― Rob Doyle
Andie is taking me to see her neighbourhood and I’m curious. I always like to know where people live—it helps me get a handle on them.
If I had to guess I’m thinking she’d be most comfortable in a Manhattan penthouse, but she’s living in an upscale town so I’m imagining she’s living in the mid-west version of The Hamptons.
She turns down a street named Foundry—and I’m puzzled—that doesn’t bode well for my musings. Maybe I’m losing my touch.
Again, she seems to read my thoughts.
“Don’t be put off by the street sign—there used to be factory here in the 1800’s—long gone except for the name.”
And sure enough, we drive down a dusty lane and come out on a lovely tree-lined road with several beachfront properties, complete with docks, sailboats and charming shops.
I didn’t anticipate this change in landscape.
“And, it’s only 10 minutes to downtown Middleton,” she says, again, anticipating my questions.
“It’s really lovely, Andie, but seems a bit out of character for you.”
“I’m just a country girl by nature, Paul and most days can’t wait to trade my Gucci heels for canvas deck shoes and go sailing.”
“My image of you keeps shifting,” I grin.
“Welcome to Middleton—nothing is what it seems. But just for your information, Boy-of-Mine, I’m not a girly-girl, so don’t type-cast me.”
“Message received,” I nod.
The more I get to know this girl, I really like her.
She stops and parks by a Dairy Queen.
“I want a dipped cone and to dip my feet in the lake.”
“You’re kidding me,” I say.
But she’s already taken off her heels and is walking barefoot toward the ice cream hut. I catch up with her, buy two dipped cones and end up kicking off my sketchers and rolling up my pant legs so we can walk along the shore.
“See that point of land over there?" she asks, "saw a crane there last week. Thought for sure the Stork stopped by on its way to a neighbour’s house and that same day Lottie Dempster had a baby girl. What do you think of that?”
“I think you’re unbelievingly charming,” I laugh.
“Be careful, Sugar, I’m also one of those wicked city girls…just saying.”
I didn’t believe that for even a minute.
And I knew in that moment I bonded with her. If I ever needed an ally here, it would be her in a heartbeat.
The weird thing is I instinctively sensed I would need an ally, maybe not right away but somewhere down the road and I wanted it to be her.
And now I knew what she was about, and almost didn’t need to see her house—I saw her and she disarmed me.
But she insisted I come back to her place for lemonade and sit out on her porch and watch the sunset.
But sundown was hours away—what would we do in the intervening time?
And then I knew I was hooked, I just wanted to be with her.