Nerd Girl(81)

Ryan had a contemporary home on a corner lot with almost no yard. The multi-storied triangular home was built on a hill into a block of concrete. It had a flat roof, the kind that you would see in Dwell magazine, and the roof of the garage doubled as a balcony. The most impressive feature of Ryan’s home was not the house itself, but the view. The house was facing west and had a 180 degree unhindered view of Elliott Bay, the Magnolia marina, and the Olympic Mountains in the distance.

I had always admired the homes along this stretch because they sat on one of those old, traditional streets, bordered by hundred-year-old trees with cobblestones peeking through the cracks in the pavement and the streetlights illuminated like old lanterns. I loved these old Seattle neighborhoods because they always had so much more character than the newer ones on the east side, near MS.

Ryan earned extra points for living on the west side. It’s not like he couldn’t afford to live in any of those new, wealthy neighborhoods across the lake, but he obviously opted to buy a home here. I chose to live on this side of the water because I didn’t want to be a slave to the corporate machine. Part of me felt like if I moved to the east side to be closer to work, I was somehow selling out and giving into the idea of work controlling my life. Even though my career was important to me, living in Seattle made me feel like I wasn’t letting work define all of me and I could live surrounded by more soul and character. Some people called me a Seattle snob and that was fine with me.

When I rang the doorbell, Ryan greeted me with a hug and a gentle peck on the cheek. After being away from him for most of the day, there was a moment of awkwardness as we adjusted to our newfound intimacy and relationship. He ushered me in and offered me a glass of white wine.

I took the proffered glass and looked around. There was so much you could learn about someone just by how they decorated their home and the feelings you experienced when you walked into a room. Ryan’s living room, dining room, and kitchen were part of one large space, which was what made up the main floor. The west wall was floor to ceiling glass. The house was obviously designed specifically to take advantage of the amazing view. His furniture was contemporary and color-coordinated in oranges and grays. The hardwood floors were a beautiful, dark cherry, which complemented the ultra-modern kitchen made of white stone counters and dark wood cabinets. He must have had a designer help coordinate all of this, or maybe Catherine helped decorate.

I saw a copy of Sports Illustrated on the coffee table, along with Forbes and some PC industry magazine. Other than that, there was minimal clutter. There were few pictures up and I couldn’t help wondering if he had put some away. He and Catherine were together for seven years, after all. That was certainly plenty of time to produce memorable pictures and vacation photos. I tried to push the thought of Catherine out of my head. I knew that there would be many more times that I would be reminded of her presence in his past, but I didn’t want her invading my mind and our time together right now.

In an effort to distract myself, I stood in front of his window to take in the view. I had just sighed at the beauty of the sky, the water, and the mountains, when I felt him kiss my shoulder. His hand lightly caressed my opposite hip; the other took my glass of wine and set it aside. I shivered at his touch and felt his lips slowly make their way up my neck, giving me goosebumps.

“Mmm … you smell really good,” Ryan breathed into my ear.

I didn’t usually wear perfume, but I was glad I remembered to tonight. I could feel the smile on his lips as he continued to kiss the nape of my neck. I looked down and noticed his feet were bare. How was it that even his toes looked sexy to me? As I turned around to face him, I slowly eyed my way up his body. He wore an old pair of jeans with a hole in one knee and a short sleeved, light blue, striped shirt, loosely tucked in. I took off my heels and wiggled my toes in relaxation.

I was wearing a green sleeveless cotton dress tonight because I wanted to show off my shoulders and neck, which I considered some of my better features. It seemed to be working.

“You have a beautiful home. The view is amazing.”

He handed me back my glass of wine and I took a sip. It was crisp and dry, with a hint of oak.

“Thanks. I bought it a few years ago. The view is what sold me. It’s not the most family-friendly home, though. I primarily bought it as in investment.”

His comment surprised me. So he wanted to have a family someday, huh? I knew I had plenty of time to ask him those questions later. It was too early in our relationship to discuss it now, even if he was the one that brought it up.

“Do you plan on selling it anytime soon?”