The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The Beautiful Sunset

Jen had spent several hours earlier in the day sorting through her substantial closet, firstly for something to do, but mostly because she wanted to find the perfect thing to wear for her date tonight. Her date with David. She had butterflies in her stomach and they had been fluttering around in there since the moment she had got out of bed this morning. She had allowed herself a pretty leisurely wake up since she had struggled to switch off her brain until the very early hours of the morning, thinking and thinking and thinking some more about all the things David had said to her, and about everything she knew she had to tell him.

She had planned her dinner, carbonara, her go to favourite treat meal to cook, and she had set ready the table outside to eat at.  It had been a gloriously sunny day and the temperatures had been higher than average so she had finally decided on a thin strapped, close fitting black top, which was decorated with a delicate white floral print, and cut low into her chest. She was wearing one of her favourite pairs of jeans and had opted for comfortable flip flops rather than heels since she was not actually leaving the safe confines of her own home.  She had just opened a bottle of her favourite white wine and poured a large glass, when she realised it was already 6.04pm. She grabbed her laptop from the kitchen counter and quickly opened up Zoom, keying in the codes that David had sent her a few hours earlier.

"Sorry! Sorry, I know, I'm late!" she began as his face appeared on the other screen. He looked pretty handsome she thought, in a smart black, collarless shirt, the top couple of buttons undone. His hair was freshly styled and she could tell he had really made an effort for her which she very much appreciated. "You look very dashing" she said, a huge smile on her face.

"Jen, I can't hear you, you're on mute" she heard him say.

"Oh fuck!" She leaned over and hit the microphone button on screen. "Is that better now?"

"That's better! I can hear you now. Hi!" he replied, "You look gorgeous, and may I say, thanks for having to do that because I just got an awesome close up of your cleavage!"

"Schwimmer!"

"Sorry, well no actually I'm not sorry at all" he laughed with a wink. "So, how's your dinner, ready to eat or are you still cooking?"

"It's almost done, just needs a couple more moments and then it'll be ready. How about you?"

"Yes, mine is all done, I just need to serve and then sit."

"Okay, well you serve yours and give me just a second......." Jen turned her back to him as she gave the pot a few more vigorous stirs and then ladled a small portion of pasta into a bowl. She disappeared from view as she went to place it on the table before returning to collect him. "Walk this way sir" she giggled as she led him through the kitchen and out on to the vast terrace where her meal was ready and waiting. "So, I thought if I sat you here like this......" she placed the laptop next to her so that he could see her semi side profile, but also out over the valley and distant hills, "..... then you get to enjoy what looks like will be a beautiful sunset with me while we eat."

"I love that idea" David smiled, as he settled himself down at the dimly lit table he had arranged with his steaming bowl of pasta, a glass of red wine and a beautiful vase of white roses in pride of place where Jen could see them. "Watching sunsets together with you was always one of the best times of my day."

Jen turned her head and smiled a warm, genuine smile at him. "It was always my favourite time of the day too. We must have done it a hundred times and yet every time it still felt special. I always felt safe and calm when we would just sit and talk about nothing in particular and enjoy the beauty of nature. Gorgeous flowers by the way" she added, noticing the roses on the table, beautifully arranged and illuminated by flickering candlelight.