Callie awoke the next morning to the sun shining through the large bay window. She sat up and stretched. Shrugging off her sleep, she noted how refreshed she felt. That luxurious queen size bed was much more comfortable than the shabby one she had slept in a few nights ago at a run down b&b and it was definitely better than the back seat of her car. 

   She ran her hands over the smooth comforter and looked around the guest room again. The light from the sun illuminated it just enough to have a calming effect. She looked over at the bay window again and slid from the bed starting towards it. When she looked out across the grounds she was rendered breathless by what she saw. Gardens dotted the landscape with color, large trees stretched as far as she could see, and she thought she had seen a glimpse of a ferris wheel far behind the tree line. She smiled to herself wondering what Michael would be doing with a ferris wheel and if he ever took the time to climb the trees. 

   She turned to examine the room again. There were two doors on the wall opposite her bed, one on each side of the dresser. She had assumed they were both closet doors but upon closer examination, she noticed little white tiles underneath one of the doors. By it, on the dresser, lay a fluffy white towel and wash cloth. She smiled and walked over towards it. 'For such a distant man,' she thought to herself, 'Michael sure is a gentleman.' She picked up the towel and wash cloth, opened the door, and stepped into the bathroom.

   After her shower, Callie stepped back into the room. The towel was wrapped around her body and her golden brown hair cascaded in darkened waves down to the middle of her back. As she entered the room she noted that the clock on the night stand read '11:30'. She widened her eyes in shock. She had never in her life slept so late unless she was sick. She felt a twinge of guilt and had hoped she hadn't overstayed her welcome. 

   She quickly dressed and dried the water from her hair with her towel. She did the best she could with her messy hair by running her fingers through it. She scooped up her dirty laundry and opened the door into the hallway. She walked down the hallway and down the flight of stairs. She stopped at the bottom, still clutching the damp cloth in her hands, wondering which way to go. 

   She heard a noise coming from the right and remembered that the kitchen was in that direction. She turned and walked slowly to the kitchen, hoping not to intrude. As she turned the corner to the kitchen, she was in awe of it's massive size. She felt that she had just stepped into the kitchen of a fancy restaurant. In the middle was a slightly frazzled looking Michael. His hair was tied back but he had several curls that had escaped and were dancing wildly on and around his face. 

   Callie couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked in his frustration. She stifled a giggle and he looked up. 

   "Good morning!" She was taken aback by his enthusiasm. 

   "'Morning." She smiled a bit distracted. Had she just referred to this man she barely knew as adorable? She looked around the kitchen and noted that Michael had done a bit of cooking. As she looked at the spread, her stomach groaned in it's emptiness. 

   "Um," Michael looked around and gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "I, uh... I didn't know what you liked... so..." He smiled shyly and bit his bottom lip.

   At that, Callie felt a shock shoot down her body and shivered. 'What is that?' She wondered and hoped that Michael hadn't seen it. She suddenly felt bashful as she thanked him and walked towards him... and the food. Their eyes met as he took the wet clothes from her hands and gave her a plate. 

   "Help yourself." He ushered politely as he left to dispose of the clothing.

   She thanked him again and quickly lowered her eyes. She looked at the massive amount of food on the counter and noted that possibly every breakfast food ever invented was sitting in front of her. "What in the...?' She thought in confusion. 'Last night he hated me and now... Now he has gone way out of his way to feed me...' Callie had no idea what was going on with Michael, but he was beginning to make her dizzy. 

   She felt herself jump as Michael walked back into the kitchen. She quickly filled her plate with waffles, yogurt and fresh fruit then turned to Michael with a smile.

   "Oh," he paused. "We can eat out on the patio if you'd like." He led the way as he spoke. Callie followed, now fully aware of her hunger and ready to devour the food in front of her.

   Michael slid open a glass door and ushered her out onto a stone patio. Callie stopped for a moment to admire the fresh scent and the colors the flowers added to the scene. She walked over to the iron table and set her plate down on it. She turned to face Michael as she sat down in one of the iron chairs. He held up a finger to indicate he'd be back a minute and disappeared back into the house.

   Despite her hunger, Callie refrained from digging in. She thought it would be polite to wait for Michael. Instead she lay her head back, closed her eyes, bathed in the sunlight, sighed, and noted that, strangely, she felt more relaxed than she had in a while.