Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Chapter Four
I admired Sterling’s home when I pulled into his driveway. I was so excited to see him when I picked him up for our movie and dinner date earlier that day, that I didn’t pay much attention to his house.
But now that our lovely evening was coming to a close and he was sitting next to me in my car, holding my hand, I took the time to look it over.
It was a cute ranch-style house, painted white with teal blue shutters and a matching front door. It wasn’t too large or small; it looked to be the perfect size for Sterling and Cooper. There wasn’t any landscaping surrounding the house; just a pretty brick sidewalk that connected the driveway to the front stoop.
I turned off the engine of my car, grabbed Cooper's takeout, and climbed out, jogging around to the passenger side. I let Cooper out first, and then opened Sterling's door. I was hoping that he'd allow me to walk him to his stoop, so I was pleased when he took Cooper's lead in one hand, and my fingers in the other.
As we walked down the brick path together, my heart beat wildly with anticipation, hoping that I may receive a goodnight kiss. Sterling made me excited for every step, and made me feel like a young man again.
"I love your place," I told him as we stepped onto his front porch.
"Thank you."
"When I moved to the area, I found my apartment with plans to get a house, but it's six years later and I'm still in the same spot," I admitted with a chuckle. Habit and comfort had kept me stagnant.
"Hey, there's no rush," Sterling shrugged. "I hope you find exactly what you're looking for." I smiled at his kindness as he let go of my hand to retrieve his house key from his pocket. He didn't move to unlock his door; instead, he bounced the key in his palm a few times before gripping it determinedly and asking, "Would you like to come in?"
My knees nearly buckled from the rush of shock and excitement that bolted through me. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen; I just wanted to spend every moment I could with him. I wasted no time in answering, “I’d love to.”
Sterling patted down the door and slid his key into the knob. He pushed the door open and stepped inside before motioning into the dark room. “Here we are.” Cooper bumped his snout into Sterling’s leg. “Oh, right; thanks, Coop.” He felt along the wall and flipped a switch to illuminate the living room. “I forget to turn on the light sometimes, but Cooper always reminds me.” I was glad the pooch was there; even though it didn’t make a difference to Sterling, it made me sad to think about him sitting alone in a dark room.
“Your home is lovely,” I told him as I took a look around the space. The living room held a sofa and a television, and a comfy-looking dog bed in the corner. It was an open floor plan, looking into the kitchen which was full of shiny black appliances. Along the back wall was a sliding glass door, which led out into a fenced-in backyard.
The house was clean and cute, and reminded me a lot of my own place; a typical bachelor pad, except that I had a few photos and knick knacks on my walls, while Sterling’s were bare.
“Thanks,” Sterling replied with a smile. He lowered himself to the floor on one knee to remove Cooper’s harness. “There you go, buddy.” He scratched the dog’s ears and received a lick to the nose, which made him laugh.
As soon as Cooper knew he was off-duty, he hustled over to me and pawed at my leg. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what he wanted; the box of meatballs in my hand. “Is it okay if I give Cooper his treat?”
“Of course,” Sterling answered as he stood up and hung Cooper’s leash on a hook on the wall.
I opened the lid of the takeout container and leaned down so that Cooper could reach the snack inside. It took him exactly 3.4 seconds to eat two large meatballs. “Oh wow, Coop.”
Sterling chuckled, “Let me guess; the food’s gone already?”
“Yep.” I lifted the box to make sure the pooch didn’t try to eat the styrofoam.
“He doesn’t mess around when it comes to eating.” Sterling tapped his thigh and told the dog, “Come on, buddy; do you want to go outside?” Cooper barked happily and Sterling held a hand out to me. I thought for a moment he wanted me to guide him, but instead, he said, “I’ll throw that box away.”
“Oh, thank you.” I handed over the container and watched as Sterling and Cooper walked together into the kitchen.
Sterling tossed the box into the trash can and went straight to the glass door, which he opened for Cooper. Once the dog was through, Sterling shut it behind him and walked back to me. He was confident in his own space; he knew the layout of his home and needed no assistance to get around.