Matchmaker 08: August

I turned onto a road that climbed steeply into one of the hills surrounding Asheville. I didn't know what to say. "Sorry."

She sighed. "I'm sorry too. I'm not trying to beat you up, but I'm so tired of being defined by what I don't have. It's been a problem in every relationship I've ever had, and I don't know why."

I nodded in understanding. "I don't know why either. Clearly I'm the problem here."

"You're not a problem, at least not yet. I just want to get this cleared up so we can enjoy our month together."

I turned off the steep road onto an even steeper drive. I rounded a corner and pulled to a stop before a small house perched on a steep hill. "We're here," I announced, remembering her words too late again. "We're here," I repeated, looking at her.

She smiled. "You're learning."

She stepped out of vehicle, waiting while I gathered my bags before following me as I carried them into the house. The house was small and clearly designed as someone's investment property. The house was nicely finished inside, with comfortable looking leather furniture that complimented the inoffensive color on the walls and the rich wood floor. What made the house special, however, was the view. One entire wall of the house was glass, and closer inspection revealed the glass wall was actually sliding glass doors that could be opened to the patio beyond that overlooked Asheville below.

"Wow... that's some view," I said and rolled my eyes. This was going to take some getting used to. I turned to her. "That's some view."

She nodded. "Yes it is. You should see it at night."

"Can we start over?"

She smiled. "Kane?"

I grinned. "Meadow?"

She extended her hand. "Meadow Larson. Nice to meet you, Kane."

My smile spread as I placed my bags on the floor. She might be deaf, but she was still the single most perfect creature I'd ever seen. I took her hand. "Kane Dumbass Reynolds. Nice to meet you."

Her brow furrowed. "Did you say dumbass?"

"Yeah."

She giggled. "I don't think you're a dumbass."

"I can't imagine I made that great a first impression."

She continued to smile at me. "I've had people make worse."

"But you've had people make better?"

She hitched one shoulder. "A few, but I'd place you in the top ten percent."

"You won't hold my dumbassery against me?"

"Not if you don't hold my deafness against me."

I smiled, feeling like for the first time since I found out about her deafness that I was getting my feet under me. "Deal."

I stood in the door and watched as Kane unpacked his bags. Brooklyn said he was a hottie, and she wasn't lying. When he'd approached me in the airport and introduced himself, I'd almost swooned. He was a little taller than normal, around six feet, I'd guess, with light brown hair worn short, broad shoulders, a trim waist, and a handsome, tanned face that wouldn't look out of place in an advertisement for sports equipment. I couldn't hear his voice, of course, but in my imagination, I imagined him with a deep, masculine voice, whatever that might mean.

I was going to break the news of my deafness to him as soon as we got to the house I was renting, but he'd put me on the spot about my accent. I didn't want to lie to him, so I'd told him the truth. It'd surprised him, as I knew it would, but he'd recovered nicely, and quicker than most.

I didn't understand accents. I couldn't comprehend how two people speaking English could sound... different... from each other, but there had to be something there. He wasn't the first person to say something similar, but I'd liked the way he described it as 'exotic.' That sounded so much nicer than 'different,' 'odd,' or 'strange,' as others had described it.

I couldn't hear myself speak, so I didn't know how to correct my speech, but as long as I could be understood, I didn't worry about it much. Having never heard anyone speak, ever, learning to speak had been hard. Really hard. I was much more comfortable signing, something I'd learned early, but very few people who could hear could sign, so if I wanted to be understood without having to write everything down, it was up to me to adapt.

"Finished," he said as he hefted the bag off the bed.

He was still forgetting to look at me when he spoke, but I'd caught 'Fin—' before he looked to the bag. I was very good at putting fragments of speech together to understand what people were saying.

"What are we doing for dinner?" I asked.

"Let's eat in. Is there food in the kitchen?"

"Not much," I admitted.

"Okay, let's go shopping, and then we'll eat in."

"Okay, sure."

"You like Mexican food?"

"Mexican? It's okay."

"Say that after I fix you my world-famous Indian Tacos."

"Indian Tacos?" He nodded as he smiled. "World Famous?"

He grinned. "Okay, not yet, but my friends like them."

"What's an Indian Taco?"

"Frybread with taco toppings."

"I know what a taco is, but what's frybread?"

He grinned. "Don't you trust me?"

I smiled. "Okay, sure. Surprise me."

He looked annoyed when he turned to face me again. "Sorry. I asked if you drink beer."

"Beer? Sure."

"Great. Indian Tacos and beer it is."

"Do you cook at home?"

"Yep. I can't eat out all the time."

"And where's home?" He walked past. I assumed he answered me, but I hadn't caught it. I took his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Where?"

"Shit. I keep forgetting."

He said something, but I had no idea what it was. "I didn't get that. Can you say it again, more slowly?"

He repeated the word, but I was just as befuddled the second time. I pursed my lips in annoyance. I was pretty good at reading lips, but sometimes unusual words confounded me, especially if I didn't have context clues to help me. "One more time, with the state, please."

"Albuquerque, New Mexico."

"Albuquerque!"

He grinned. "That's it."

"Did I say it right?"

He grinned. "Close enough." He took my arm. "Come on, let's go. I'm starving."

We drove to the store. I could drive, since driving was primarily a sight-oriented task, but because I couldn't hear the honk of a horn or the cry of a siren, I had to keep my eyes moving, which meant I couldn't listen. If he drove, I could watch his lips and he wouldn't be forced to sit in silence.

Now that we'd gotten over the initial awkwardness of him finding out about my deafness, things were progressing smoothly again. He still failed to look at me sometimes, but he was aware of it. I could tell he was trying, and I didn't begrudge him his occasional lapses. For those who could hear, it was so natural, so instinctive to be heard when they spoke, they didn't even think about remembering to look at me, and it took time to retrain themselves.

We arrived at the store and walked up and down the aisles. He was a quick learner and touched me on my arm to get my attention before speaking, allowing me to look around without worrying about missing something he said. People sometimes became frustrated with me, always having to repeat themselves, expecting me to pay rapt attention to them so when they spoke, I would 'hear.' Kane wasn't like that. He took responsibility to make me aware he wanted my attention before speaking. My friends treated me the same way, and it allowed me to relax around him.

Like my friends, he would also nudge me when someone was approaching from behind, gently pulling me into his side so I didn't step in front of someone or have to keep my head on a swivel. I didn't have to instruct him, he seemed to instinctively grasp how he could help, without being overprotective. There was a sweet spot between being unwilling or unable to adjust and smothering me, and he had quickly found it.

He touched me, holding a can of red beans in front of me. "Beans or no beans."

I shrugged. "How do you make it?"

He placed the beans in the basket. "Beans it is. That's the great debate at home, but I come down firmly on the side of beans make it better."

"You're the expert."

We continued, adding items to our basket, collecting enough supplies to last us a week or more. He touched me as we paused at the milk cooler. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you speak so softly?"

I smiled. "Because I can't hear myself, I can't tell how loud I'm talking. I used to have a problem with that. People said I was yelling." I shrugged. "So..."

He nodded. "Gotcha."

"Do I need to speak louder?"

He shook his head. "No. I thought maybe it was because..."

"What?"

He shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Oh, no. You were going to say something. Say it."

He looked down and back up again. "I was going to ask if it was because you were embarrassed by how you sounded, but I realized how stupid that sounded." He held my eyes. "Besides, I think you sound sexy as hell."

My eyes widened and I glanced around to see if the people around us heard. When I turned back to him, he was smiling. "What?"

"I could get used to this."

"What?"

"I'm not actually saying anything now, only mouthing the words. I think I like the idea of being able to talk to you in private, even in a public place, like telling you how sexy your voice is, without anyone being able to overhear."

I felt a little chill race down my spine with his words. "I think I'd like that too," I mouthed in return.

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling as his chest bounced. "Sorry. I'm not nearly as good at that as you are."

I grinned. "I said, I think I'd like that too."

"Maybe you can teach me?"

"Maybe."

"Sign language too?"

"Maybe."

He put his hand on my hip and drew me to his side as a woman pushing a buggy passed us. After she passed, he released me, but I was in no hurry to step away from his side. We finished our shopping and made our way to the checkout. As the young guy at the register checked us out, Kane was grinning.

"What?"

"Tell you later."

He pulled his wallet out, but I touched him, and he put his wallet back into his pocket. Brooklyn should have explained the rules to him. This trip was on me. "I've got this," I said as I pulled out my credit card, looking at the amount on the screen before passing my card over.

Kane touched me. "He said to use the chip reader."

I nodded as I slid my card into the slot. Seconds later the screen flashed, telling me to remove my card. I removed it and tucked it away into my wallet.

We walked out of the store. This was when my deafness bothered me. I couldn't hold a conversation and do anything else, even something as simple as walking back to our car. We paused and he began loading our bags into the back.

"What were you going to tell me?" I asked.

He paused in what he was doing, a broad smile on his face. "Did you not see how hard that guy was trying not to stare?"

"The cashier?"

"Yeah." He paused as he watched me. "How do you not realize how beautiful you are? The guy could hardly keep his eyes off you."

My face heated as I looked down. "I don't know about that."

He waited for me to look up. "I do," he said, holding my gaze until I had to look away again.

We drove back to the house and unloaded our bounty. Most items were put away, but some remained on the counter, and as soon as we finished putting items away, he began browning hamburger and preparing the frybread.

I'd had other lovers, but none had volunteered to cook for me. I could cook, but it wasn't an activity that I particularly enjoyed. I watched as he went about the task of preparing our dinner, his movements sure and confident. He touched me on the hand.

"You said you were from Omaha?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"So, what do you do in Omaha?"

"My family owns a pet food and pharmaceutical company. Have you heard of Luposine dog food or MeoWow cat food?"

He nodded. "Yeah. That's you?"

I nodded. "LPP, an acronym for Larson Pet Products, is the holding company for the brands. We also have a line of pet pharmaceuticals that we sell under the LPP brand. Things like flea, tick, and parasite prevention products, along with a new product that is doing very well for us, Remissis. That's Latin for relax. It's a mild sedative that allows dogs that suffer from separation anxiety or noise aversion to live better lives by relieving their anxiety without affecting their behavior."

He watched me for a long moment. "Okay."

I nodded. "Yeah. It's a real breakthrough product. It's only been on the market for about a year, but already it's by far our best-selling and most profitable pharmaceutical. If it keeps growing like it is, it's going to surpass our cat food line to become our second most profitable brand in a year or two."

"Behind dog food?"

I nodded. "Yes. Our dog food lines brought in around eight hundred million dollars last year. Cat food, about four hundred million, and Remissis, two hundred million. Everything else amounts to another six hundred million or so."

"Wow. So, your company is worth, what, two or three billion?"

I paused while I thought about it. "About four, give or take a few hundred million."

He pursed his lips in what I assumed was a whistle. "So what do you do?"

"Oh. I'm the president and CEO."

His eyes opened wider. "Oh, wow. I had no idea."

I nodded. "Yeah. My grandfather started the business, Dad took it over, but he stepped down and retired a couple of years ago. Now I run it."

"And your brother and sister?"

"How'd you know I have a brother and sister?"

"You told me."

I frowned. "I did?"

He grinned. "Yeah, earlier, when I was being a dumbass and you were answering all my unasked questions."

"Oh, yeah, I remember now. I'm the oldest, so I'm running the company. Monty, my brother and the baby, he's the head of sales and marketing. He can sell snow cones to Eskimos in winter. Sparrow, my sister, was the COO, but she took over my position as CFO when Dad stepped down."

"And how old are you?" he asked, a teasing grin on his face. He didn't think I'd answer him.

"I'll be thirty in October. Sparrow, she's twenty-six, and Monty is twenty-four, soon to be twenty-five."

His smile spread. "Thirty, huh? Good thing I like older women."

"Okay, smart guy, how old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Oh no! It's like I'm robbing the cradle."

He snickered. "I don't mind if you don't. Babies get to do something I wouldn't mind doing," he said, staring pointedly at my breasts.

I giggled, enjoying his flirting. So many men walked on eggshells around me. It was refreshing to have someone treat me like, well, normal was the only word I could think of.

"And what do you do in Albuquerque, Mr. Reynolds?"

He grinned. "Like you, I'm president and CEO of a company."

"Really? Anything I've heard of?" Kane was getting more interesting all the time.

"Yep. Heard of Law and Order Property Management?"

I frowned. "Law and order?"

"Lawn," he said more slowly.

I grinned. "Oh, I get it. Lawn and Order."

"Lawn in Order," he clarified.

My smile widened at the play on words. "Even more clever."

He smiled as he nodded, dropping the doughy goop in the hot oil to start it frying. "Yeah. I own a landscaping company. I run eight crews, and we maintain mostly commercial properties and HOA common areas."

"What common areas?"

"Sorry. Home Owner Association. Town home communities where the lawns, common areas, and streets are maintained by the homeowner's association. Nothing so grand as your multi-billion-dollar company, but we maintain about two hundred properties a week."

"You own that?"

"Yeah. I started out mowing the neighbor's lawns with a push mower when I was about ten, and it grew from there."

"I'm impressed."

He chuckled. "Yeah, right, but nice of you to say so."

"I'm serious. I might be the head of a larger company, but I inherited my position, where you built your company from the ground up with your own sweat and labor."

He made a face that indicated he'd take the compliment. We talked some more about trivial stuff as he finished preparing our meal. I watched as he dipped up the frybread and placed it on a plate. To me it looked like a giant, flat doughnut without the hole and sugar frosting. He next piled the meat and bean mixture into the center of the bread and topped it with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.

"Ta-da!" he exclaimed as he picked up our plates and carried them to the table.

I followed with two beers, placing them beside the plates. I might not be able to hear, but there was nothing wrong with my nose, and the dish before me smelled wonderful. I cut off a piece, and after blowing it cool, popped it into my mouth. A smile spread as I chewed before I brought my right hand to my lips and then dropped it into my left palm.

"That means it's good," I said as he looked at me curiously.

"How do you sign 'thank you?'

I showed him, repeating the previous motion, but keeping my left hand down and gesturing to him as I brought my hand away from my lips. He repeated the motion, and I brought my index finger to my lips and motioned away.

"That means 'you're welcome.'"

We finished our meal, and I showed him a few other signs. It was sweet of him, trying to learn, but it wasn't something I could hope to teach him in a month, even with hard practice, and I didn't want to practice hard with him. I grinned to myself as we loaded the dishwasher. There were other things that were hard, and I'd want to practice with, that would be a lot more fun.

The sun was setting as we wandered onto the deck, the lights of Asheville twinkling below us as if stars had fallen from the sky. The mountain air was pleasantly cool, and we sat in companionable silence. Good thing as it became too dark for me to reliably read his lips.

By ten I was suffering. I'd gotten up early this morning, the east coast time kicking my ass, my body thinking it was an hour earlier than the clock said. I smiled to myself. Kane wasn't feeling it now, his body thinking it was only eight, but he'd feel it in the morning.

I rose and paused in front of him. "I'm going to bed."

He stood. "Good night." I could see him debating with himself, probably the same debate going on inside my head. If he asked, would I join him in his bed? I wasn't sure, but in the end, he didn't ask and saved me from having to make a decision.

He followed me into the house, touching me on the arm. I turned to face him. "May I kiss you good night?"

I smiled up at him. "Yes."

He placed his lips on mine in a slow, innocent kiss. I sighed as our lips slowly parted. "I'll see you in the morning," he said.

I nodded as I lifted my right hand to my lips and covered my left hand, my left held palm down this time instead of palm up, as I had for thank you. He watched my movement.

"Not thank you. Your left hand is upside down. Good night?"

I smiled. "You're a quick study."

He smiled back at me. "I've always wanted to learn another language."

"You're in luck, then. But not tonight."

"Tomorrow then."

I nodded, and he kissed me again. He signed good night and I felt a pleasant warmness flow through me. I repeated the sign back to him as I turned to my room. As I closed my door, I sighed. Ms. Brooklyn Lancaster was very good at her job indeed.

I swam up out of the darkness of sleep, smiling to myself as I pulled the warm softness more snugly into my chest. Yesterday, on our first full day together, we'd spent the entire day touring the Biltmore Estate. The house and grounds were simply amazing. We'd gone on three tours yesterday, the self-guided house tour, the grounds tour, and then the special tour that Brooklyn had arranged that allowed us to see things few visitors were able. We'd also visited the Biltmore vineyards.