Her Second Chance At Love

(4) Going For A Ride

Lisa’s POV

The day after that first date with Ray I spent cleaning my little apartment and fielding phone calls from my family.  First, each one of the triplets reached out to me individually. Again, begging me to give up my apartment and come back home and help out because it was too hard for them.  I really wanted to feel sorry for them but she just couldn’t.  They were spoiled and pretentious and it was because I had always been there to do everything for them.  It was time that they learned to do those things on their own.  I hadn't done them any favors like I first thought I had.  Instead, all I had achieved was that I made them incapable and before they reached adulthood they needed to learn.  My mother called to complain about the triplets and how they weren't picking up the slack like they were supposed to.  Mom made a comment about how she didn't understand why I felt I needed to branch out like I did when everything was working perfectly well for me at home.  How yet again she felt that I was wasting my time pursuing an education when I was meant to be a housewife and mother.  Then mom asked me the million-dollar question, if she was dating anyone.  I so wanted to tell her that I had indeed went out on a date the night before but I didn't want mom latching onto the idea it was something more than what it was.  Hell, I didn't even know what it was at this time.  I knew I felt something for him but at the same time I wasn’t going to fall into the same pattern as I had with Evan.  Although since the breakup I came to realize that I had never loved Evan just the idea of leaving home.  I told mom that no I wasn't dating anyone because I had other plans for her life and at this point a relationship wouldn’t fit in those plans.  Mom just sighed and commented that someday she hoped her little girl would come around to see what she already knew.  The surprising phone call came that afternoon when Ray called me.  He wanted to follow up with the night before and make sure I was doing good.  I couldn’t help it. I just had to smile at that.  Then he said "I know I said I would see you at work but I just want to see you again before work.  Can I pick you up in about an hour and maybe we could go for a drive?"  At first, I was going to say no but then I remembered how nice it felt to be with him and what a gentleman he was so I agreed.  I now had one hours to get ready for a drive with Ray.  I wondered what I should wear and how "fancy" I should be.  I always wore makeup at work and did my hair.  Crap I was even dressed up last night as well when we went out.  I thought to myself he's never really seen me just be me.  Yes, I enjoyed doing those things you know "dolling myself up" as mom would put it.  But more often than not when I was just hanging for the day it was pony tails and no makeup.  Well, if things were going to go anywhere with Ray he might as well get to see me at my ugliest right.  That way if it was something he couldn't handle at least then I would know and wouldn't get too heartbroken.  I only hoped that my first impression of him was on spot because I really didn't trust my instincts any longer.  Not after the fiasco that was Evan and Mary.  They had taught me a good lesson that a person couldn't really trust many people.  I immediately went to my closet to pick out something to wear for our drive and settled on blue jeans and a cute pink shirt.  Mom didn't like the lighter colors that I chose and preferred her daughter to dress in black as much as possible.  "Honey, you are a little chunky and black is a slimming color."  That's what she would always say.  Granted I wasn't a size zero or small like that but I wasn't what people would call fat either.  I was a healthy size 10 with curves in the right places. I was learning to boost my confidence in the world with new and bolder things.  I jumped in the shower to get ready.  He would be here in less than an hour but given I wasn't dressing up that was plenty of time.

Ray’s POV

After I had dropped her off last night, I couldn’t help but think of spending more time with her.  I had the most restful nights sleep that I had ever had in a long time.  On the way home last night I had decided that I didn’t want to wait until work to see her again.  I also realized that if this was going to go anywhere with her, I needed to show her a side of me that I hadn’t shown to any other woman before.  With that thought I knew exactly what I needed to do I needed to take her to my thinking spot.  I truly believe that she out of everyone I have been with would appreciate it the beauty and sereness of that spot.  Other girls would have gone there and saw it as a make out spot and just ruined the beauty for me.  That’s why I had never taken anyone else there.  But I could see Lisa truly appreciating it.  The next morning, I woke up and tried to talk myself into being patient and giving her time to wake up.  Hell even on my days off I was up by no later than seven in the morning.  But I had to remind myself that I didn’t know how she did or didn’t sleep when she wasn’t at work.  Hell, I didn’t know to much about her outside of work and would love to get to know her more.  I wanted to run to the store and buy all the things for a nice little picnic but what if she turned me down?  Finally, around ten I got up the courage to give her a call and check on how she was doing.  I wanted to hear her voice which is why I called and didn’t send her a text message.  When she first answered she sounded frustrated.  But when she realized it was me her tone softened.  When I asked if she would like to go for a ride, I half expected her to say no because of how hard I had to work to get her to go out with me in the first place.  My heart leapt for joy when she said yes.  We agreed I would pick her up in about an hour.  Since I was already ready for the day and what I had in mind that gave me an hour to get to the store and get my items that I would need for the day.  I made a mental note to remember the carrots but little furry buddy at the lake wouldn’t be that happy with me if he didn’t get his carrot.

Lisa’s POV

When I got out of the shower I managed to get dressed quickly.  Then blow dry her my and put it in a ponytail.  Not quite liking the way I looked I plugged in the curling iron and dashed to my room for my lip gloss.  I figured I had just enough time to put a few curls in my bangs and add a little splash of color to my lips.  Technically I wasn’t really dressing up and the only thing I was doing different from my every day routine was putting some curl in my hair.  I found myself wanting to look somewhat nice for Ray.  But I also knew that the way he has always seen me dressed and made up was not the way I was every day.  I was so much more than the skimpy little outfit, curled hair and makeup that he saw me in at work.  I was more than the sexy little dress and decked to the nines that he saw me in last night.  If he was going to get to know me and anything about me then he needed to get to know the real me and not the person I showed to the outside world.  Of course, that wasn't going to fully happen just yet.  I would reveal myself a little at a time and let him digest each little bump before I proceeded further.  I really liked this guy and could envision a future with him.  However, after Evan broke my heart, I wasn't so sure I could ever trust anyone again.  How was I supposed to trust when I had been betrayed in the worse way?  My fiancé and my best friend.  Oddly enough though while that hurt me, I was also relieved.  At least I learned the lesson before I was in too much deeper with that whole situation.  Things could have been so much worse.

The doorbell roused me out of my musings and I slid some fingers through my hair.  Crap the curls were going to have to wait.  Actually, they wouldn't be happening at all.  I had spent too much time musing over Evan and Mary and the past to do much to my hair.  Oh well I guess that just meant that Ray was going to get the plain jane side of me.  If he couldn't handle it then I would know soon enough.  I hoped today would be a beginning and not an ending. It would all depend on him and his ability to accept my plain jane state.  It would also depend on what kind of gentleman he truly was on this drive of theirs.  I had vowed to myself to keep my virginity until my wedding night and I intended to keep it that way.  Evan repeatedly told me it was stupid and not how things worked this day in age but I was holding fast to my convictions.  I dabbed on a little more lip gloss, checked my reflection, grabbed my keys, purse, phone and jacket and headed for the door.  The doorbell peeled again and I opened the door just mere seconds after.  I greeted Ray and he just stared at me, making me nervous.  My heart dropped because he was just staring and not saying anything.  I just thought that it was a nice date last night and was too bad he couldn't see past all the glamour to get to know the real me.  I put a hand to my neck and started to apologize for not dressing up when he stopped me.  "You don't have anything to apologize for.  Your even more beautiful without all the glamour than you are with it."  He smiled a million-watt smile at me and then stuck out his arm and said "shall we go?"  I happily grabbed his arm and we walked towards his car.

When we got into the car, I noticed a picnic basket in the back seat.  He caught my glance and giggled. "I thought I would take you to one of my favorite spots so that we could get to know each other better."  Uh-oh I didn't like the sound of that.  However, the look on my face must have expressed what I was thinking because he quickly said "I just want to have a picnic lunch with you and talk.  I want you to get to know me as a person and not the playboy you think I am.  I'm hoping to talk and get to know a little more about you as well."  I relaxed at those words and got into the car.  Of course, he had opened the door for me and waited for me to be seated before closing it.  I sighed to myself what a gentleman he was being.  Was this guy too good to be true or was he just pulling out all the stops so that I would let my guard down and he could move in for the kill.  That seemed to be how guys operated now days.  Some of them were flat out snakes and despite a woman telling them no they would keep trying anyhow.  Evan kept telling me that I was a prude and that no guy would ever want a prude.  If that was how it was going to be then so be it.  I wanted to find a guy that would hold to some of the same values as I did and I hoped that maybe Ray would be that guy.

We drove for almost an hour until he came to a stop.  When I looked up from my musings, I was shocked to see that we were parked by the lake.  I smiled at him when I realized that the hour had went by and we hadn't talked at all.  He seemed to sense what I was thinking and gave me that million dollars smile once again.  "You looked really deep in thought and I didn't want to disrupt you.  Someday I hope that you will feel comfortable enough with me to share those thoughts."  I smiled at him weakly and said "I hope that happens someday as well.  I've just been hurt too much to really trust anyone."  He reached over and grabbed my hand then leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.  "It's ok I understand I have to pay penance for the jerk we met last night.  I will show you and prove to you that not all guys are like him. Now stay where you are so that I can get your door.  He jumped out of the driver’s seat and hurried around the car to where I was waiting.  When he opened the door, I smiled at him and said "you know you don't have to open the door for me I'm perfectly capable of getting it myself."  He looked at me seriously for a few seconds, shrugged his shoulders and said "but that's how a man treats a woman he hopes to someday marry."  Did he just say what I thought he said?  Seemed to me that maybe they were on the same thought process and it thrilled me to know that he wanted to treat me so special.  Even when Evan had asked me marry him, he didn't treat me like this.  This guy hadn't even asked hell they had only been on two dates including this one and he already treated me with such respect.  How could I have been so blind with Evan.  Poor Mary didn't know what kind of jerk she was really with.  Or maybe she didn't think she deserved any better than him.  No woman deserved a guy like him.  

We unloaded the car with the picnic supplies.  He let me carry the blanket to spread on the ground.  "Over here this is my favorite spot in the whole place."  I smiled and followed him asking why it was his favorite spot.  He just smiled back at me and said "just wait you will see."  When we got to the spot, he wanted to spread the blanket out at, I looked around.  I could see why it was his favorite spot.  It was so beautiful and so serene how could anyone not like this spot.  It was tucked underneath a huge shade tree overlooking the lake.  You could see the falls and the water perfectly.  Just then not too far from the shore a fish had broken through the surface catching a fly.  I smiled at that. Just then a little rabbit hopped by, paused and looked at us for a minute and then hopped over to Ray.  He chuckled to himself, bent down to the picnic basket and started talking to the rabbit.  "I know, I know here is your carrot have a good day little one."  Was this guy for real?  He thought to bring a carrot for the little rabbit?  I looked at his face and it was filled with genuine emotion.  "I always bring a bag of carrots and seeds for the wildlife here.  It's one of my favorite spots to just sit and think.  I thought it would be a great place to sit and talk.  I want to get to know you.  Lisa, I want to know what makes you the person that you are deep inside."