High Mountain Pack (CH. 3)

Laying awake in bed this morning I go over the events of last night. I remember that tonight is the date with Chad. Chad was probably the most appealing of the group of none appealing men that had been guests at the BBQ. At 6' even Chad is still shorter then me but not so short that its horribly obvious. Chad's hair is a little on the long side and a deep almost chocolate brown. His eyes are blue with a slight hint of gray in them. Over all he's not bad looking. Tonight's date will at least be nice to look at.

"Aurora? Can I come in?" called my mother from outside my room. As I sit up to answer her I realize I am still wearing last nights cloths.

"Sure, come on in. I've just gotta change so I'll be out in a moment." I said as I head for my bathroom. Once changed into clean clothes i head back into my room. "What's up mom?"

"Are you excited for your date tonight? It's with....umm.. I forget his name." she said, with a smile. "What time is he coming to get you?"

"His name is Chad and he said to be ready for 7pm. I have no idea where we are going so not sure what to wear. Any ideas?" I ask. "I don't want to over dress."

"What about that new blouse you bought with the low cut v-neck. The deep blue color makes your eyes pop! Then I would say a nice pair of jeans would go nicely. Maybe your black pair with the brown cowgirl boots would be the most practical choice. Like you said your not sure what he will have planned." she says, looking through my closet.

"Good idea. Well I have some errands to run before tonight, so I better get going. I have to go to the book store. Need anything while I'm out?" I ask. "I could make a pas by the grocery store if you want anything."

"Actually, I do have a small list go things if you don;t mind. I will go get it and some cash for you." she said, as she headed out the door and towards the living room.

Grabbing my purse and keys I followed my mother out to the living room. She handed me the list and the money and I headed out the from door to my car. I loved my car even tho, it was not considered stylish anymore. It was also far from new. My father had bought me the car for my 16th birthday. The car was a 1964 Ford Falcon. The color was called skylight blue.

Jumping in the from seat I started the car, which I affectionately called 'Angel' and headed to the book store in town. I had been waiting for a book that I had pre-ordered and was hoping it was in. Books were something that I absolutely loved. I loved to escape into another world and time when reading. It was my way for having the adventures that I dreamed of.

Pulling up in front of the bookstore I grabbed my purse and got out of 'Angel'. As I walked to the store front door I suddenly could smell something rotten. I recognized the smell. It was the same smell that came off James. I hurriedly entered the book store trying to avoid potentially being seen. Unfortunately, I ran straight into James.

I looked up and saw him smiling at me. He had a very white smile, with straight teeth. His eyes were a brown with almost a hint of red in them. Something about the look he gave me sent chills down my spine. Between the smell of him and look he gave me I just wanted to run the other way but knew I couldn't.

"Oh! Hello James. I didn't expect to see you here. Looking for a good book?" I said, hoping it didn't sound like I was trying to hard. "I was just coming to check on a book myself."

"Hello, Aurora. I was actually just coming here with a friend. She has a weird obsession with books. I guess I don't see the point in reading them." He said fully sincere. "Raven should be along any moment."

"Ah. Well I personally love books. They are my favorite past time." I said, possibly a little to aggressively. "I believe that every one should read. They might just learn something."

As we stood there talking I noticed a beautiful young women heading our way. She looked like a model with a perfect body, long shiny black hair, and eyes so dark they also looked black. She kept looking back and forth between James and I as she approached us. I could almost sense a possessiveness of James coming from her.

"Ah, Raven. There you are. I want you to meet Aurora." he said gesturing towards me. " Aurora this is Raven. She's an old friend of mine from back home."

"Hello, Raven. Its very nice to meet you." I said not feeling at all welcomed. "James tells me that you love books. I do as well. In fact I should get going so I can check on my pre-ordered book. It was nice to meet you Raven and I hope to see you around again. James, I will see you next Friday."

With the last statement I could almost see Raven start to turn red. I could have sworn I saw steam coming from her ears before James finally spoke up.

"See you Friday Aurora. I am very much looking forward to it." he said and as he ushered Raven out the door and on to the sidewalk.

Once I thought they had moved far enough away from the door I moved to the window to make sure they left. I could see them arguing with each other as they climbed into a red sports car. James jumped into the drivers seat so I assumed it was his car. Once they had driven away I finally took a deep breath not realizing I had been holding it.

Feeling better now that James and Raven had left I headed for the counter to check on my book. I could still smell James in the store and it made my stomach feel uneasy. I was just glad that I had a week before the date with James. Maybe by then I could come up with a convincing reason as to why not to go on that date.

"Hey, Hank! Any idea when my new book is going to be in? I can't wait to read it." I asked Hank the book store manager. Hank is also a part of Aaron's High Mountain Pack.

"Aurora! I was hoping you would be in today. It actually just came in this morning!" Hank said grabbing a small brown bag from under the counter. "Here you go. All wrapped up nice for you."

"YAY!!! Thanks Hank!!" I said jumping up and down with excitement. "I wish I could go straight home and read it but alas I have shopping to do and a date tonight."

"A date? It wouldn't be with that James fellow that was just in here would it?" he asked. "He seems a little off to me. Not sure what about him but something just makes me wary of him. Not to mention that Raven girl. She is another odd piece of work."

"Unfortunately, I have a date with him on Friday. I agreed to dates with six different guys. My mother invited them from other towns so I had no choice but to play along. Tonight I have a date with a young man named Chad." I said. "I know this is an odd question but when James is around do you smell anything off about him or is it just him that seems off?"

"Actually, no I didn't smell anything weird. I guess it was just the controlling way he tried to get Raven to get her book and get going. He made a statement about not liking books. For me that is enough to be wary of someone. I mean who doesn't like books!?!" said Hank with s slight chuckle. "I hope that your date tonight does well. Please be careful if you go through with the date with James. Keep an eye out for Raven also. She seems into some really dark stuff."

"Thanks Hank. Your the best." I said as I grabbed my new book and headed out to the sidewalk. Once I jumped into my car I headed for the grocery store. I couldn't wait to get back home. I didn't want any more bump in's with James or Raven.

***************

"Aurora are you almost ready? Chad should be here any minute." yelled my mother from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes Mom. I'm almost ready just finishing my make-up." I yelled back. I had thankfully been able to finish my errands and gotten back home to get ready without bumping into anyone else. After hearing Hank say that he got an odd feeling from both James and Raven, I felt a little better knowing it wasn't just me. I still couldn't understand why I could smell such an awful stench coming from James though.

Not wanting that thought to ruin the night even if I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, I finished my make-up and headed downstairs. I had chosen to wear my new dark blue tight fitting blouse with the low cut in front. It was made of silk and felt amazing on my skin. I also wore my tight blue jeans that fit in all the right places. I decided on my black cowboy boots that were silver tipped and shinned in the light. Just as I got the the bottom of the stairs I heard the door bell ring meaning that Chad was here to pick me up.

My father opened the door and let Chad in. He looked great and cleaned up nice. Much to my surprise he also had blue jeans and cowboy boots on but with a western style button-up shirt on. He looked almost nervous which was actually kind of cute.

"Chad, welcome. Please come in. Aurora should be down any moment" said my father. Obviously he had not noticed me standing there.

"I already am dad. You look great Chad." I said, walking towards the little group of people.

"WOW!!! You look amazing Aurora. I hope your ready for a fun night!" said Chad. "The car is waiting out front for us."

"Thanks, Chad. I'm ready as ever." I said once I reached him.

"Great well lets get going then. I have a fun filled night planned." he said holding the front door open for me.

As I stepped out onto the front step I saw the 'car' he said was waiting. It was a black hummer limo. It was huge! I couldn't believe he had a limo for our date. This guy was either overly romantic, crazy, or rich. As we walked closer to the limo I couldn't help but wonder which one it was.

"Is this yours?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yes, it is. I decided that you should get to know the real me. I don't like flaunting my money because people treat me differently. I am a multi-millionaire but its not always what its cracked up to be. Unfortunately people who know that I have tons of money want to get close to me so that they can maybe get some. I want people to like me for me not my money." said Chad.

"I understand that. I can't imagine the amount of people who chase you down for your wallet. I can assure you that money isn't something I care about." I said, honestly. "I'm the type that prefers the person not the objects."

"Good I'm glad. I appreciate that a lot. I knew there was a reason that I liked you!!" he said with a chuckle. Chad opened the door to the Limo and let me climb in. Once he was in and the door closed he knocked on the window between us and the driver and the limo started to move and we were off.

The inside of the limo was just as clean and gorgeous as the outside. The seats were a black leather with clear led light strips on the sidewalls illuminating the inside. There was a small mini-bar which Chad was grabbing a couple glasses from along with a bottle of Champagne.

"Would you like a glass? Its my favorite, Champagne Collet Brut Art Deco. Its sweet and fruity tasting." he said pouring a glass.

"Sure, I'll try some I said taking the glass he handed to me. Thank you!" I said taking a sip of the cool liquid. Much to my surprise I actually really liked it. It was refreshing and relaxing.

"Its very good!! So besides having a lot of my money what can you tell me about your self? What do you do in down time? What do you do for work?" I said trying to lighten the mood and create conversation.

"Well I currently work in a law firm as a defense Lawyer. In my spare down time I love to spend time working my ranch. I feel most at peace riding my horses in the mountains. Its very peaceful and beautiful out there. Have you ever ridden before? I can take you out for a ride sometime if you would like." Chad said finally looking less nervous and much more relaxed.

"I actually love to ride but haven't been able to for a couple years. There is nothing like riding through the woods and feeling connected to such a majestic and trusting animal. How big is your ranch?" I asked.

"My ranch is about 600 acres. I have 200 head of cattle and I breed Quarter horses. I currently have roughly 30 horses at the moment. You should definitely come out to the ranch sometime. I think you would love it." he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Chad is definitely much more then I expected from when I first met him. The fact that he is not only a successful Lawyer but makes time to run a huge ranch is amazing. I am finding that I respect him much more now. After about a half hour ride we arrived at our destination. The driver steps out and opens the door letting us out. He is very polite and I thank him. Chad takes my arm as we walk around the limo to the front of the restaurant. As we stop to look at the building my jaw drops.

Chad has brought me to Grubelli's Italian Steakhouse. Its nearly impossible to get reservations here and there are no walk-in dinners allowed. I can't believe my eyes and realize that I need to pick my chin up off the floor. I look at him in astonishment and he just looks at me with that same twinkle in his eye. As we approach the front door the greeter recognizes Chad and opens the door letting us in.

We walk up to the receptionist and Chad tell the young woman we have reservations. She seemed distracted by him as it took her a minute to realize he had spoken to her. Once she came out of her trance she asked us to follow her and lead us to a booth in the back of the restaurant where it was quiet and private. Above the booth in cold letter it read "VIP".

"I've never been a VIP to anything before. This place is gorgeous! How on earth did you get reservations here on such short notice??" I asked with an astonished smile on my face.

"My mother owns the restaurant. She opened this place 30 years ago with her sister." he said with a very proud look on his face.

"That's amazing. You have a very successful family. And I'm sure your mother and Aunt are very proud of you. What does you father do?" I asked still in awe of the whole thing.

"My father actually passed away when I was little. My mother and Aunt raised me." he said. "They are proud of me but I'm more proud of them. They are very strong amazing women."

I could feel the love he had for his mother and aunt radiating off from him. This man really does seem to have a big heart and great personality. I am in awe about everything this man has told me and yet he still seems like just an ordinary guy whos just wants to be loved for who he is and I admire that.

The waitress come and takes our order. Chad and I find it very easy to talk about almost anything. We have no problem carrying on a good conversation while we enjoy and absolutely amazing meal.

After dinner we returned to the limo and we were taken to a beautiful viewing area where we then took a walk to a sitting area. The view from this spot was absolutely stunning. We were by ourselves up here and could see the lights of the town down below and a couple other towns way off in the distance. It was a gorgeous clear night and all the stars shone bright.

"I hope you have had a good night so far. I know I have." said Chad watching me with a curious look.

"I have had a wonderful time. Thank you. You are a very sweet man and definitely not boring which is a plus!" I said with a small chuckle.

"But..." he said looking slightly deflated.

"But I can't make a decision based off one amazing night. Also unfortunately I have 5 more promised dates this week. Please don't get me wrong I really like you and I would not turn down a second date with you if that's possible. I just don't want to break your heart and get your hopes up right now is all." I said apologetically. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Chad in anyway.

"I can understand that and appreciate your honesty. I would also love a second date with you. Your beautiful, smart and funny. I would love to get to know you more. Even if it only results in a great friendship." he said with a genuine smile.

"I would love that also." I said as I looked out over the view again and took a deep breath. I decided a great friend in Chad would be a wonderful reward from this date.

After talking for a little while longer Chad and the limo brought me back home. Chad walked me to my front door and held my hand.

"Once all your other dates are done let me know and we can plan that second date. Maybe a trip to my ranch for a ride in the mountains?" he said with a hopeful look.

"Sounds like a date." I said, "I really did have a wonderful time and an amazing experience tonight. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. You deserve nothing less." He said as he leaned forward and kissed me.

At first I was stunned but after s few seconds I relaxed and kissed him back. The kiss was short but sweet. He smiled at me and turned and walked back towards his limo. I waited to watch him get in and leave before I opened the door and went into my house. As soon as I shut the door behind me mother appeared out of no where.

"So how was it???? Did you like him? Are you going a second date with him?? Tell me all about it!!!" she said, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"It was amazing. I do like him but not sure he will be anything more the a great friend. Yes, we are planning a second date. If you don't mind though mom I'm exhausted and would love to go take a shower and go to bed. Can we talk about this tomorrow??" I asked hoping she would relent.

"Okay dear we can talk tomorrow. I'm glad you had a good time. Good night dear I love you!" she said as she headed back to the living room.

Thankful for the peace I headed to take and shower and head to bed. I decided that if the other dates went this well then this might be far less painful the I first thought. The date with James however still had me worried. I decided I would worry about James when time got closer. For now I would get some sleep and look forward to my next date.