Uncomplicated 3.5: On one condition

     I get my cow. In actuality, it's on another lot immediately next to mine, but as far as the story goes, it's the same property.

     Thus far, the Maker is not impressed with the cow. She'd hoped I'd be able to do more with the milk I get, but she hasn't discovered anything interesting about it other than I can drink it. In retrospect, she wishes she hadn't have gotten the thing at all, but this has to be said here or it would be confusing why there's all of a sudden a cow in the background of the pictures.

     "Is now a good time?" I hear, startling me out of my wits, and I quickly scream, stand up, drop my book, and spin around to see who sneaked up on me like that.
     "Edward!" I yell and put my hand over my face to calm my nerves. Of course, it's Edward. I take a breath and bend down to pick up my book. Still working at composing myself, I wipe my face and ask, "Good time for what?"
     He smiles happily. I have no idea why. Is he happy he scared me like that? "To fix the flagstone and support beam, of course." He sees my still-aggravated expression. "You said I could come by any time."
     I take a deep breath and look down while waving him away. "Fine, fine. Have at it."
     "Okay," he says merrily.
     I can't sit still anymore, so I work on watering my rare plants. They require more water than the other ones.

     Edward really does a nice job. He swaps the position of the hamper and washer, turning the hamper to the side for routing purposes.
     "Bonnie might like that fence behind the shower," I say after he brings me over to see what he did.
     He turns his head to look at me. "I was thinking that perhaps a bit more privacy would be better."
     I NEED to discuss with him me purchasing this property, but how do I broach the subject? I ponder how to start the conversation I've thus far failed to initiate while Edward walks over and turns on my little radio. A light jazzy song croons from the speaker.
     "Edward, I need to talk to you about something," I say and bite my lip. What if he doesn't want to sell his little pet-project?
     "On one condition," he says, not what I was expecting to hear.
     "What?" What could possibly be a condition for a conversation?
     He walks over to me to stand right in front of me, possibly a little too close.

     "Dance with me while doing it," he quickly answers, takes one of my hands, and wraps his other arm around me before I can back away.
     I stand firmly planted in my spot, shocked. Somehow, I find my voice. "I have to dance with you to talk to you about something?"
     He lightly sways back and forth, only moving my arms. "Well, I don't suppose you have to, but I'd really like it if you would." His voice speaks very close to my ear, and I can smell his aftershave or whatever it is. It's nice. The tips of his fingers lightly brush the bare skin of my back.
     He pushes my right hand back, and I have to take a step backwards to keep my balance. He follows me, managing to get me to move again, and before I know it, we're dancing on the grass in my yard to Embraceable You.
     But, it's not really MY yard...

     "I believe you wanted to discuss something," he reminds me, again speaking into my ear, and the sound of his voice makes my insides clench up. Other than reminding me just now, he doesn't act impatient for me to speak, simply enjoying our dancing.
     "Yes, but I'm still wondering why you want to dance with me," I state. This must look absolutely ridiculous, only two people dancing in the yard to a tiny radio in the middle of the day.
     "Because I like dancing with you," he answers simply. His arm on my back wraps around my waist, his fingertips grasping the other side of it. The close way our bodies now touch makes it almost impossible to dance properly, and I fidget. He takes the hint and goes back to a more relaxed hold.
     "We've only danced once before," I say as I recall my parents' wedding, "and not like this." I stare at the lapel on his jacket, again wondering why he wants to dance like this.
     He acts like he understands that my statement was pretty much a question, and he goes about answering it. "Well, I liked it then, situation aside, and I thought I might like this even more. I was right; I do." His cheek rests very near mine. The smallest turn of his head, and he could kiss me. He whispers, "What did you want to talk about?" Our dancing slows so that we're hardly moving now, and he tilts his head down. I can feel his breath on my shoulder.
      If I don't do something quick, he will kiss me. After my escape to my mother's the last time he was here, I wondered if Edward was attracted to me. I think he is.
      He turns his head, and his lips hover near mine. 'Talk, Anastasia!'
      "I want to buy this land," I blurt out. Plum! I wanted to do it so much smoother than that! I panicked.
      That breaks the spell, and he stops completely. "What?" he breathes. The song switches, but we're too far away for me to be able to tell what the new song is.
      I look at the grass. "This place. I want to buy it from you."
      "But... But this... This was... Why?" he finally asks, sounding hurt.
       My eyes meet his crystal blue ones. "Because it's wonderful, and I want to own it."
       "You can't...just...rent it?" he asks carefully, a billion different emotions playing behind his eyes.
       I shake my head no, and I'm unable to understand why he looks so hurt that I don't want to rent the property anymore. Not liking the pain I see in his eyes, I think of another solution. "Perhaps I could rent to own?"
       He exhales slowly, closing his eyes. "I'll see what I can have drawn up and get back to you."
       Why does he look like someone died? "Thank you," I say quietly.

     I'd forgotten he still had my hand until he pulls it up and kisses it. His lips linger, and he closes his eyes for several seconds while I stand here with my jaw dropped.
     His eyes stay on my hand as he says in a defeated way, "All right. I'll see what I can do." He gives me back my hand before turning and walking to the road, not once looking me in the eyes.

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