There was a window that was placed four floors up in an old brick home that had sat in same spot on the coast of Nantucket since the early 1900's. It was all brick on the outside, but draped in vintage dressings and victorian art pieces once you stepped through the double doors.
On one side of the old glass was the perfect scene of a small, quiet town that had grown incredibly still in the winter months and on the other side was a woman, sipping tea out of the finest china that had a pink floral pattern and a gold accent lining the rim.
She was at a small circle table, staring out the cream lace curtains as she watched the world begin again at the very crack of dawn.
It was cold- you didn't have to be outside to know that. The wind was blowing in off the ocean, there was a thin layer of ice on the outside world, the sun was just starting to rise and the morning commuters were in full swing on that Friday.
It was perfect and quiet, until of course, like every other day, the grandfather clock struck nine and the chirp rang through the room, causing the blonde flinch lightly.
Sighing softly, she placed her journal down on the wooden table top, finishing off her tea before she pushed herself out to stand.
She was already ready for the day... physically, not mentally, of course.
She was in a long, dark floral dress with a shawl draped over her shoulders, long hair in loose curls and makeup down in a soft, natural way.
She was elegant and so were her surroundings.
When she slipped out the door, she locked it behind her and then began to travel down the old, creaky wooden steps, heeled boots hitting the wood with a thud as she headed to the second floor of the Inn, where the sign had just been flipped from "Closed" to "Open" at the front desk.
"Good morning, Stevie." The young blonde that sat that same old counter every day, rain or shine, greeted her with a soft smile as she hit the bottom step.
The second floor was the main entrance, so old accent furniture was strategically placed, there was a spiral staircase, a shelf of books, Tiffany lamps on each stand, long runners lining the old hallway and a huge chandelier dangling over the room.
It was the perfect mix of antique and beautiful.
"Good morning, sweet pea." She wrapped her shawl around her arms a little more as leaned into the other side of the glass counter to fix her boot.
"Are you feeling better?" Marissa wondered in a gentle tone of voice as she watched the older woman readjust.
Nodding her head, Stevie let off a faint smile. "I'm feeling much better." She replied. "In fact, I'll be out towards the bakery you kids like so much, so I'll grab something special to thank you for all your extra help this week." Her palm met the glass gently, soft brown eyes scanning over the twenty year olds face as she watched it light up with excitement.
"You're the sweetest." That was exactly what Marissa needed to get her through a busy Friday morning rush of holiday travelers.
"I'll be back." Stevie waved lightly, taking her purse in one hand and her sunglasses in the other as she turned around on her heel.
"Stay warm," Marissa added as she took a seat.
Giggling softly, she glanced back just as she pushed open the heavy door... too focused on the other woman to worry about what, or who was on the other side. "Oh, my gosh!" She gasped lightly when she felt a thump, knowing instantly that she'd hit someone with it. "Oh, my gosh!" She repeated as her heart began to beat a mile a minute.
And when she slipped through the frame, stepping out into the chilly morning air, her eyes landed one a man, who was dusting off his jacket with a grin on his face.
"It's alright," he assured, holding up a hand lightly to silently promise her that he was okay.
Stevie's face was a deep shade of red by then, not only embarrassed for being so silly and not paying attention, but also because he was awfully cute... "I am so sorry." She shook her head, not at all impressed with herself as her eyes scanned him over to make sure that he wasn't just trying to make her feel better.
He was in a leather jacket, a pair of blue jeans with a guitar case in one hand and a duffel bag in the other... He wasn't like the usual patrons that the Inn saw. "Don't be sorry, it's okay." His blue eyes were gentle as he let out a light laugh. "Accidents happen." He added with a little shrug of his shoulders, trying to assure her that it wasn't anything to stress about.
"I'm clumsy," she admitted, still clutching her shawl to her chest as a breeze came through and blew her blonde hair around.
She was stunning and he would have been crazy not to notice right away.
With a sly smile, he dropped one of his bags on the concrete step to hold out his hand to her. "Hi, Clumsy." He teased. "I'm Lindsey...." He was smooth.
The laugh that escaped her was contagious, causing another grin to dance across his face. "I'm Stevie." She told him, shaking it lightly before she let go. "And I'll let you get inside, before I decide to trip you or something too." She teased right back, pulling the door open for him to carry his things inside.
"Thank you," he chuckled, backing into the Inn, so that he could still look at her as he spoke. "Will I see you around...?" He wondered, finding her to be incredibly enticing already.
Creasing a brow, she started to head down the steps to get to the busy sidewalk. "Probably not." She told him with a another little giggle. "But crazier things have happened."
