"You're warm, right?" Lindsey was still sitting in the drivers seat, a cup of coffee in one of his hands as he stared over at her with the softest grin.
They had driven for just a little while, but on their journey, they stopped off at her favorite little bakery to get something warm to drink and a little pastry... Stevie knew the best spots on the island and he was more than willing to follow along, which really surprised her.
She nodded lightly, head on the rest as she began to shift in the seat to get more comfortable. "I am, are you?" She wondered, eyes scanning over his handsome face as she brought her foam cup up to her lips to take a sip.
It was cold down by the water- windy and brisk, so instead of getting out and walking the shoreline, Stevie suggested that they just watch the waves crash from the car... She just liked being in his presence and even though he was still nothing short of a stranger, it was incredibly comfortable.
"Yeah," he chuckled softly, using his free hand to reach into the backseat and bring up a hoodie that he'd tossed back there earlier in the day. "You can use this though if you do get cold." He assured, setting it on the center console before he got comfortable in his seat once more.
She didn't mean to blush, but she did. "Thank you, Lindsey." She had lied before- she was a little chilly, so she carefully covered her legs with the sweater.
Chuckling softly, he leaned forward to crank up the heat a little more. "So..." he lingered for a moment, eyes traveling back to the water. "How long have you been married?" Lindsey didn't say that in the sense of trying to pry, but instead out of curiosity... "And we don't have to talk about it if you don't-"
"It'll be twenty- five years in February." She cut off his nervous rambling, not wanting him to feel like he had to make up an excuse for asking... She hadn't hinted at being married up until that afternoon when she forgot to take her ring off, so she understood why he was wondering. "But it's been rocky for the last six or seven years, that's why I'm here and he's not." She admitted with a gentle shrug of her shoulders as her eyes fell down to her left hand, where she had began to twist that old ring around her finger.
She didn't talk about it often, not with anyone, but especially not with random people that she'd only met a couple of days earlier... She liked to be private, but something about Lindsey made it feel easier to be honest.
Letting out a soft sigh, he looked back over at her. "I didn't mean to be pushy or-"
"You're not being pushy, Lindsey." She playfully nudged his arm, letting out a soft giggle. "It's okay to ask...." She assured, even though her heart was beginning to beat a little bit faster. "After all, I am sitting in your car, wrapped in your hoodie, and we've already spent the night together." She teased, trying to lighten the mood as much as possible.
Cracking another little smirk, he nodded in agreement. "You're cute." He didn't mean to say that out loud, but it slipped and he immediately bit down on his tongue.
Sucking in her lower lip, Stevie tried to keep a straight face but she ended up letting out another loud laugh.
"I mean," he shrugged lightly, shaking his head a tad. "You are, but I probably shouldn't have said that." He added, bringing his cup up to take a drink as he arched a brow playfully.
"Well," she paused for a second, scanning over his soft facial features before she replied. "I think you're cute too." She was flushed by then- her cheeks had grown warm and butterflies had formed in the very pit of her tummy.
It had been a long time since she'd felt so gentle, so drawn to someone. Stevie suddenly didn't feel like she was forty- seven, but instead like a twenty- two year old, trying to flirt, but not sure how... She felt young.
Lindsey laughed softly, head falling back against the seat. "Your husband must be crazy." He knew that wasn't his place to comment about that sort of thing, but he couldn't help himself... He was being honest.
She grew quiet for a split second, but not long enough to let him think that he'd said something wrong. "Have you been married?" She wondered, voice still holding that soft, yet raspy tone.
"I was," he didn't hesitate to tell her and not because he wanted to talk about it, but because he wanted to be open with her as well.
"So you know that marriage isn't easy," that wasn't a question, that was a statement. "And I assume that divorce isn't easy either, so we've stayed comfortable." Stevie admitted, feeling a tiny hint of emotion creep in but not nearly as much as you'd thing. "We didn't get married for the right reasons to begin with and because of that, we've paid the consequences." She added, rolling her eyes lightly at herself, more than anything else.
She didn't really talk about it, so to tell someone that actually seemed to care was a sigh of relief... And she was well aware of that fact that Lindsey could just be listening to humor her, but in the moment, it didn't really matter.
"I understand that." Lindsey didn't want her to feel like she was the only one that had to be a little bit vulnerable. "I got married, because my wife was pregnant." His lips turn up into a grin, shaking his head in disbelief, even though it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him.
He didn't want to tell Stevie that his wife had given him the most incredible twenty years... Didn't seem necessary, not when she was in the middle of telling him about her unusual circumstances.
She let out a dry giggle and then a deep sigh. "That happens, huh?"
"It sure does." He smirked in a joking manner. "So you just moved out here, away from everyone else?" Lindsey was very intrigued with her and it wasn't just because she was the most stunning woman he'd ever met...
Nodding her head lightly, she bit down on her bottom lip. "My husband started working crazy hours, taking a lot of trips for his business and the kids moved out to be in their own." She held up a hand, waving it off even though it did make her feel a little bit sad... It was always hard to see one chapter draw to an end. "So I came here, where I felt needed." She mentioned, even though it was a little embarrassing.
No one ever wants to admit they had a failed marriage and even though she was still technically married, it was no where near traditional.
"But enough of that," Stevie shook her head softly, another little giggle filling the air around them as she grew slightly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry." She added.
She shouldn't have told him all of that, it was too much and she knew that instantly.
Lindsey grew quiet for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Don't be sorry," he didn't want her to feel bad, not in the slightest and he could tell that she did. "If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked and I am more interested in you than I have been in anyone in a really long time."
