Chapter 12 - A New Home

James and Daniel arrived at Cadence's apartment early Saturday morning, armed with coffee and donuts. James caught several odd glances from Daniel as they headed up to the second floor where Cadence lived. "What?" James asked his friend, a little worried he might have something on his face. "Nothing much, buddy. Just happy to see you so excited about this" said Daniel with a cocky smile. James merely grunted, not sure what to say. Was he really that excited? James decided he was. He had already started picturing them doing mundane things together…eating dinners, running errands, and watching television. Cadence was stunning in each scenario.

James was jolted out of his daydreams by Daniel knocking loudly on the door in front of them. He barely registered that they had reached their destination when Cadence opened the door and stood before them looking completely adorable. He couldn't recall ever seeing her look so casual before and was pleased with the result. Her dark curls were pulled into a high messy bun with tendrils escaping here and there. She wore a large faded red T-shirt with a Torchy's Tacos logo, light blue jean shorts, and brown leather sandals. James had never seen so much of her legs before and was intrigued to discover a lightly colored birthmark peeking out from beneath the hem of her shorts on the right thigh. The sudden desire to see how far up the mark went struck him hard until he realized he had been brazenly staring at her legs all this time. Luckily, Cadence seemed fully absorbed in the coffee Daniel had just handed her and was only just now looking up to meet James's eyes. She smiled at him, looking almost embarrassed for reasons James couldn't even begin to guess. "Come on in boys, before someone mugs us for those donuts" Cadence said playfully. "I think all the muggers are asleep right now Cadence" said Daniel with a small chuckle. "Not the donut muggers. They're very active this time of day" said Cadence in a mock serious tone, continuing to make Daniel laugh with her ridiculous sense of humor. James was slightly jealous of their easy banter as they casually traded jokes back and forth.

"Okay, we're inside - safe from the donut muggers. Now, let's talk game plan while we eat" said James, interposing himself between the other two. He needed to set down the box he was holding anyway. Shouldering Daniel's eager hand away as he opened it up, James said "Lady's first" in an overly chivalrous manner. Cadence selected a large apple bear claw without hesitation and grabbed some paper plates and napkins for them to use. They ate their fill quickly, and had only a few donuts leftover when they were done. James and Daniel decided to move the large grey armchair down first with Cadence carrying the cushions they had removed. She went down before them and shoved the cushions in the backseat of the cab before opening the tailgate for them. It was a heavy chair that made both men glad Cadence only lived on the second floor and not the fourth, especially considering the building had no elevator. After thoroughly securing the chair with tie-downs, they all headed back up to grab some boxes. The hardest part was done and they made quick work of everything else. The heaviest boxes filled the bed of the truck and the rest were stuffed into the cab. In the end, they were able to get almost everything to fit in Daniel's truck excepting a few smaller boxes Cadence easily made room for in her trunk. A delicate lamp had claimed the front passenger seat of the truck, forcing James to ride with Cadence. No one minded this of course.

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Cadence was highly aware of being alone with James in her car as they drove comfortably to his house. It was still early, so they were well away from sweltering heat that was sure to greet them later in the day. The car's air conditioning cooled off the moderate bit of sweat they'd earned moving boxes and climbing stairs. She observed James sporadically while she drove as she checked her mirrors and glanced at blind spots. The traffic was usually light in South Austin on Saturday mornings and today was no different, allowing her to maneuver smoothly. Despite the perspiration (and maybe even a little because of it), James looked quite attractive. He wore a plain grey V-necked shirt, black athletic shorts, and sporty black tennis shoes. Cadence had seen him this way only one other time, two years ago when she first started working at Oliver Enterprises. He was running in the company's yearly 10K charity event benefitting a local literacy endeavor called "Just Read It!" She was a volunteer at one of the water stations and distinctly remembered handing him two cups that he drank in seconds and a third that he poured over his head. Cadence barely knew James back then as he didn't have much direct contact with his administrative assistants. Most of their orders came directly from the primary and secondary assistants. So, on that day James barely even glanced at her as he said his thanks and walked off to grab a snack from another station. In Cadence's case however, she remembered not being able to take her eyes off him. Even now, the image of him lifting his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face could be easily recalled. The way sweat trailed delicately down his muscled abdomen to sink into the fabric of his shorts was a sight firmly etched into her mind. She swallowed hard at the memory and glanced discreetly at James. She hadn't realized but he was talking to her.

"What was that?" Cadence asked James, unable to hide that she had not been listening. "I said we're almost there. Are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed. Make sure you drink some water as soon as we get there" he said with concern. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. But it looks like Mrs. Garcia is one step ahead of you" she said indicating the older lady waiting for them on the porch. She had a clear glass pitcher in front of her filled with an iced white beverage and matching drinking glasses. Cadence's eyes lit up as she realized Mrs. Garcia had made her favorite thing in the world - horchata. It was a sweet and refreshing drink made from rice water with cinnamon. She drank it often as a kid, waiting for her mother to get off work at the taqueria by their house. You wouldn't necessarily guess it from appearances alone, but Cadence's mother was fluent in Spanish. Her own mother, Cadence's grandmother, had immigrated to Texas from Mexico as a teenager and fell in love with a local carpenter. As a result, Cadence's mother had been equally exposed to English and Spanish from birth and was fluent in both languages. Unfortunately, Cadence had only learned a handful of conversational Spanish over the years, but Mrs. Garcia clearly wasn't holding that against her. She practically flew out of her car and into the older lady's arms, even though they had just seen each other the evening before. Cadence couldn't help but be touched by Mrs. Garcia's gesture and felt more and more secure at her new home with each sip. Yes, she had yet to move a single possession into the house and already she was considering this place a home.