Why wait until tomorrow?Come back tonight.I want to say, but the ‘wanting to act mature’ high horse comes in the way.“No problem.I will leave the planting at this stage, and we can finish when you are free.”
Dusting my hands, I stand and join him as he closes the gate to the garden.
“I had a fantastic time today.Thanks for everything.I owe you a date.”He walks beside me as we make our trip to the house.
“You owe me nothing.Instead, I should thank you for spending time with a lonely old man.”
“From this angle, you are an adorable old man.”Jimmy uses his fingers to make a square camera shape and pans the frame from my face to my body.I shove him on the shoulder.He stumbles.I grab and pull, but he is too heavy.We crash on the grass bed — me on top of him.
“What about from this angle?”I tease him with a raised eyebrow and kiss his nose.
“Beautiful.”Jimmy traces my cheek with his knuckle.“I hate leaving, but Sahil will be upset, and the owner turns up at the gym in the evening.”He whispers.
“I understand.If the schools were open, I also would have been unable to entertain you on a weekday.”I help him off the ground.We brush off the grass and leaves.
“When do the schools open?”He asks as we reach my door.
“Next week.”
Jimmy's face drops.“Damn, we will only be able to meet on Sundays.”He runs his fingers through the thick black waves of hair covering his forehead.
“We meet daily in the morning.”
“Yeah, but I am busy with the clients.”Jimmy huffs.
I, too, am frustrated.When I see him at the gym, I stifle my smile and keep my hands to myself.
“I have an idea.Will your boss let you take an hour off from the gym at around 8 AM?Only once a week.We can have breakfast together.”
Jimmy’s eyebrows bunch up over the bridge of his nose.“What do you have in mind?”
“We need a physical education instructor for the children.Can you develop some exercises for teenage kids?”
“Why not?”His eyes sparkle as he smiles.
“Will your boss agree?”I don’t want Jimmy to get into trouble or lose his job.
“Leave Bhatia Ji to me.”He plants a kiss on my cheek and waves goodbye.
I stand and take in every second of the view, soaking in the warmth wrapping my soul.The fragrance riding the first whiffs of a new beginning.
