by Tim Blagge
He stepped in and I was speechless. As I tried to determine if he was Joanna’s date, she ran up and took his arm. He kissed her on the cheek and it was obvious, they were going out.
“Jerry, is Joanna the hottie you were talking about the other night? If she is, I don’t like this one bit!”
“Bill, look at her. She definitely qualifies as a hottie but no, she wasn’t the girl I went out with last Saturday. That was Evelyn Thompson. Remember I dated her in high school some. Turns out she’s already working on her second divorce. One date with her was enough. She almost killed me. And I mean that in a good way.”
Joanna was standing there smiling and blushing. A feeling of love for her came over me as I realized that my sister was grown up and was sweet and beautiful and mature beyond her years.
Just as I was leaving the room to clean up, there was another knock at the door.
“Oh my God, it’s Brenda and I haven’t even had a chance to shower.”
I opened the door and Brenda came in. I hugged her and she hugged me back. I apologized for not being ready, and explained that I had just come home from work.
Brenda nodded and said, “No problem.”
I went on to the introductions or reintroductions because we had all known each other in a former life.
“Brenda, I know you remember Jerry. No one could forget Jerry.” I said nervously. “He’s a First Lieutenant in the Army now and a certified hero with even a medal to prove it.”
Jerry and Brenda shook hands. Jerry looked Brenda up and down and commented in his typical brash way “Wow, look at you girl. You are looking just fine!”
“And Brenda, remember my sister Joanna” I continued.
“Joanna, it’s so good to see you again. I would not have recognized you on the street. You’ve turned into such a striking young woman.” Brenda commented. “And you’re going out with Jerry? I hope the Army has mellowed him some. According to my high school friends, going out with Jerry was always a wild and crazy experience. But looking at you now, I think you’ll be able to keep him in line.”
“Sorry to run but I’m sure this young lady is hungry,” Jerry said. “I made reservations at Stanton’s Bistro and we’ve got just 15 minutes to make it.”
Brenda turned to Jerry chimed in “That’s where I made reservations. Why don’t we call them and see if we can move the time back a little and get a table for four. We’ll let Bill here get ready. It’ll be a double date”
“Brenda, are you sure?” I asked.
“Bill, we’ll have lots of time to catch up, I hope. Let’s just go have a nice meal with old friends. And this way I can visit with your grandparents for a little while too.”
“Brenda, you call the restaurant and I’ll jump in the shower.”
Each couple took separate cars so we could go our separate ways after dinner.
“Table for four for Burton,” Jerry told the hostess.
“Burton, how’d she get my name? Does that mean I’m on the hook for the check?” I asked.
“You always were a little cheap Billy boy, but no, I’m paying for Joanna and as I understand it, Brenda is paying for you.”
“You told them Brenda, shame on you. I had already decided to pick up our tab because I’m working full time now and soon I’ll be rolling in dough.”
“Really, Bill?’ said Jerry, “and what do they have you working on that allows them to pay you all those bucks?”
‘I’m sorry I can’t say. Top secret you know.” I answered.
“Sure it is,” Jerry said, “and if you told me..,” I then interrupted Jerry and together we repeated the words, “I’d have to kill you.”
The dinner went well and we all got caught up on everybody’s lives. Dessert came and Brenda turned to Jerry. “So when does your leave end?”
“I leave a week from Monday. That’s ironic. When you go on vacation from the army you go on leave. When you report back, you have to leave. And it’s too bad too. I just had my first date with an angel.” Jerry said softly.
Joanna looked embarrassed, but pleased as well and said, “We’ve still got a few days left, let’s make the best of them.
We left the restaurant and Brenda and I got into her car. We waved goodbye to Joanna and Jerry. Brenda turned to me and asked, “Where to now?”
“I’d love to go to Chantry Flat and look at the view but I think they close the road up the mountain at 8 PM now.” I answered.
“It’s interesting that you’d think of that. I had too,” said Brenda. “Remember our week-end hiking trips up there? It was a magical place.”
“And for me, a magical time,” I added.
Brenda looked at me, smiled sweetly and made that comment we all dread.
“Bill, we need to talk. I don’t care if it’s at your house, in your room or in the car here, but there’s something I need to get off my chest.”
“Unless you’re talking about your blouse Brenda, I hate those words.”
With that comment, I leaned over the console and gave her a passionate kiss. To my amazed pleasure, she eagerly kissed me back. We proceeded to make out for the next twenty minutes just like we used to in high school.
Brenda paused, gently pushed me away and said, “I think we’d better come up for air, Bill.”
“Who needs air at a time like this?” I responded.
Brenda chuckled and then got serious. “You know Bill, I’m still a virgin. I took an oath when I was twelve to save myself for marriage, and I haven’t broken that oath – yet.”
‘Why are you telling me this now?” I questioned.
“The truth is, my hormones are telling me to give myself to you. My brain is telling me not to.”
“Damn that brain of yours, Brenda, Would a frontal lobotomy help? You know I know a guy!”
With that comment we both broke up laughing and just couldn’t stop. When one of us stopped, the other would break up again and start the process all over. After about ten minutes of laughing we were both gasping for air for the second time in the last few minutes.
“Bill, there’s something else. At BYU I started dating a man; a good man. He went on a Mormon mission after high school and is four years older than me. Bill, he asked me to marry him.”
“What did you tell him?” I asked with a voice getting increasingly louder.
“That I really wasn’t ready right now and that I was going back home to finish my education,” Brenda answered.
“This story sounds oddly familiar. Flash!! Brenda Harris, ‘heartbreaker extraordinaire’ has just brought another unsuspecting fool to his knees. If this guy loves you like I did, he’s going through some heavy stuff right now,” I said.
“Did? Did you say, did?” questioned Brenda
“Brenda, how can you expect me to feel? My god, being with you again tonight has far exceeded even my most hopeful expectations. My biggest fear of this date is that I would fall back in love with you and then you’d dump me all over again. I am trying, very hard, not to set myself up to relive that kind of pain.”
“Bill, the purpose of all this is for me to see if there is still something between us. To be honest, I love the guy, but after being with you tonight, I’ve realized something. The passion I feel for you far exceeds anything I‘ve ever felt for him. And that’s something I want in my life.”
“Brenda, as they say sometimes, honesty can be overrated. I feel you have given me a little more information than I care to know right now. And it almost sounds like you are asking me for some kind of commitment; like you need something from me so that you don’t let the other guy get away.”
“Oh, Bill, I’m so sorry. I made us go a little farther down a path that is better left in the future. I hope you will forgive me. I have a suggestion. Let’s digest what has gone on tonight and get together next week-end, OK?”
“Sounds great, Brenda! I do have a bunch on my plate right now with my new job and everything so next week end would be perfect.”
“Bill, we nev
er had a chance to talk about your new job. What’s going on with that?”
“Remember how it goes Brenda, if I told you I’d have to kill you. Now that would leave two guys with broken hearts trying to get over you. That’s more tragedy than the world can stand right now.”
Brenda started the car and drove me home. Our lack of conversation spoke loudly. We both had a lot to think about.
-13-
When I got into the house, it was quiet though it was only 11 pm. I went to my room and put my wallet on my dresser and reached for my cell phone in my pocket. It wasn’t there. It turned out that I had forgotten to take it with me in my haste to dress for my date with Brenda.
When I looked at it, there were three messages from Dr. Morton. As I reviewed them, the first two asked me to come to the office tonight as soon as possible. The third sounded more urgent. It said that she was going home about one in the morning and for me to come if I could. If I couldn’t meet her tonight, she asked me to meet her at 10 AM, tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s Sunday, my one day off, I thought to myself. I still have time to get there tonight, but screw it, I’m tired and I went to bed.
The next morning I woke up at 8:30. I jumped out of bed and into the shower, got dressed and went into the kitchen for some breakfast.
“How was your date with Brenda?” asked Grandma with a gentle smile. “What a sweet girl she is. I’ve always loved that girl.”
“Great, Grandma and I’ll tell you all about it tonight or whenever I get back from work.”
“Work, I thought you had the day off,” Grandma asked.
“Me too, but when I got home last night, at an early hour I might add, there were three messages from one of my associates Dr. Stella Morton.”
“You mean there’s a woman scientist you’re working with? Must be a real looker,” Pops said sarcastically.
“Actually, you might be surprised, Pops.” I commented. “I’m sorry but I’m running late, got to go.”
On the way to work, I needed some caffeine to help get the old synapses firing so I made time to stop at Starbuck’s. I purchased a black coffee for me and a vanilla latte for Stella. I had no idea what she drank but based on my meager experience with the opposite sex they seemed to prefer the frilly drinks.
“Good morning Dr. Morton. I brought you a latte from Starbucks.”
“Thank you Mr. Burton but I don’t drink anything with caffeine in it.”
“You’re kidding right?” I questioned. “How could anyone get through MIT and graduate school, without a little chemical stimulation?”
“I just never had the need,” she answered and added. “Bill, look at these calculations. I programmed the computer to analyze the information from all the stations available that could accurately measure when the space-time pulse hit them. We are talking instruments that could measure time within a millionth of a second and which recorded the precise time the wave hit. Unfortunately we haven’t received reports from enough of them to make a definitive conclusion. So my results are only preliminary. Are you ready for this?”
I gulped my coffee, sat down and braced myself.
“Bill, I’ve been able to locate the origin of the space-time wave to somewhere in Southern California,” Stella explained. “When I get few more readings, I should be able to pinpoint the origin to within a square mile. With more readings, which we should have by the end of the week, we should know the exact location.”
“Now before we get started, is there anything you want to tell me?” She asked me while drilling a hole in my head with her eyes.
I thought about the question for a second. I decided the direct approach might smoke her out. Maybe she’d get right to the point and tell me what she was driving at.
“About what, my date last night, how I slept, my plans for the future. To what subject are you referring Dr. Morton?”
“I think you are aware of what I want to know, but I’ll play along for now. How was your date last night?” Stella asked.
“Weird and wonderful,” I said. “I am still trying to figure out what it meant, but reconnecting with my first love, was, shall we say, intoxicating.”
Stella looked at me in a way that made me feel strangely like she had an interest in me. Then she leaned in and said, “That was an interesting comment, Bill. Has there been a second love in your life?”
“No, not yet,” I replied.”
“So then you have nothing to compare it to, is that correct?” She said.
“Sure, but first loves are famous for sticking with a person,” I answered.
“But it sounds like maybe you are open to falling in love again.” Stella said sounding like she was going somewhere with the comment.
“I’ve got an adventurous spirit. I like to take the world as it comes. Sometimes I catch the stuff life throws at me and sometimes I duck.” I replied in a feeble attempt to sound worldly.
“I am sure you do Bill, I’m sure you do.” Stella replied.
Stella and I worked through the rest of the day analyzing the data we had accumulated and adding more information as it came in. We also fine tuned the algorithm that we were using to zero in on the source of the time wave. I started to realize that it was only a matter of time until Stella figured it out. She was smart and I knew she wanted to find the answer first. Her mission was to beat the other teams across the globe as well as the other scientists working in our office. This woman was driven.
“Bill, it’s after five. You probably know this, but since you are on salary only now, you don’t get overtime pay. Figure you donated your time to the greater good today. I want to make it up to you. Why don’t you come over for dinner, tonight? I’m actually a decent cook.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked. “I figured it would be in a hotel since you just got here two days ago.”
“One of the reasons I took this assignment, aside from its extreme importance, is because my brother lives in the area. I haven’t seen him much in the last few years so for now, I am staying with him. He had a second bedroom, and even though I haven’t spent much time there yet, it’s really quite nice.”
“That sounds great and thank you Stella,” I answered. “Let me call my grandparents and tell them I won’t be home for dinner.”
I followed Stella in my car. Before we went to her brother’s place, we stopped at the grocery store where we picked up some steaks and other necessary items to complete the dinner. Then I followed her to her brother’s apartment, some place in La Canada.
As we lugged the groceries up to the second floor I said to Stella, “Did you tell your brother I was coming home with you?”
“No, but he won’t mind. He works mostly at night and he usually leaves right after dinner anyway,” she replied.
Stella put her key in the lock and opened the door. The guy who I assumed was her brother was standing in the kitchen. If anybody could pass for a Greek God, I just found him. He had dark wavy hair; one of those squared off jaws and looked like he spent most of his time in the gym.
“Hi Rolf, let me introduce Bill Burton,” Stella announced. “He’s one of my associates at JPL. He was nice enough to come and work with me on a Sunday so I thought I’d offer him a little pay back in the form of a free dinner.”
All six foot six of Rolf strode over and reached out to shake my hand. That was my first mistake. I like a firm handshake but Rolf took firmness to a new level.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch,” I squealed, as my knees began to buckle.
Rolf turned me lose, looked at Stella and they both laughed.
I shook my hand like I was trying to dry it after it got wet. “That’s quite an iron grip you’ve got there Rolf.” I said. “How many broken bones are you responsible for?”
“Mr. Burton, I am sorry. I was just happy to see that Stella had made a new friend this fast. She’s usually studying or working and hasn’t spent the time needed to cultivate many friends in her life.”
I couldn’t resist the next question. “W
ith all due respect, who the hell are your parents, Adonis and Cleopatra?
“Bill, I’ll take that as a complement,” Stella said with a smile.
“Me too,” said Rolf.”
“Are you kidding me? To recap the facts, and don’t forget the fact that I am a scientist with keen empirical skills” I joked, “Dr. Morton is definitely in the top three of my personal ‘most stunning women’ list and a solid contender for number one. And Rolf, I’m amazed that there isn’t a harem of women running around here vying for your attention.”
“I work mostly at night and like Stella, cultivating relationships is hard for me as well,” said Rolf.”
“Where do you work?” I asked.
“Let’s just say that I’m an independent contractor doing independent investigations. I like it because my assignments are never the same.” Answered Rolf
“As a private investigator, what kind of people do you investigate?” I asked.
Just then Stella jumped in. “OK boys, how do you like your steaks cooked?”
“Medium,” I said.
“Rare,” said Rolf.
That figures, I thought.
Somehow, by her question right then, it sounded like Stella was trying to stop the conversation between Rolf and me. The barbeque wasn’t ready and she was still working on the salad. I thought I was just making small talk with Rolf. Maybe she thought I was prying.
We ate what turned out to be a wonderful dinner. “My complements to the chef,” I said. “That was just what the doctor ordered; I was starved. Oh that’s right, you are the doctor, and you did order the meal”, I said with a goofy grin.
I realized that I drank most of the wine with dinner. Rolf had none because he was going to work and Stella was still working on her first glass, but the bottle was empty.
Rolf got up, grabbed his coat and as he was walking out said, “It’s nice to have met you Bill. I hope you visit us again.”
“I apologize, Stella. I guess I drank a little more than I realized. It was a great meal and in the conversation, I lost track of how many glasses of wine I had. Maybe I should leave.”