The Heart Wants What It Wants

3

They chatted during the drive across the city to his place about various topics, namely about her job and his lack of one.  

Apparently, he didn't have to work due to his inheritance and his financial sensibility with his trust.  Though she had an inheritance as well, it wasn't the kind that meant she never had to work again.  Not even close.

She hadn't even bought herself a place.  Instead, she was content to continue renting her apartment until she figured out what she wanted to do with her future.  Her money remained untouched and ready for when she was ready to move on with her life somehow.

Apparently money didn't always buy happiness.  He seemed melancholy instead of content, as though he were drifting through life even more aimlessly than she was.

As he pulled in behind another car and parallel parked in front of a long row of white-looking townhomes, she felt as though someone like him wouldn't want to spend time in an old, tiny apartment like hers.  An overwhelming feeling of being out of place washed over her as she looked at the endless tall stone sets of stairs leading up to each of the townhouse doors with a second floor above that as well.

She waited for him to come around and open her door, knowing he'd prefer it that way, and tried to not let his circumstances make her feel any more awkward than she already felt.  When she stepped out and he closed her door, he seemed oblivious to her discomfort.

"The walls are pretty thick so we don't have to keep the tv down.  Most everyone is out somewhere anyways or we'd have been walking instead of finding a parking spot this close."

He led her up the steps and unlocked the door.  Flipping on a light just inside, he stepped back and waited for her to enter.

He took her coat and hung it on a rack nearby with his own coats and jackets before kicking his shoes off.  She did the same and cringed when she realized she had on her usual mismatched fun socks.  One had purple and pink stripes and the other sock had purple hearts on a navy background.  

Might as well let him have a good chuckle at it, she thought as she followed him into the kitchen. 

She watched as he took two small glasses from a cabinet and set them on the counter, and tried not to notice how modern and nice his place was compared to hers. 

"I have whisky, whisky, and whisky.  I hope that's okay."

"Whisky's fine."

He reached for a black-labeled bottle and unscrewed the cap.

"I'm sure this isn't what you're used to drinking.  I'm guessing you're a wine person?"

"I'm not really much of a drinker, but my father used to keep Scotch on hand at all times.  I've had my share of some Scotch neats before."

"I drink mine neat too."  He seemed pleasantly surprised to hear of her taste in liquor.  "Ice waters it down and I don't like that."

"Same."

They shared a smile with each other, finding more and more things they had in common as time passed.

After putting the pizza box in the fridge and the whisky bottle back with the others, he carried both of their glasses into the living area as she followed behind, having a look at him from a different viewpoint as they walked.  She liked what she saw.

"You said you were going to watch Pride and Prejudice tonight.  I'm sure I can find it.  I read the book years ago but never watched a screen adaptation of it."

"I prefer the Matthew Macfayden version if you can find it."

"I have no idea who that is but you can show me."