping. Charles found Leah pulling a few sheets off the antique furniture he had crammed in the living room.
"What's all this Charles?"
"Well that is a Wooten desk it is very rare and worth a small fortune." Charles went on, as she sipped her soup, showing her an eighteenth century games table, a Tiffany lamp, six matching nineteenth century English Hepplewhite side chairs, two eighteenth century Louis XVI arm chairs along with a few large bronze sculptures etc...
"Why do you have all this?"
"Well, if anything happens, when something happens I have left instructions with an auction house to sell off everything and give all the proceeds to charity."
"Are you expecting that to happen anytime soon?" she asked concerned.
"Well, no." he lied.
"Then put it in the garage. It looks bad out here covered in sheets."
"Not with the harsh winters and blistering summers, no, not here in Texas, I'm sorry if it bothers you."
"It's okay, I don't mind." she smiled sweetly touching his arm lightly.
"It's just I've been alone here for so long now I guess I didn't notice." he sighed.
"Charles.., don't you have a girlfriend?"
Charles shook his head and only laughed.
"Charles, you are far too handsome and far too intelligent to sit home all alone by yourself." Leah reminded him.
"Yeah, and when they ask me what I do for a living.., how do I explain that."
"You don't have to tell them the truth." Leah laughed but Charles did not, he felt very embarrassed and less like a man than ever, so he got up went to the kitchen and rinsed the dirty dishes and put them in dishwasher. Leah stood beside him her head resting on his arm as she put her arm around her lonely friend. Charles felt a warm spot growing in his heart and he was extremely happy to be in his kitchen with his long lost friend. Then the phone rang.
A few minutes later she sipped the last drop of soup it warmed her belly and she wanted more. "This is wonderful Charles, thank you." Leah smiled handing him her empty cup.
"Let me get you a little more." he said happily going to the kitchen returning with a fresh helping. Charles found Leah pulling a few sheets off the antique furniture he had crammed in the living room.
"What's all this Charles?"
"Well that is a Wooten desk it is very rare and worth a small fortune." Charles went on, as she sipped her soup, showing her an eighteenth century games table, a Tiffany lamp, six matching nineteenth century English Hepplewhite side chairs, two eighteenth century Louis XVI arm chairs along with a few large bronze sculptures etc...
"Why do you have all this?"
"Well, if anything happens, when something happens I have left instructions with an auction house to sell off everything and give all the proceeds to charity."
"Are you expecting that to happen anytime soon?" she asked concerned.
"Well, no." he lied.
"Then put it in the garage. It looks bad out here covered in sheets."
"Not with the harsh winters and blistering summers, no, not here in Texas, I'm sorry if it bothers you."
"It's okay, I don't mind." she smiled sweetly touching his arm lightly.
"It's just I've been alone here for so long now I guess I didn't notice." he sighed.
"Charles.., don't you have a girlfriend?"
Charles shook his head and only laughed.
"Charles, you are far too handsome and far too intelligent to sit home all alone by yourself." Leah reminded him.
"Yeah, and when they ask me what I do for a living.., how do I explain that."
"You don't have to tell them the truth." Leah laughed but Charles did not, he felt very embarrassed and less like a man than ever, so he got up went to the kitchen and rinsed the dirty dishes and put them in dishwasher. Leah stood beside him her head resting on his arm as she put her arm around her lonely friend. Charles felt a warm spot growing in his heart and he was extremely happy to be in his kitchen with his long lost friend. Then the phone rang.
