Can Love find a person even if they don't know they are looking for it?

Can you love your husband but not be IN love with him?

These are questions that people ask everyday, but not me.

Belle didn't work, she didn't have too. She was expected to take care of the house, which she did very well. Her husband expected clean clothes in his drawers and a meal on the table and a clean house, he didn't expect a lot. He was a good provider, a gentle lover, a good man all in all. He worked out of town a lot which left Belle to her own devices most of the time.

She had made a friend in the girl next door, Ruby. Belle and Ruby were very different from each other, but I guess opposites attract for they seemed to get a long pretty well. Ruby made friends quickly and easily but Belle was a bit more withdrawn, kept to herself. Ruby was always telling her she needed to get out, do something, make friends, but Belle had her nose stuck in a book most of the time, she loved to read. She also loved her computer, writing was something else she loved dearly.

She had never published anything but she felt sure that one day she would, it would happen, she just didn't know how to go about it. Belle had a routine. Every morning she got up and put a pot of coffee on, she loved coffee. The steaming hot goodness waking up her senses, it reminded her of Paris. She had always wanted to travel, to go to the places she had read about, but never had the opportunity to do so. She was a wife now, her place was taking care of her husband, well, when he was home that is.

She would turn on her computer, she loved hearing the little ding signifying that her machine was humming to life, waiting for her delicate touch as her fingers danced across the keyboard, finding her way to her favorite writing site. She tried her hardest, banging away, morning after morning, trying to find that perfect story, the one she could turn into a novel and make her fortune with. She could make a million dollars then Gavin would never have to work again, he could come home and they could learn to fall in love once more, like they used to be.

Ruby never let her play on the computer too late, usually by eleven or twelve she was calling Belle on the phone, the insistent ringing fighting its way through the haze of distant places that her writing and reading took her, anywhere except there, alone.

On this morning , a friday, Ruby called late. It was about one in the afternoon, Belle picked up.

"Good Morning Ruby." She could hear Ruby yawn loudly, must have been a long night. Ruby answered her sleepily, "Hey girl, you up?" Belle laughed, "I think the whole world is up chick, it's one in the afternoon, what's wrong with you, sick?"

"late night, but a good one. thinking about going to have a couple of drinks with a friend. He's back in town for a while, you'd like him, he's sweet, wanna come?" Belle sighed, why was Ruby always wanting to drag her out on the weekends. She had went a few times, but Ruby's friends and her never really hit it off. They were all single, partiers, most of them pot heads, they had nothing in common. Sometimes Belle wondered why Ruby bothered being her friend at all. She wasn't like her other friends. Some of them could be pretty... whats the word.. tacky and slutty, but then again so could Ruby, but Belle didn't mind. Ruby would go out for a night on the town then tell Belle all the details, it was almost as if Belle lived precariously through her friend, her friend who wasn't afraid to take life by the balls.

Gavin wasn't due home till sometime sunday night. He installed heating and air. He worked on large commercial businesses being put up all along the east coast. He had even went as far as Florida before, which was a long way from nowhere Maine. He probably wouldn't mind, he was always telling her to go do something fun. "Maybe just one drink, alright? Now who is this friend of yours, he's not some maniac that you found on the streets is he?" Belle heard peals of laughter in the background.

"NO, his name is Nick. He's from here, He went to our school but he's older, even older than you." Belle pretended she was offended.

"Look here girly I'm not that old. Thirty is not old."

"Well, it ain't young." more peals of laughter, Bitch.

"If you called to make fun, then no, I'm not up yet, we old folks need our sleep." Ruby snickered but apologised.

"Just kidding, your not old. Nick is forty, you all will have a lot in common, come one, he just got back and needs to meet some people."

Belle shook her head, "You mean your friends aren't good enough for him?"

"Not quite, he needs to meet some people who are more his age, he's a house-mouse too. You'd like him, it's just a few drinks." Belle could see where this was headed.

"I know what you want Ruby, you want me to drive, so you can get plastered, right? Well, why don't you just spend the night with Nick then, I'm sure that's what you two have in mind anyway, I'd just be a third wheel and personally I'd rather stay home than get dragged down the rabbit hole with you again. Last time you left me at the bar while you played pool all night with your pot-head friends, while I waited to take your drunk ass home."

That night had been a disaster, it was also the last time she went out with one of Ruby's group of friends who spent the night ignoring her because she didnt want to sneak around the back of the bar and get high behind the dumpsters, ridiculous. Honestly she had been glad when Ruby had all but passed out and she could take her home. She had never told Gavin, but he wouldn't have cared anyway, he never did.

"One drink Ruby, one." She could feel the smirk on her friend's face.

"I'll pick you up at eight, oh Belle this is going to be so fun. So you don't remember Nick? Gold is his last name. He went to school with James and Mary Margaret, remember?" Belle vaguely remembered a Nick Gold from School but he had been much older, and to tell the truth she didn't give much thought to James and mary Margaret's old friends, even if James was Ruby's big brother, honestly who cares.

"Wasn't he in the band, but got hurt or something on prom night?"

"Almost killed is more like it, and yes, he was in the band. Oh Belle he's so sweet. I uh have to let you know something though, I think he's a little bit gay." Gay? How could someone be a little bit gay? that was like being a little bit pregnant.

"You don't mind do you?" Belle gave a laugh.

"No, Ruby, I don't mind if Nick is a little gay, alright? How do you know he's gay, did he tell you that?"

"Well, I can just tell these things, I didn't have to ask him." Oh My God! How shallow can one person be, Belle thought to herself.

"What makes you think that, you can tell me, please let me in on this." Belle just had to hear this, she was sure it would be a doozy.

"Well, he's never made a pass at me, plus, he holds his cigarette funny, I just know Belle, now I gotta go, I'll be over tonight, bye." Ruby no longer seemed in the talking mood.

Belle hung up the phone, Ruby was sweet and endearing but sometimes she was as dumb as a rock, the way he holds his cigarette, how stupid.

Belle got off the phone and proceeded to take up right where she left off. Ruby was insane, what was she playing at Belle wondered. Why would she go have drinks with her brother's old friend who was twice her age, than try to drag Belle along? Belle tried to get back into her reading but unfortunately was not able to concentrate, so instead she took a shower and went for her morning walk.

The local park had a path built around it's perimeter, if you walked around it three times than you had walked a mile, she tried to make it there a few times a week. She never could get Ruby to come though. Ruby insisted that her legs needed no toning and they were the hottest pair of stems in town, Belle had to agree they were legs to die for, but Belle loved being outdoors and couldn't think of not enjoying the fresh air on a day like today. A small creek wound around about half of the walk, the water looked chilly as it swirled with a stong wind. She could get a glimpse every once in a while of a turtle or two, once she even saw a snake, thankfully it was far enough away where she wasn't freaked out. She loved wildlife, she just didn't want any of it on her, did that even make sense?

Eight o'clock seemed to come quickly and before Belle knew it Ruby was standing at her front door in a red skirt that hit her mid-thigh and a white long-sleeve silk shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. She had dyed a red stripe in her long brown hair which Belle had to say she liked, (even though she didn't,but that's what you do for friends) which she now had braided as it hung well past her shoulders. Belle had dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a blue blouse that matched her eyes. "Hey there good looking" Ruby eyed her wardrobe, "You look like your on your way to watch your kids play soccer or something." Belle rolled her eyes.

"I said one drink, you don't have to get all fixed up when it's only one drink."

"Apparently not" Ruby retorted as she came in.

"Let me grab my jacket, the wind is picking up, your going to freeze your ass off in that short skirt, you know that right?" Belle was a realistic kind of person. It just didn't pay to be reckless.

"It's the price you pay to look this beautiful" Ruby laughed.

The Rabbit Hole was dark inside. A little music played off in the background, the jukebox sat on the other side of the room by the pool tables. A few people sat at tables, smoking and laughing, Belle felt out of place but Ruby was right at home. Ruby hit this bar almost every weekend. She loved the ambiance of the place. Plenty of good looking men and they let you run a tab. Her Granny had to pay her bill off now and then, but most of the time the men she met there paid for her drinks.

Belle had a look around the room as soon as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and off in the corner was a man, sitting by himself. Just about the time Belle was going to point him out, Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, "NICK!"

Belle wanted to roll up under one of the tables and hide, everyone in the establishment turned to see Ruby squeal and run toward the man with her arms stretched wide. Nick stood up and held his arms out for Belle's loud and noisy friend to grab him and pull him into a huge bear hug. Belle stood behind her, trying to blend in, hoping Ruby would hurry up so that they could take a seat. Nick looked at Belle as he hugged Ruby, he was smiling shyly at her as if in greeting before pulling away from Ruby. Belle smiled back. "You all want to sit? We will order a few beers, on me." They all pulled up a chair as Ruby began chattering away.

"Nick, this is my best friend Belle. She's been living next door to me well, just about forever." Nick dipped his head slightly in greeting, Belle smiled, he seemed very nice. His hair was longer for someone his age, it was greying slightly she could tell. His dark brown eyes looked kind as he ordered a beer from the waitress.

"What can I get you ladies?" Ruby spoke right up and ordered a beer, but Belle didn't drink beer, she ordered an almaretto sour." Nick raised his eyebrows in surprise, "not a beer drinker, huh?" Belle blushed, she didn't like bringing too much attention on herself.

"Is that alright? I can pay for it myself if it's too expensive, I've just never been a beer person." Nick didn't mind, he shrugged his shoulder and shook his head no,but didn't say anything, which would have been difficult to do since Ruby did enough talking for all three of them.

Belle noticed that Nick seemed quiet, as he sat there and listened to Ruby talk about everything from James and mary Margaret to who she was thinking about dating, she would occasionally ask Belle a question which she would answer before sipping her drink and watching the clock. He told them that he had been out in California, working on a farm for the past few years but decided home was where he needed to be since his Dad had been diagnosed with cancer. He ordered another round of drinks and then another and before Belle knew it they were in the midst of a crowd that had showed up for the friday night festivities. Some of Ruby's friends had spotted her and came over to chat. Belle decided it was time to go home. "Ruby, I think I've had enough, why don't we go home." Ruby was having none of it, she was just getting started, Belle stood up.

"Nick, it was very nice to meet you and good luck, hope your father does alright." Nick stood and shook her outstretched hand, "Thank you Belle. I just landed me a job right before you and Ruby got here, so I'm confident I'll be alright and thanks about my father." Belle nodded, smiling, He really did see nice and polite and she had to admit it, he was cute too.

"Do you need a ride?" The music and voices in the bar were drowning out his soft voice.

"What?" Belle strained to hear him.

"I said do you have a ride home?" Belle nodded her head yes before waving goodbye at both him and Ruby.

Ruby waved goodbye before turning back to her friends. She was used to Belle taking off like a scared rabbit when the real fun started, she always did. Belle turned back one last time before she walked out the door to hail a taxi to see Nick watching her leave.