The Start Of Something New (WSSME Sequel)

Chapter 35

We get ready after a few minutes, checking out of the hotel and continuing our journey to the next location — Ed's lake house. "I want to take you out on a date tonight. A proper date," I say as we pass by a few restaurants.

"Oh?"

"We haven't been able to go out and dine without worrying if people we know might see us," I say. "I want to have a romantic dinner with you tonight, like in California."

She hums softly, glancing at me. "I would like that."

"And it's on me, you paid for the hotel last night."

"You're such a hard head... I thought you wanted to save money for your investment with Soph."

"But I want to treat my girlfriend, so let me," I say, earning a chuckle from her. "Please?"

"Ok, but only if you wear that dress I saw you pack," she says with a smirk. "The one that accents your pretty and unique eyes."

"You're never letting that go, now are you?" I groan, rolling my eyes.

"Nope."

We stop at a gas station, grabbing some snacks before continuing on our way. The road is clear and it's still early in the morning so there isn't much traffic which makes the ride relatively smooth. "How far is it?" I ask, peeking at the map on the car's GPS, no longer being able to hide my excitement.

"About 3 hours," she says. "We should get there before noon, don't worry."

The scenery changes as we continue to drive, the tall mountains and wide valleys making way for more flat lands and trees — the sky is clear, not a single cloud in sight. It feels like we're driving through a postcard.

"I can't wait to see it," I say, leaning back in my seat.

"I've noticed, you've been fiddling in your seat for the past hour," she chuckles, reaching for my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm excited too."

As we near our destination, the houses become fewer and farther between — the view now consisting of nothing but dry grass as we make our way down a dirt path. We stop in front of a large wooden gate, the number '237' printed on the side. "We're here," she says, unbuckling her seatbelt.

I look up at the house, my eyes wide open as I take in the sight in front of me — it's big. Not mansion big but for a lake cabin in the middle of nowhere, it's pretty damn big. "This is amazing."

"Let's go in," she says, getting out of the car and opening the trunk. I follow her lead, helping her with the bags as we make our way to the door. "It must be quite dusty inside, I don't think Ed has been here for years."

"It shouldn't be that bad."

"I hope so or else we'll be spending a good part of our 2 day stay just cleaning it," she says, taking a key from her pocket and unlocking the door. We walk inside, the smell of wood and dust filling our nostrils. The house is dark and cold, the furniture covered in white sheets. "This is going to take some time."

"I'll start with the living room," I say, putting our bags down and walking towards the fireplace. "We should try to light it up later."

"That's a good idea," she nods. "I'll check the water and electricity," she says, leaving me alone in the living room.

It takes us a few hours to clean up the living room and the kitchen, the dust covering almost every surface. "This was exhausting," I whine, flopping down on the couch. "But it's starting to look like a house."

She chuckles, sitting next to me and wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "It's not too bad, once we're done we can just relax, we can have our dinner date tomorrow."