Page 13 of My Infatuation with Isabella

We walk out together, then go our separate ways. I drive home to my modest two-bedroom house in the suburbs. It’s nowhere near the size of my parent’s house. I hadn’t planned on living with anyone when I bought it and decided on a two-bedroom so Dana could stay over whenever she wanted. It’s the perfect size for a bachelor staying alone, but with Fran’s stuff in here, it’scramped. We need to get a bigger house, one with an office, because Fran comes with a shit ton of textbooks. She’s still studying, and I can’t wait for her to be done so we can donate or recycle some of this because her stuff is all over the place.

“Watson,” I yell as I close the front door. “You home?”

“I’m in my special place.”

I had to convert the garage into a study for her and her mountain of books, and she spends so much time in there that she calls it herspecial place. One would think it was more exciting, but no. It’s just the garage. It’s very exciting to Fran, though. I may be a dork, but Fran is a nerdanda dork. She sure gives me a run for my money. We always joke about it, saying our kids are going to be the modern-day Urkel.

I make my way there and find her with three open textbooks on the desk in front of her and she’s moving between writing in one and highlighting another. I lean against the door and watch her. If there is one word to describe Francesca, it’s determined. She has razor-sharp focus. Once she sets her mind to something, she draws up a plan of action, and she follows it to the letter. She plans every second of her day. There’s even a weekly schedule on the fridge, so we both know exactly what has to happen every day.

“Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

“Yes,” she replies without looking up. She puts the end of her pen between her teeth and reaches for a different color highlighter. “I just...need to...finish...one more...”

“What’s a guy gotta do to get a proper greeting in this place?”

She looks up from her books and gives me a coy smile. “Okay, Mr. Bossy. I’m coming.” She puts down her pens, then stands up and walks to me, looping her arms around my neck to give me a quick peck on the lips.

“Surely, you can do better than that.”

“You’re so demanding today.”

My arms tighten around her, and she indulges me in a long kiss. I love kissing her. She always tastes like marshmallows and I have no idea why. It’s one of the sweet mysteries about her.

“So, how was your day?” she asks when she pulls away.

“Good,” I lie. “How was yours?”

“Busy! Vet school is no joke. This course work is killing me.” She widens her eyes, purposely making herself look a little deranged. “Is it obvious that I’ve had twelve cups of coffee already?”

“Very,” I reply, trying to hide a smile.

“Caffeine is like a double-edged sword for me. It makes me so productive, but it also makes me absentminded, and then I keep losing things. I have no idea where I left my pencil.”

“Hmm.” I nod, slowly reaching for the back of her head. “You mean...this pencil?” I pull it out of her messy bun and her dark hair tumbles over her shoulders.

“Yes, that’s the one,” she replies with a sheepish giggle. “I wonder how it got there.”

“You need sleep, Franny. You only get absentminded like this when you’re exhausted. Maybe we should skip dinner and you can get an early night tonight.”

“No, I’m fine. I want to go out. I’ve been cooped up in here studying for almost four weeks now.”

“Okay.” I bend slightly and lift her into my arms. “I need a shower...and you’re coming with me.”

“No! We’re only leaving at six. I still have forty-eight minutes of studying left. It takes me seventeen minutes to shower and shave and twenty-two minutes to get ready because you know how long it takes to do my makeup. I’m so bad at that. So, if you leave me to study, I’ll still be ready on time.”

I ignore her because I need to balance out her obsessive, compulsive need for structure. If I don’t disrupt her day once in a while, this habit of hers will drive me crazy. “You can’t live life on a schedule, Franny.”

“My schedule even included a full twenty minutes for you to plant your seed in my garden of Eden.”

“I have never heard anything more unsexy in my life,” I mutter sarcastically, carrying her into our bedroom. Dropping her onto the bed, I strip off her T-shirt and unbutton her jeans. “And thanks so much for penciling me in, but I’ll take my time now.”

“What if you let me study for thirty more minutes and I reallocate the other eighteen minutes toyou-time?”

She’s just toying with me now. I can see it in her smile that is part playful, part shy. She’s adorable. I don’t know what the hell Scott was on about today. Francesca is perfect. Smart, beautiful, caring. Tall, lean, and toned, she’s incredibly sexy, too. I love her. I trust her. And she’s the person I want to share my life with.

“So, you don’t want to compromise on that?” she asks.

“Nope.”

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