Zeke and Chris left one day to get some lumber. I’m not sure why but he told Zoe all about it. I figured they had some project they wanted to do to keep them busy.
CHAPTER 5
ZOE
It was Sunday, March 31st. Spring was upon us. The orange blossoms in the groves next to us were in full bloom and letting off the sweetest fragrance. Zeke and Chris were off buying lumber and supplies to build a tree house. It was a good project for them because they needed something to do. They stated they wanted a lookout tower and a place to hide if we needed one. They’ve spent the last few weeks working out and drawing up plans. Zeke was into stuff like that, he was going to school to be an architect. He really became interested in that kind of thing when he went to college. That was also something he and his father did together often when he was a child. When Zeke was 8 his father assisted him in building a dog house for his dog ‘Master’. He’s always had a gift for building.
The guys returned with truck full’s of lumber and supplies. I’m not sure how large they wanted this structure to be but I was assuming it was going to be big. They had everything from nails down to pvc pipes. They were excited to start their new project and began immediately.
We watched over the next few weeks as they built the house. They chose the largest oak tree that was right next to the house as that tree was taller than even the house was. Zeke and Chris invited some friends over to help and everything was going smoothly. Bre spent her time in the library but she occasionally came out to check the progress of the project.
BREANNE
I was bored of reading and decided to check things out outside. The tree house was looking good! I couldn’t believe the talent these guys had. They had some new friends with them today and they all looked overheated since it was 85 degrees. I gathered up a large pitcher of iced tea and some cups and met the guys out there with it. And that is when I saw him. Brian Marks. He was about 5’10 from what I could tell, short light brown hair, sparkling blue eyes and flat out beautiful. His chest was cut, you could tell he worked out and he was as asymmetrical as you could get. Sweat dripped off of his forehead as his eyes met mine. It was like magic. I felt a wave of heat through my body and wondered where this angel came from. Is this what love at first sight is? My goodness he was hot!
He reciprocated my stare. Our eyes stayed locked for a very long minute. I suddenly realized what was happening, snapped myself out of my daze and gave him a shy smile. He smiled back and that embarrassed me so I quickly looked away. The men approached me for their drinks. I took the pitcher to the gazebo and began pouring glasses. Brian was the last to come.
“Hey, thanks for bringing drinks. I thought these guys were going to pass out,” he joked.
“N,n,n, no problem,” I stammered. I could have kicked myself at that point. Since when did I have a stuttering problem?
“The name’s Brian by the way. Brian Marks. What’s your name?”
Shyly I replied and then blushed, “Breanne Jacobs, but my friends call me Bre.” I thought I might have a heat stroke at that moment and I suddenly couldn’t feel my feet. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he grabbed his glass of tea. For a second our fingers met and an instant surge of electricity flowed through.
“It’s nice to meet you Breanne. I think it’s awesome that you have a safe house here. I think it is going to help a lot of people.” He took a quick look over my physique and then swiftly returned his eyes back into his head.
“It was actually Maria’s house but she recently passed. She left the house to me and Zeke and we are just fulfilling her last wishes.” Small talk wasn’t my forte but hey, we would have to start somewhere. He made me nervous when his amazing blue eyes stared deep into mine.
He stood there in the shade drinking his iced tea and I nervously fiddled with my hands. I think he noticed because he looked down at them and smiled.
“Well, I better get back to work. It was nice meeting you,” he repeated.
Whew! I was glad he walked away. Something about this guy turned me into a hot mess. I’ve never been that way around a guy before. What was happening to me? He walked away and I couldn’t help but notice every move he made as he walked back to the stack of wood. He turned to look back and caught me looking at him. I quickly turned red and then forced myself to look away.
I stayed outside and watched them build for a while but mostly out of interest for Brian. There was something different about him. He didn’t seem like the typical man. The guys were telling dirty jokes and he walked away instead of participating. He was really respectful and kind. I could tell by his actions that he was a gentleman. But then again, I could just be imagining it. Time would only tell and I didn’t know if this mysterious mister would be returning to the manor.
The next morning came and I took an extra long time primping. I kept telling myself that it wasn’t because Brian might come back but deep down that was why I was doing it. I curled my hair at the ends and put on a little more makeup than usual. I slipped on my long sleeve royal purple shirt and some skinny jeans. I finished it off with my two inch heeled boots. I threw on a pair of hoop earrings and completed my ensemble.
Chris came to the breakfast table and sat there kind of stunned.
“Wow! What are you all dressed up for?”
“I just haven’t taken an interest in how I look since we moved here but I felt like looking nice today,” I lied.
“Sure,” was all Chris replied.
We ate our breakfast in peace and then I grabbed my Breaking Dawn book and settled outside in the swing by the gazebo. A warm breeze touched my shoulders and I shuddered.
I secretly hoped Brian would show up and I couldn’t stay focused on what I was reading, so I sat there and pretended the best I could. An hour later they finally showed up.
Brian was wearing a navy blue sleeveless shirt that hugged his amazing figure. I couldn’t stop staring. As I watched him, he approached me and asked what I was reading.
“Oh, it’s just Twilight, Breaking dawn.”
“I see… You are one of them,” he teased. His hair blew in the wind and I caught the scent of his Axe shampoo. He smelled amazing.
“One of what?” I asked or demanded; Not sure which it was.
“A Twihard. That’s ok, I’ve never told anyone but I’ve read the books like 3 times. Keep that between us, ok?” He gushed and then winked. I could have melted into a puddle right then and there. He walked away after that and began gathering nails and planks.
I stayed out there until lunch and went in to ask cook if he would serve lunch outside. It was a great idea if I wanted to talk to Brian again. I didn’t know what it was but something about him drew me in. He wasn’t just good looking, he was charming too.
Cook served cold ham sandwiches with swiss cheese on rye, and a side of potato salad for lunch. We gathered around the gazebo and ate. Well, it was more like devouring for the guys.
After lunch the guys went under the big oak tree to rest. Everyone left the gazebo except for Brian. I was beginning to think he was interested in me too. He sat against the far corner and looked at me expectantly.
“So, what’s your story? How did you end up at the safe house?” He asked.
“Maria thought we weren’t safe at our apartment and asked us to come and stay with her here. This house is gorgeous and I couldn’t turn it down,” I shyly replied.
“You know I wanted to tell you that I could stay and help as long as you needed me too. Chris mentioned building more than one tree house. I don’t have anything better to do after all,” he said.
“We could definitely use the help. We would all appreciate it.” I blushed and then looked down at my hands. I didn’t realize until then that I was squeezing my hands into balls and was losing the circulation in the tips of my fingers. I was a wreck. No man has ever had this kind of hold on me. That probably explain
ed my lack of dating history. Plenty of men have approached me in my lifetime but none of them ever caught my interest. The few I did take a chance on only wanted me for my body and I wasn’t the type to give it up easily.
“I can’t really work right now because my dad closed the business down until everything gets settled in the world so I have nothing but time. I plan to help until it’s done. I need something to do. I feel all cooped up at home,” he continued.
“Well if you want you could stay here. We have lots of room here. I mean, if you want to,” I blurted out. I could have kicked myself for coming on so strongly. “All of you could stay if you wanted to. There is plenty of room here,” I added. I didn’t want him to think I was partial to him and extended the invitation to everyone.
“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he replied. “Are you sure we won’t be imposing?”
“I just gotta call the house together for a quick meeting but I don’t think they will care since you are helping us out and all.”
I called a meeting together and no one was opposed. Brian and the others would be moving in temporarily. I couldn’t believe it. When did I get so bold?
I approached Brian with a large glass of iced tea and told him it was a green light. He said he would be moving in the next day and told me how grateful he was that we would take him in like that. I told him I was just thankful that he would help with our project.
Dinner was served in the gazebo as well. I tried to keep my distance because I didn’t want to seem pushy. He approached me this time and we chatted about a bunch of nothing until 8pm. It was nice getting to know him and his personality. He was really funny and I loved that about him. He kept me on the edge of my seat. He was totally unpredictable. He is one of those people that you can’t tell if he is starting a joke or telling the truth until you get the punch line. We finished dinner and he told me he would be at the house at 7am with his stuff, and I promised him a tour of the grounds.
I went to bed that night giddy and not being able to sleep. I couldn’t help but to think about him and I was super excited he would be moving in. I would get plenty of a chance to get to know him this way. I hoped he wasn’t a disappointment and that he was as he seemed.
Some time along the night that never seemed to end, I fell asleep. I woke up at a quarter to 5 and couldn’t go back to sleep so I got out of bed and hopped right into the shower. I got all dolled up like I did yesterday because I wanted to make a good impression.
The door bell rang at almost exactly 7 am as he promised. He stood there wearing a grey checkered, collared shirt, nice dark blue jeans and black DC’s. He looked as handsome as ever. He had 3 large duffel bags of stuff that I helped him carry up to his room. I stumbled up the staircase because I couldn’t keep my eyes off of his beauty. I assigned him the room furthest from mine and gave him some space to unpack. The other guys started showing up, one at a time to claim their bedrooms.
Nick and Seth Hill showed up next. Nick was about average height, slightly overweight and wasn’t very good looking at all. He had dark brown hair and beady brown eyes. His brother Seth was his complete opposite. He was tall, muscular and tan, dark brown hair like his older brother but he was much better looking. Seth was only 17 Nick seemed to give him a hard time about everything.
After that Kyle White showed up. Kyle was average looking and looked like your typical blonde surfer boy. He didn’t say much when I showed him to his room. He seemed to be extra quiet today.
Lastly Mike Chang arrived. We called him Chang for short. Chang came from a family with a strong military background and attended military school through 12th grade until he started going to the community college here in Porterville. Chang was of Asian descent, but I couldn’t figure out exactly where he was from. I would have to remember to ask him someday. Chang was short but looked like he could do some damage. I think he was one of those people that the term, ‘dynamite comes in small packages’ could apply to.
Brian came downstairs 30 minutes after he arrived and I gave him and the guys a quick tour of the house. Their initial reaction of the manor was much like mine and Zoe’s. Then we went in the golf cart and I gave them a tour of the grounds. Brian seemed especially happy that there was a complete workout room. He thanked me for the tour and went upstairs to change into some work clothes. When he came down the stairs I asked him and the guys to join us for breakfast.
For an hour we sat around the table eating, having coffee and laughing at Brian’s many jokes. I loved being around someone who was so funny. I was too serious and funny people leveled me out. I pondered how I could find a way to spend more time with Brian and the only way to do that was to lend a hand.
I went upstairs and put on my oldest pair of skinny jeans and an old t-shirt. I threw my hair up in a messy bun and slipped on an old pair of Converse. I was ready to help. It was too bad I didn’t know what I was doing.
Zoe and the men laughed when I volunteered but quickly gave me some little jobs to do. Brian could tell the teasing was getting to me and asked me to hold a board steady for him while he nailed two pieces together. He bent down to grab a hammer and when he stood back up his eyes met mine again. We had that wonderful staring contest again.
He broke the contest by saying, “You have beautiful eyes.”
I couldn’t say anything to him but respond by smiling. I knew he could see that I was blushing but that was totally an involuntary experience. He had caught me off guard. At that moment though, I knew he liked me too. He hesitated for a minute and asked,
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Oh my God! Did I just hear him correctly? He asked if I was seeing anyone. I wanted to say you, yes you, be mine forever.
“No, I’m not,” I replied, choking on my saliva.
“Well, I know I can’t formally ask you on a date since everything is pretty much closed down but I was wondering if you would like to take a moonlight stroll on the grounds tonight. It’s not much but I would like to get to know you better. You are kind of fascinating to me.”
My heart skipped a beat and my face turned flush. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest and for a moment I felt light headed. I had to remind myself to breathe. The silence was more than he could bare and I think it gave him the wrong message because he quickly said,
“I’m sorry for being so forward but it’s strange,” he paused with an intent look on his face, “I feel connected to you. And you are absolutely gorgeous. Forgive me for asking.” He shook his head and looked back at the board he was nailing. He was clearly second guessing himself.
“NO!” I gushed. “I would love to,” I spoke so fast and loudly that it startled both of us.
He smiled a shy but relieved smile and said, “Ok, meet me at the gazebo at 9pm tonight.”
So we had a date. I couldn’t wait for 9pm to come and I was dancing with anticipation inside.
I made sure I dressed casual but classy. I couldn’t figure out the last time I went on a date. Maybe it was when Manuel asked me to the movies in my first semester of college. I would hardly call that a date though, nothing ever came from it and I certainly didn’t have feelings for him. I think it was mutual because there was never a second date.
9pm came and I was sweating bullets. As I paced the room all I could think about was the hottie that wanted time alone with me. I was ready on time but I waited about 10 minutes to show up because I didn’t want to seem too eager. I could see him waiting down there in the gazebo from my bedroom and he looked amazing.
He was so handsome. He was dressed much like he was this morning except his shirt was tan. My heart palpitated with every step I took to get to him. Once I got down there closer I could tell the shirt accented his beautiful blue eyes. He greeted me and handed me a handpicked red rose from the garden. I blushed and we began our stroll.
We took that time to get to know each other.
I told him about my family and how they were all ripped away from me. He told me about his family. He came from a middle class working family that had strong family values. He was raised in church like I was but he still attended every Sunday. I didn’t mind that about him, it added to his character. When I spoke of my parents and my Aunt Brooke I began to cry a little. He turned toward me, gently grabbed my chin and wiped the tear from my eye.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” He asked. His eyes were full of empathy and purpose. He was confident and knew exactly what he wanted. He wasn’t your average Casanova, he was much more than that.
I smiled a shy smile in response. He grabbed my left hand and held it as we walked slowly around the grounds for the next hour. My hand was clammy the entire time and I prayed that he didn’t notice. We approached the back door to the manor and he bid me goodnight without trying to kiss me.
“I had a great time Brian. I hope we can do it again soon.”
“Me too. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow night?” he sort of asked. I couldn’t believe this godlike creature was asking me for a second date!
“It’s a date,” I said coolly without trying to appear too eager although I was dancing the Macarena inside. I was on cloud nine and nothing could push me off the edge of that cloud. It was just me and my angel and the stars.
9pm the next evening couldn’t come quickly enough for me. I woke up, repeated my dressing routine and headed down for some ‘work’. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Brian and the feeling was very obviously mutual. Every time I turned around I caught him looking at me. His dreamy eyes never escaped my gaze. We spent the whole day trying to work but I couldn’t get the excitement of our plans out of my mind.
Finally it was date time. I decided to wear my mid-length pink baby doll dress this time with a pair of white sandals that laced up to my ankles. I wanted to look pretty but not too made up. This time he wore a lime green button up shirt and I couldn’t believe how amazing he looked in that shirt as well. I was beginning to think he could make a paper sack look good.