Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I show her the photo, and she stares at it for a second before saying anything.
“Wow. That doesn’t even look like me.”
“It looks exactly like you,” I counter. “Who you really are.”
“I like that.”
I like it, too. Mari’s connection to nature makes her even more attractive to Mark and me. Far too many people who live in New York are urban animals. Especially the women.
I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to prefer the city. People are allowed to like what they like. However, that’s part of why it took so long for Mark and me to find the right person. So many of the women in New York like to go out, get their nails and hair done, go shopping, and move a million miles a minute. They don’t know how to stop and appreciate things. They don’t show gratitude for much of anything, let alone nature.
But Mari is different. She goes beyond loving nature; she respects it. The entire walk, she has dodged certain areas to avoid disrupting the land. Though we’re off the path, she’s still careful about where she steps. It’s incredible to watch.
“We should keep walking,” Mark interjects. “I’m sure there’s more to see.”
“Yes, let’s keep going!” Mari exclaims. We veer back toward the trail, leaving behind the eagle and the bear still fishing in the stream.
Mark and I stay back to follow behind Mari. She’s like a kid at an amusement park with the way she can’t stop looking at everything around her. I can’t get enough of her.
“Do you have a favorite animal?” I ask Mari.
She considers this for a second. “Like a wild animal? A pet? Native to the U.S.?”
“How about all of the above?”
“I love giraffes. They’re my favorite wild animal from elsewhere. And I’m a dog lover for sure. I don’t dislike cats, but I don’t think I’ll ever own one. They’re just not my thing. As for an animal native to the U.S., I love moose. I find them fascinating. They’re so big!”
“And we got to see one here!”
Mari grins. “Exactly! It was my first time seeing one in the wild.”
“Really? You should’ve said something! We could’ve pulled over.”
Now I feel bad. I’d wanted to get to the hotel so that we could really start our trip. Plus, I hate being in a car for long periods of time. However, if I’d known that Mari loves moose, I would’ve stopped so she could get out and view one a bit closer.
“Maybe we’ll see another one while we’re here,” I say.
“I hope so!” Mari responds. “I also love beavers. I’ve never seen one of those in the wild, either.”
“We might get lucky and see one of those, too.”
“That’d be amazing!”
We continue to walk and talk. I learn that Mari’s favorite movie changes every day, she’s a fan of the color red, and she’s a picky eater.
“I’ll try new things every once in a while,” Mari says. “But when I’m at a restaurant, I stick with the same foods every time. It’s usually Italian food of some kind.”
“We love Italian, in case that wasn’t obvious.”
Most of the meals we have shared with Mari have been Italian. We went out for seafood once, and to a Mexican place another time, but mostly, we go to Italian restaurants or make pasta at my apartment.
I much prefer eating at my apartment. Being in public is nice sometimes, but there’s always the risk of running into someone from the university. Of course, we have a plan if that happens. We’ll tell them we ran into each other at the restaurant – or wherever we are – and that we’re just chatting before separating into our own groups. We haven’t had to use that excuse yet, and I’m hoping we never do.
Being in private has its perks, though, which is why I prefer it. It’s not just that it’s safer. It also offers us the opportunity to disappear into my bedroom if the mood is right.
And the mood has been right every time we’ve been at my apartment. We don’t always make it to my room, either. Aside from the couch that first time, we’ve also explored each other in the kitchen and on the back balcony. That one in particular was a lot of fun. I had no idea Mari was into that kind of thing. It’s good to know – she might be willing to test the limits in an even more public place.
“I’m going to ask you a really hard question now,” I warn Mari. We’re coming to the halfway point of the walk. It’s about three miles total. The incline is minimal, so we’ve been going at an easy pace so far. I’m excited to try something more difficult later in the week.
“Okay,” Mari says. “I’m scared.”
Mark laughs. He knows what I’m going to ask. I asked him the same question on one of our first dates. Mari is lucky she’s made it this long without having to tell me.