Choosing an outfit has never been so hard for me. Even when I was dating Lacey, I had never stressed picking out a pair of clothes until now. Being with Freya is such a new experience because her personality is a stark difference from Lacey's and even mine. I really can't even remember what it's like to date someone new. I don't have the experience of dating someone new, actually.

The time is winding down though. I end up going with a casual gray t-shirt and dark jeans. To spice it up, I'll just throw over a black blazer so I can be dressed up or dressed down if need be. With the blazer on, I straighten the collar and check myself in the mirror one more time.

After posing like an idiot, I grab my keys and make my way out of the house. The smile on my face is hard to put away as I get into the car and start it up. My cheeks hurt from the grin, but it only shows my obvious excitement to start this new relationship.

"You'll be okay," I mumble to myself as I start driving towards Freya's place.

My last date with Lacey was months ago as she always fed me the excuse of being busy. God, my stomach is turning just thinking about how many of those times were the truth, and how much of that was her cheating.

I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts. It doesn't matter anymore. When I can finally get my shit together, I'll be contacting a lawyer to get this divorce going. It doesn't matter how long and difficult the process is, it has to get done.

Before I know it, I reach Freya's apartment. With a pep in my step, I climb out of my car and up the steps to her place. Checking my breath in my palm, I fix my clothes again before knocking on her door.

I can hear her rustling on the other side before her steps get closer to the door. Then she pulls it open.

Fresh flowers invade my senses, but I'm too ignorant to tell which type the fragrance is. Freya stands slightly taller with her heels on. I can't help but draw my eyes up from her long legs - clad in a pair of tight pants - and up to land briefly on her chest before settling on her face. The top over her upper body is a black and cream striped sweater that's a bit oversized. Her makeup is done to perfection, as it always is, though I know she'd be beautiful without it as well.

"So... where are we going?" Freya asks, effectively breaking me from my trance. She's so fucking beautiful that I can't even function. "And please don't say surprise. I can't stand them."

Well, there goes my little plan.

I laugh lightly before holding my arm out. "I actually thought we could start our date with a wine tasting. There's a small vineyard not too far from here and they typically host tours on the weekend."

Freya takes my arms as she tilts her head up, humming at the sky as if thinking over the plan. "I've never been to a vineyard before. Did you have to make an appointment?"

"The good thing about small vineyards is that they don't always require appointments. When I called, they said they weren't too booked and that we could just show up and join the tour. It starts at eleven so we better get going."

"And... will you be okay?" The look Freya gives me makes me itch, but it's the grave I dug for myself. I pushed myself into this problem and all I can do is dig myself out of it.

So, nodding my head, I give her a small smile. I'm not planning to make a full of myself today, not when I have this beautiful woman accompanying me

When we get to the car, we settle into a comfortable rhythm of small talk and listening to the radio in silence. Freya tells me about her dream, her words full of laughter as she recounts how random each scenario was. Then she briefly tells me about a new comic she was commissioned to draw for a web novel that's been growing very popular. The first time she had told me that she was a webcomic artist, I found it hard to believe. In college, she was most definitely majoring in psychology, just as I had been. The only difference is that she was a lot more attuned to it than I was.

But what was even more mind boggling was the fact that we had kind of branched off into the same field. In a sense that we're both either appreciating or making art.

Listening to her talk is refreshing. Everything she says is something simple and easy, not making me think about difficult things. Her presence makes me feel happy too, something I didn't think was possible without Lacey. But after having the time to stew and nurse my wounds, I realize our relationship was never really that great.

The drive to the vineyard only takes twenty minutes. It's a quaint place with a small field of grape vines. There's a tiny building next to the field, a house that's been reconstructed. There aren't too many cars parked in the miniature parking lot, but as I pull into a spot, I see around twelve bodies standing and waiting.

Pulling my key from the ignition, I bound out of the vehicle and run around to pull Freya's door open. Giving me a small smile, she takes my hand, allowing me to help her out. For a moment, I look down at her feet, worried that her shoes will make this an uncomfortable occasion for her.

"Will your feet be okay?" I ask as we make our way over to everyone else. "We're going to be walking in dirt and grass too."

Freya looks down before shrugging. "They're only platforms. I'll be fine, but if my feet really start to hurt, I'll get you to rub them tonight."

We laugh together before coming to meet everyone else who's taking part in this winery tour. Somehow, we mesh well with the group of people of all ages. There's three elderly couples and the rest middle aged and one couple the same age as Freya and I. The conversations flow naturally as we each share if we have been to a winery, if we like wine, the rest of our weekend plans, even work.

"Who's ready to learn about the winemaking process?" An attendant comes out, clapping his hands together and sporting a wide smile. "I hope you guys are ready to taste some wine!"

***

We're done with the tasting in forty minutes. Because the vineyard is small, the process is fast and the last several minutes are full of the tasting. We get to sit around a firepit, sipping and talking like we've been old friends for years. Then when it's time to go, I watch Freya exchange contacts with the woman in the same age bracket.

"Okay, maestro, what's next on the list?"

Freya comes up to me as I lean against the car. When her chest touches mine, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her even closer if that's even possible. With her brown, siren eyes, she stares up at me with an expectant gaze. I laugh when she bats her long eyelashes.

"Lunch, for sure. There's this new restaurant that opened up, so I thought it would be fun to try together," I tell her, lifting a hand to her cheek and rubbing her face. "It's a little bit of a drive, though. But there's also a lot we can do after lunch. I was thinking maybe a movie or we can walk around downtown and see what trouble we can get into?"

Freya's smile is beautiful as she nods at me. She pats my chest before completely pulling away. "You really planned a lot for today, huh?"

Much to my chagrin, I feel myself blushing at her words. Did I possibly do too much? I wanted today to be fun, even if we end up doing something cliche like dinner and a movie. Plus, I didn't want to only keep showing Freya my embarrassing sides.

We climb into the car and set off on the hour drive to downtown. This time, the ride is only filled with a comfortable silence and the soft tune from the radio once again. And resting on the middle console, our hands are locked together. Briefly, I wonder if we're moving too fast or am I overthinking things? We had already skipped a lot and hopped into bed together, so why am I so worried about this?

Maybe it's the fact that I have yet to even file for a divorce from my wife. The only thing that's saving me is the fact that since I moved out of our apartment, we're legally separated. Plus, I have the intention of filing for divorce. Now it's actually calling up a lawyer and getting it done.

"Hey," Freya speaks, breaking me out of my troubling thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

I can't possibly unload on her right now. Not only would that be killing the mood, but I fear it'll also be shitting on her to mention my wife. In these situations, it's better to just smile and tell a little white lie.

"Just lost in thought about this restaurant. They've been open for abount a month now, but I've heard good things."

"What kind of place is it?"

"Mediterranean. I don't really have a seasoned palate so I'm excited to try it."

Freya snorts and shakes her head. "Well, good for you. I like that you feel comfortable enough with me to branch out of your comfort zone."

And I really do.

Since the place is only a couple lights away from the freeway exit, getting there is fast. Unfortunately, since we're in the city, we do have to find parking a little ways from the restaurant, but the slight chill in the air is nice, and we get to set our eyes on some places we might want to hit up after our lunch.

"Let's go," I say. Once we're right at the doors, I grab Freya's hand, locking my fingers with her. And to the hostess, I give her the name our reservation is under.

Soft music plays that consists of guitars and the deep keys of a piano. It's hard to describe, but I like it, especially as more sounds get added on. When we get led to our table and sit down, I pull out my phone to shazam whatever it is that's playing.

"You're such a weirdo," Freya says, laughing as her eyes dance over the menu.

"What? I thought I should broaden my music tastes," I reply with my own smile.

Freya shakes her head, but the smile doesn't leave her face. Fighting my own, I pick up my menu and study the different entrees to choose from. A classic dish for me is typically a burger and fries, wings, or enchiladas if I'm feeling adventurous. I never realized before how simple I've been living.

When our waiter comes by, Freya and I both order a Moroccan green tea. And when I want to order grilled salmon, she bullies me into trying something different. I welcome the playful jabs to my unrefined palate and end up ordering a beef kafta kabob.

"How is it?" Freya asks after a twenty minute wait for our food. As she shovels rice into her mouth, she gives a delighted hum.

Biting into the kabob, I'm happy to find the taste pleasant and unlike anything I've ever had. "It's delicious."

We continue our meal and start a light conversation on what we've been watching lately. Her The Rookie and me 9-1-1. And just when our date has settled into a comfortable pace, I hear a voice calling me. It's one that was crying and yelling the last time I heard it.

"Chance? What the hell are you doing here?" Lacey asks as she steps up to our table, her tall heels clicking on the floor. 

*A new chapter, thank you for reading! I'm using the separation/divorce laws for Georgia so since Chance has moved out and it's been over 30 days, they're legally separated. And now begins the hard arc of their story.*