Summer's End - Bucky and Mel Universe 1

Saturday

Mel had a pretty excellent week. Things were looking up for her. James did text her to let her know he had to move their walk back to three. That was fine. He had gotten back into the country the night before. He wanted some time to decompress and recover before they went out. It was a beautiful day, even though it would rain later that evening.
Mel had picked out dark jeans, tan booties, a pink fuzzy v neck sweater and braided her hair on the side she had her scar on. She wore very light make up, just a little mascara and liner and lip gloss, she really didn't go all out. She also didn't know if this was going to be a date or a DATE. Play it safe, it is easier to ante up than down. I mean come on at 40 one is pretty set in her ways. She also understood, the older you got the fewer opportunities you had at finding the right one. Most men her age were either too much of Mr. Wrong or married. She learned long ago that if someone was willing to cheat on someone with you, they were also willing to cheat on you as well. She wasn't looking for something spectacular, she was just looking for a good guy.
Bucky, meanwhile, was very nervous. To say it has been awhile since he dated was an understatement. Online dating was a nightmare, and it wasn't like there were people at work willing to connect him with friends and families that they knew. He did have a good feeling about Mel. She made him curious to know more about her. He couldn't put his finger on it but he felt she was the most authentic person he had met in a long while. There was just something about her. Like the give and take at the farmer's market. Not willing to let a total stranger touch her, but let it stay open to discussion. He really wanted to know more about why she left. He did notice the scar, but it wasn't a big deal to him. If anything it added to her. Bucky did know that people were layers and sometimes the story behind how one got that scar might not be something she wanted to share at first. His mind hovered over not the why she was embarrassed, but the how it happened that concerned him. Her reaction, seemed to deal with something emotionally painful. He would let her open up about it when she was ready. Let her take the lead on that. There were things that he would let her take the lead on, yet there were other things he was a gentleman and would take the lead on.
The hardest part of the morning for Bucky was to decide what to wear. Black on black? Or black on black? He laughed to himself. He decided on jeans, black boots of course, a dark green almost black Henley, and a black leather jacket. Now the beard, the question of the day? Leave it on, trim it, take it off. Bucky decided to leave it on, just to groom it a bit. She knew him as James and wanted to stay in the persona of James. He decided he would open up to her eventually, if she figured out, he would come clean. He wasn't purposefully hiding anything from her. In the past, if women knew, they expected certain things or were over the top divas after wards. He got the feeling that Mel was none of these things.
When he got to the park, he found Mel sitting on a bench in the sun enjoying the sun. Her eyes were closed taking the sun in. Just ask James approached, she opened her eyes with a start and started laughing.
"Sorry, I must have looked like a complete goof," Mel said.
"Don't be you looked like an angel." James complimented her and noticed her eyes turned downwards and she blushed. It seemed she didn't get complements a great deal. This was something he was going to have to change.
"Just enjoying the last bits of sun before winter comes."
"You don't like winter?" He asked.
"Just the cold, it makes things feel lonely. I do love the quite that happens when it snows. The beginning of the winter feels rushed, rushed, rushed. It's this time of year, I feel, that things slow down in nature and let you really notice them an appreciate them." She explained.
"Oh, I was worried you were one of those pumpkins spice girls, you know all it is really is nutmeg."
"Don't get me wrong, I do love a good pumpkin spice but there is just something about eating a Christmas cookie in the middle of July I cannot stomach." Her nose crinkled at the thought of it. What had changed so much in her demeanor, he wondered from her first meeting. Don't get him wrong, he like this, she was more out of her shell. The sun played with the loose strands that escaped her braid. While her hair was mostly brown, there were red highlights that were turning grey. Both the red and the grey caught in the sun and kept bringing his eyes back to her face. The deep green of her eyes pulled him in like home. He noticed she added mascara and eye liner, it made her eyes more vivid. She was beauty without the make up though. How he wanted to dwell in those eyes. He reached out his right hand and helped her up from the bench and brought her in for a hug. He didn't know if it was the right thing to do. He wanted to kiss her, but his mind said to wait. He inhaled deeply, that smell of ginger again.
Mel was a little surprised at the hug, but took it. It felt good, protective, yet it left her wanting more. Something she wasn't ready for yet said her heart. She felt is beard brush her cheek, soft, tickling her. It smelled of sandalwood. Real sandalwood, not something scented sandalwood. She could tell the difference. She intertwined her fingers with his and half turned to face him.
"So what is this surprise you have in store for me?" She asked.
"Well we have a bit of a walk, not far, however on the way you must tell me the story of how you went climbing in heels." James bounced back on his heels, smiling like a little boy.
"Oh, once upon at time..." she began.
"A fairy tale?"
"No all good stories start that way, do you want to hear or not?"
"Ok, ok, I will hush."
"Once upon at time, I grew up in an orphanage. I was adopted at an older age, 15. I had never knew anything outside of the orphanage and wore the uniform of the orphans' school. It's the one at St. Mark's I sent that boy to the other day." Mel began, "When I was adopted, my adoptive mother took me on a shopping spree. I had never worn heels before and she always wore them. She bought me several different types of shoes, but wore the heels for almost everything, even normal every day things. She was very graceful. There was a trip some school kids from the new high school invited me on, they said it was for one place instead it ended up being somewhere else, the mountains. I was already dressed in the heels, so instead of moping around, I went to it. Nearly twisted my ankle several times, ended up with several blisters the next day. Did it all with a smile on my face. I was never picked on again after that. I didn't grow any taller, so it made me about average height anyway."
"That was what probably got to them the most, was not complaining and doing it with a smile on your face." James said.
"The really pointy toes got into those crevices well though." She said looking into the distance. "I think I still have those shoes in a box somewhere, they are probably falling apart from dry rot, I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of them."
"So I arranged for us to have a behind the scene look at MOMA, there is a selection of WWII art that is not on display. It hasn't ever been on display due to the fragility of it. I thought you would like an up close and personal tour. A friend of mine works there and he will guide us."
Her eyes found his stormy sea colored ones, there was a smile in those eyes and hope. She was excited to see the art, but really excited that they would both be receiving the tour and not just her looking. He told her the story of how he and his friend had met in the service, it was edited considerably so that she would not have know who James really was. He had also told Dustin to leave out how they had met specifically so that the relationship could evolve naturally. He wondered for a moment if that is something he would have to do for long. "So you know about the items brought back from WWI from the Nazi's?"
"Yes, so much was lost. There is still a great deal they are looking for, lots in private collections of criminals."
"My friend Dustin is repairing a piece, I thought you'd like to see everything behind the scenes before it is presented for the public."
She stopped dead in her tracks, " I would love to, this honestly is a real treat for me."
"Dusty is a little old and hard of hearing, so be patient with him, ok?"
"No problem," it was apparent in her body how excited she was.  Her body was positively giddy.  She looked younger than she actually was but her face took on a childlike excitement at Christmas.
As they walked they talked about the things they saw in some of the shop windows to pass the time.  There was a man, homeless, very old, sleeping on the sidewalk by a building's doorway.  James switched Mel to his other hand away from him.  He noticed she didn't react to the cool metal of his hand.  Most would have at least looked at his hand and started asking questions.  They would need to pass by, him on their way back.  He would put some cash into his  cup.  Mel looked at the man with sadness in her heart.  It was appeared on her face, he noticed it was fleeting, but could see the gears moving in her head.  Nothing odd or wrong, just some minor plotting.  When they reached the museum, they went in a side entrance to meet Dustin.