As five o'clock neared, Melanie suddenly remembered the wine. She took the Sauvignon Blanc out of the fridge to warm slightly and placed the Shiraz in the fridge to cool slightly, then began pacing the floor, anxious for Russ to arrive. When the doorbell rang, she made herself slow down and answer it calmly, even though her heart was racing.
"Hi Russ. Come on in."
Handing her a bottle of Chardonnay, Russ moved into the hall. The apartment was tiny - just two small bedrooms, one of which she used as an office, a small bathroom, small kitchen and decent-sized living room. She had taken it because her unit had a balcony facing a wooded area. It was just big enough for two chairs and a little side table. She had placed several window boxes on the railing with multi-colored impatiens in full bloom, and a pot of geraniums in the corner. It was her favorite spot in the summer when the weather co-operated.
Russ was looking around the living room, taking in the pale blue walls, cream carpet and medium-blue sofa and chair. The landlord had asked her preferences in colors before updating the apartment and she was really pleased with the result. The soft colors lent a peaceful air to the rooms and she had kept knick-knacks and pictures to a minimum so it seemed larger than it actually was.
There was a bookshelf on the end wall of the living room where she had a couple of her favorite family photos, an African violet and a crystal bowl she had found at a yard sale. Her books were a mixture of fiction, all genres, and non-fiction.
As Russ approached the bookshelf, he spied a book on Huna. Pulling it from the shelf, he opened it a random page and started reading.
"Hey, Russ, I thought you came here to visit me!" Melanie grinned, as he looked over at her. "By the way, you can borrow that one, if you like - or any of the others I have on the subject. I think you'll find them quite interesting."
"Thanks. I'll do that. You've really piqued my curiosity."
"Time for the grand tour. Come on - I'll show you the other few feet of space that I have." She led him through the eat-in kitchen, down the hall to her office, bedroom and bathroom. "That's it. What do you think?"
"Very tiny, very cute, very feminine. But I really like your color schemes. Wanna give me a hand with mine when the time comes?"