I had the "hammer down" as I accelerated my way down the interstate toward Frostburg, Maryland. I had not been this "giddy" since Brady and I had dated. It seemed that Brad had the same enthusiasm for me, and that was the whole reason for my excitement. I couldn't help but see a bright future with him.

I had left Vermont at dusk and that would put me in Frostburg around 2:00 PM. Brad would teach until 3:30 PM, and then he had promised me another dinner. I was unaware that he had picked a restaurant ninety miles away, but I cared not. Spending time with Brad and getting to know him better was the goal.

He was done at 3:20 PM and phoned me. I had already booked a hotel and had planned to stay in Frostburg for the evening. However, Brad had other plans. He ferried me to Frederick, Maryland. Our first stop was a vineyard tour at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards. Brad knew the proprietors by name, as he wrote about wine on a personal blog and had done a piece for them that made it to the Washington Post.

After a tour and a cocktail with the owners, it was off to dinner. A local restaurant just around the corner from the winery was our destination. We would dine at the Dutch's Daughter. We started with Baked Shrimp Bread and Baked Brie in a Puff Pastry. As if that wasn't enough to send us into a food coma, we continued. I charged on with Maryland Crab Soup and he had the French Onion. We seemed to both be in the mood for beef along side our Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, so I had Filet Oscar and he the Filet Mignon.

Not to be outdone, he had booked a room at the nearby Pleasant Springs Farm. Not wanting to waste any time this time...it felt right anyway this time; I agreed. We spent the nite there in an old cabin and he had additionally made reservations for dinner the following day at the Comus Inn. It was all coming together this time; not at a slow pace, but at a good pace. I dreamed of spending mornings with him; bringing Brad coffee and breakfast as he typed away at "the machina" from a desk near the window at Casa Amor. I somehow knew this dream would become a reality.