Malibu Love Story: A Novella

Chapter 10: A Date

Their days fell into a routine of sorts, where they'd meet for coffee in the kitchen, have a quiet breakfast together on the deck, then retire to their respective rooms to perform their morning ablutions.

Then, around 10 o'clock, they'd meet in Duncan's office to work and spend a pleasant four to five hours in companionable silence, Reed at the desk, Duncan on the sofa.

"Hey," Reed said one breezy day. "I just realized you've been sitting there for a whole lotta days without complaining about being blocked! Does this mean you're over it?"

Duncan grinned at her. "The tap's open, I guess," he agreed. "I'm already well into writing my second song, thanks to you."

"Me?" Reed laughed. "I didn't do anything, just set a schedule."

"But it's helped immeasurably," Duncan insisted. What he didn't tell her was that the first song was actually about her, and the second one was shaping up that way as well. At first, he hadn't realized it, but when he played back his work one day, the line, "Seeing you in my T-shirt gets me high," had jumped out at him, and he saw that the entire song was about Reed; Reed sipping coffee while leaning on the granite island in the kitchen, Reed wandering the beach looking for shells, which she loved, Reed laughing at something they were watching.

Now he looked at her as she stopped typing to make a note on a legal pad which she kept next to her laptop.

"Were you seeing anyone in particular back in Florida? Before you came here, I mean? Anyone waiting for you back there?" His questions surprised him. He'd never known anyone so disinclined to talk about herself as Reed, but he tried to respect her boundaries, always.

Reed blinked at him. She shook her head. "No. I dated a little in college, but nothing really since, too busy working, I suppose."

Duncan nodded.

"Guys weren't exactly waiting in line to date me," she said with a small smile.

"What does that mean?" Duncan put his guitar aside. "You're perfectly lovely, I've told you."

Reed sighed. "Forget it, you're right, I shouldn't keep harping on it," she finally said. "Never mind."

Duncan shook his head and picked his guitar up again.

Since that first kiss, they'd been affectionate, lots of hugging and kisses to the temple at bedtime, but nothing else. Reed wondered if Duncan regretted it, or had simply forgotten about it? A person like him, who had women throwing themselves at him on a regular basis, probably kissed lots of women.

Though, as far as she knew, he hadn't been with anyone since she'd come to live with him. He never went out, except to jog along the beach, and seemed perfectly content with no one's company but Reed's.

"Would you like to go out? To eat or something?" Duncan asked, pencil poised over his notebook.

Reed was shocked. Had he read her mind?

Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because he hurried to explain.

"I was just thinking that you haven't been anywhere since you came, except to pop out for cream for your coffee when we run low, and that's just to the little market up the road."

"It's fine. I never was one for going out."

"No, let's do it. Let's go out for a bite to eat. We've been working our arses off, we deserve a night out." Duncan was smiling as he spoke.

"But won't you get recognized?"

Duncan shrugged. "So? Usually if I'm in a nice place, people leave me alone."