Better Late Than Never…
Thursday, February 14th 2030
"This was just so damn stupid…" He said out loud to no one.
He had gotten up at four thirty, caught a flight at seven, and flown half way across the country, waited all day, for this…
He was standing in front of a strange apartment in Topeka Kansas, afraid to knock on the damned door…
'I'm not even sure she's single! Why did I do this?' He thought.
Before he could take another breath, the door opened and she began to step out, nearly running into him.
"Benson?" She said.
"Um… hi. Yep it's me. Ahh, Happy Valentine's Day." He said handing her a bouquet of ruby red roses and a bottle of wine.
Her stare back was nothing if not one hundred percent astonishment.
"Valen… Umm… yeah, okay." She mumbled back as she stumbled backwards into her apartment.
He stayed at the threshold, she stared at the roses.
"How did… don't you still live in Seattle?" She asked, still obviously flustered.
Before he could reply, a tall, dark haired teenage boy came to her side, looking over the fellow standing at their door with near contempt.
"Who's this, mom?" The boy asked.
She turned to her son and said: "He's an old friend… Doug this is Freddie, Freddie this is my boy, Doug."
Freddie raised his arm to shake hands with the boy. The young man scowled for a moment, looking at the older mans outstretched arm, then took Freddie's hand and shook it.
"Yes, I still live in Seattle, and its Valentines Day, so here you go…" Freddie said handing her the roses and wine.
"Thanks… Freddie, I'd love to talk but I have to catch a bus. I work tonight." Sam said while handing her son the gifts.
"Can I give you a ride to work? I've got a rental car in the lot there." Freddie replied pointing towards the parking area.
"Yeah… thanks."
She asked her son to put the flowers and wine in the fridge, gave him a peck on the cheek, and followed Freddie to his car. Freddie held open the passenger door. She paused for a moment, and looked up at him before getting in. Closing her door, he walked around behind the car and got in.
"Where to?" He asked while starting it.
"It's not far, a couple miles. Sometimes I walk, but not when it's this cold… Freddie, why are you here?" She asked
"It'll take to long to explain if it's only a short drive…" He answered.
She looked over at him for a moment, said "oh…" and gave him directions to her work.
They traveled in silence for a moment, until Freddie said:
"Doug looks like a fine young man."
"He is… he… he really reminds me of you at his age. He's into computers and stuff. How did you find me anyway. It's been so long since we talked, I think I was still in Phoenix the last time… ten or eleven years ago." She asked.
"I ran into your sister. She was in town visiting your aunt and uncle. She told me." He answered.
"So… she told you about… everything. The divorce, all that." She asked.
"Yep, she did…"
She turned and looked out the window for a bit, then asked:
"So your daughter must be what, twelve or thirteen now? How's Sandy doing?"
"Donna is going to be fourteen next month, she's great. Sandy is doing okay I guess, we got divorced about four years ago… She remarried last year." He replied.
"…divorced…?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah, about four years…" He replied.
They pulled into the parking lot of the all night diner. Sam opened her door, got out and stuck her head back into the car. "Hungry?" She asked.
"Yeah…"
He followed her into the diner. During the short walk she explained that she only worked here three or four nights a week. Her regular job was a checker at a grocery store, but being a single mom… she needed the extra money sometimes.
After they got inside, she asked him to wait a moment while she checked her schedule, returning quickly, she seated him at one of 'her' booths for the evening.
"The steak sandwiches are really good, but the burgers… to die for." She told him.
"Can I buy you dinner… on a break or something" He asked.
She looked at him for just a beat too long, and said; "Yeah… I'd like that. Want some coffee for now then? Maybe a beer?"
"Yes, please… Coffee would be great."
She turned and walked away, back toward the counter. She didn't look much different than she had all that time ago. But, what he really noticed was her expression. He could see her face reflected in the chrome milk machine. She was… smiling, really smiling.
So was he.
She brought his coffee, and then had customers. She stopped by his table every so often, refilling his coffee, chatting about nothing, and telling him about the regular customers in the little mom and pop diner.
They talked about how he ran into Melanie in Seattle, about their kids, about how Carly, who now lived in Sag Harbor in the Hampton's, rarely came out west to visit but did call sometimes. What was really intriguing to Freddie though, was each time Sam left his booth; he could see her smile in the reflection of the milk machine.
The smile kept getting bigger.
After a couple hours of her popping by to chat for a moment, she asked him if he was ready to eat. She had a break in about ten… She was going to have something herself.
A few minutes later she brought out two huge hamburgers with fries, more coffee for him, and a soda for her.
They had been discussing how good the food was... about half way through her burger Sam blurted out; "So why are you here, anyway. I mean yeah, the food is good, but not worth flying eighteen hundred miles for?"
"I came here to ask you out…" Freddie replied.
"Out? Like a date?" Sam nearly choked.
Freddie smiled.
"Yep, a date… Look, we hemmed and hawed around 'us' all through school and really more so up until you left after high school. I thought this might be a good time for us to find out what all that was about back then. So… if you're single…"
"I am." She interjected.
He continued; "okay, then how about it? Go out with me."
Silence
"Sam, I'm sorry for being so blunt, but… you asked." Freddie said.
"No, no… that's not it at all… this is just… weird. I haven't seen you in nearly twenty years… you kinda blow into town and ask me to date you." She said.
Freddie nodded.
"And you live in Seattle. How's that going to work?" Sam asked.
"I telecommute. I write software, I can live anywhere there is a good internet connection." He answered.
"Oh… Well what about your daughter?"
"When Sandy got re married they moved to Chicago. This is actually closer." He said.
"Okay… Look, I'm not saying no, but damn Freddie. Can I think about it?"
"Please. Would you rather I leave? I could come back and take you home if you want. I'm staying at a motel a couple of miles up I-70." Freddie said.
"No… stay if you want. In fact, please stay. We can talk." Sam said getting up. She took their dirty dishes; got Freddie more coffee, and gave him a nervous grin before going back behind the counter.
Watching her reflection in the chrome machine, he noticed she was smiling, again.
The diner got busy after that. She hardly had any time to stop and chat. Freddie was nearly falling asleep. It was almost midnight when Sam nudged him awake.
"Need a ride home?" He asked.
She smiled, and nodded.
They drove back to her apartment in relative quiet, until he parked in front of her place. She turned to him, took his hand and said:
"I work tomorrow morning at the grocery store and tomorrow night at the diner. Saturday, you're coming over for dinner. I'm cooking. You'll need to meet Doug anyway, and you two will probably hit it off like crazy. If you want, come by the grocery store at noon for lunch."
Freddie looked at her for a moment, and said; "Thanks."
"Welcome… and… well, I know there are some vacant apartments in my complex… I mean… if you want."
He didn't reply, he walked her up to her door and hugged her.
He broke the hug, and said; "well, better late than never, I guess."
She smiled, hugged him back and said; "Yeah…"
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