Chasing Nikki

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven 

    

    I pulled up in front of her small but well-kept home and jumped out of the truck to open her door.

    "Wow. I would've never pegged you as the gentlemanly type."

    "I'm full of surprises," I said as we walked up the sidewalk together. "If you stick with me a little longer, you might even find out some more."

    She paused on the porch. "We'll see." She smiled.

    "Be careful. That sort of sounded promising. I'm starting to think I might get you to go out with me again."

    "Hold that thought," she said, going into the house and leaving me standing there.

    She reappeared a minute later, carrying a large, clear, glass vase full of water with a plant sitting in the top of it.

    "This is for you." She handed it to me.

    "What is it?" I asked, completely perplexed with this gift.

    She laughed. "It's a betta fish. See." She pointed to the hanging roots.

    Sure enough, there was a turquoise and purple fish with long, wavy fins hiding in there.

    "It's pretty. Is it boy or a girl?"

    "The pretty ones are always male."

    "I guess that rules out naming it Nikki," I teased. "Not to seem ungrateful, but is there a reason why you're giving me this?" 

    She nodded. "There is actually."

    "Are you going to tell me?" I asked when she didn't carry on.

    "Keep both of them alive, and you can continue to date me." She looked up at me expectantly.

    "So is this a test? You're seeing how responsible I am?"

    She grinned. "Something like that, but I also thought you might enjoy it. They're fun to watch and talk to. I think there's something kind of soothing about it."

    "Ah. I get it. It's therapy." I suddenly wondered if she saw me as a mercy date—the kid with problems who needed fixing. I didn't care for that.

    "When my dad died, I went through a time when I felt as though I couldn't speak to anyone. It was hard for me to open up about things. We had a betta fish, and I started talking to it. It sounds silly, I know, but it helped me to air things out sometimes. I hope you won't think I'm trying to be intrusive. I thought I would share it, because it got me through a rough time."

    I quickly reassessed the situation. She was honestly trying to help, and I really did want to date her. If that meant taking care of a fish, then so be it.

    "Thank you. I know just where I'll put him in my bedroom." I smiled.

    "Oh, one more thing before you go." She ran inside and quickly returned. "I forgot to give you his food."

    "Yeah, it might help in the 'keeping alive' part." I set the vase and food down on the porch, before I stepped toward her. "I had fun today."

    She wrapped her arms around me, laying her head against my chest. 

    I hugged her back, closing my eyes, as I smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair.

    "I did too." She didn't let go right away, and we swayed together in a natural rhythm for a moment.