Summer's Spell

Chapter 10 - Trapped

It was a magnificent moonlit night in Lake Palestine. Snow covered the trees and the roof tops. The night was clear. The stars were bright, and Sheldon was full of anticipation. He stood in front of the mirror straightening his tie. A bright sparkling diamond lie hidden inside his coat pocket.

These past few months had been a whirlwind. Sheldon struggled through his pre-licensing real estate classes, but managed to pass his state exam and established himself with a brokerage firm.

For professional purposes, he knew he had to free himself from his father's shadow, so he replaced his last name with his middle name. "Don Raymond," it has a nice ring to it, he thought.

Don Raymond would make a fine husband for Victoria. She had recently transformed herself into everything he had ever wanted. Always there for him, she listened patiently, she ran errands, she cooked,she cleaned, she fixed all that was broken.

Victoria had also proven to be an excellent employee for Merrick PM. She caught on to the basics of the trade rather quickly. Soon her skills included everything from cleaning a bathroom, to changing a door lock, to snaking a toilet. Quite a change considering she had previously never worked a day in her life.

Still, he was normally not one to settle down, but the idea of Victoria unattached in the male dominated field of maintenance technology made him nervous. Besides, she was getting impatient, dropping hints and flipping through bride magazines. As long as he could hold off on the babies, it would be okay.

He glanced at his watch. Dinner reservations were at 7. He mustn't be late. Nothing was going to spoil this night.

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"Table for 2 please."

"Oh, could we please have this table by the fireplace?" Victoria asked, still shivering from the cold.

The waiter seated them at a cozy table just inches away from the fireplace. Victoria stood up and warmed her hands by the fire. The logs crackled as the warm air generated heat throughout her body. She took a deep breath, relaxed and returned to her seat.

The waiter handed them a menu.

"What would you like to drink, madam?"

"Hot coffee. Please."

"Sir?"

"Club soda, please."

The room was filled with quiet conversation, soft piano music and the smell of Italian cuisine.

Victoria sipped her hot coffee. "I've just been so cold. All day long, hauling massive bags of salt pellets from one location to another, shoveling concrete steps, operating the snow blower through the cold wind. But, the weather forecast is calling for a warming trend."

Sheldon grinned. "You never cease to amaze me. The change in you in these last few months. Your drive, your determination, your zest for life." He took her hand. "I can see fire in your beautiful brown eyes."

"I owe it to you. After you left for the summer, I thought about what you said. Your words hurt, but you were right. I needed that push. I had to work on myself. I had to make that change. I had to get out in the work force, reach out to others, stop all the shopping sprees."

"Yes, and look at you now."

The waiter returned. "Excuse me, are you ready to order? You two look so happy, I don't mean to interrupt."