Offices and Orchards (A New Adult Sweet Romance)

Chapter 13

Sunday morning sun dripped into the bedroom, throwing light into Autumn's still sleepy eyes. You're in trouble. She let the air out of her lungs slowly. You can definitely say that you're a little bit fond of Harvey McIntosh.
Three days. How could it have only been three days? Thursday night at The Cabin, Friday at Park Bar, and then yesterday at Truffles, Harvey's house, the orchard, Oktoberfest and the cupcake café. What was my favourite part of the last few days? All of it. so unexpected, so spontaneous, just how I used to be. And it didn't even involve the beach, the sea or swimming or even a single ice cream. I had fun. And I didn't even think of work once.
She pulled a pillow over her face, hiding the smile from the sunbeams.

Unbeknownst to Autumn, Harvey awoke similarly, with sunshine and a smile on his face. You've been smiling a lot in these last three days, man. What happened to the old Macintosh and Barnett? like two new people.

The day really had ended just as nicely as it had started. Nicer even. They had stayed at the cafe until it closed, talking and sharing stories. Autumn had told Harvey more about her travels, and Harvey had told her about his up-bringing and family and of course, apples. They had walked back to her home from the coffee shop, and they had shared a hug goodnight. As Harvey had put his arms around her, he had thought to himself, I could really get used to this.

She replayed some of the conversation in her mind. Such as when he had recounted his first solitary picking outing:
"It was great, I was sent out on an ATV pulling a small trailer with crates, which I would fill as I went. Sometimes, I'd get to pick into the larger bins, sometimes up to twenty bushels, which would require me to wear a picking bag. I remember that, I would sometimes get up at 3 am on a Saturday, and travel with my Uncle to the farmers market in Harvest Hills or other places along Lake Golden. We'd sell pecks and half pecks, fresh pressed cider, and hand-out business cards for the shop."
"bushel and peck?"
"And a hug around the neck, you betcha,"
"I literally have no idea what that means,"
"Well, Autumn, a hug is when two people ...."
He had worked as a picker in high school, and recalled 'graduating' to one of the larger orchard plots, where he had picked with a crew of people, some of whom he was still friends with today. As a freshman, he'd worked the orchards during the holidays, and come home on the weekends during harvest in September and October, which did not help him feeling at home in the city since he was largely absent during the first two months of semester. "I wouldn't change anything, because after spending all week in class, feeling the crisp air of a late autumn afternoon on my face was the best feeling. I'd climb a sixteen foot wooden ladder to the top of a tree and get to look around at the surrounding valleys, bluffs and lakes, just covered in their fall blanket of oranges, reds, yellows, golds. You saw the start of it today." He'd had a faint smile on his face as he spoke.
Autumn was struck with how happy talking about the orchard made him. When she vocalized this, he had just sighed and replied by asking if there was anywhere that makes you that happy Autumn? Wait, let me guess, the seaside?"
"An empty Maine beach in the very early morning, when the lobster boats are just heading out for the day." Her face went all dreamy as she spoke. "Sometimes I'd go out on the boats with my cousins. We'd get back to the beach and just spend the rest of the afternoon playing in the water and on the sand. And then have lobster for dinner."
The whole thing was just a wonder to behold: all of McIntosh's confidence and passion with none of the condescension or rudeness, and a pretty stress-free, relaxed, rather out-going and fun, even a little flirtatious, Autumn.
Reflecting back on the day from her bed, Autumn felt she got a better snapshot of who he was, at least outside of work. Granted she knew that she was not completely at ease with him yet, because there were still some doubts that at any given moment, he'd change back into the know-it-all ego from work. But maybe there was something there. She hoped there was. She had had the best time. What was it anyway though? A budding friendship? Or more? Could Harvey really like me?