Chapter 2:
His clothes were scattered all over the bed. The suitcase wasn't there yet, and instead of that, the bed didn't have a free place. Giving another look at his watch, he wondered where Laura would be. They'd left the office almost at the same time, but he had arrived home more than an hour ago, and there was no trace of her there yet. He set his mind again on the bed ready to follow on with his task when he heard the front door opening. Laura came in a rush into the bedroom, taking off her shoes on the way. Without taking his attention off from the packing, he nonchalantly told her, "I supposed you were going to be here earlier. Your brief detour wasn't as brief as you told me at the office."
"I got tangled in the transit. I wasn't counting on that. I forgot it is Friday's afternoon. Don't worry; I'll be ready in a minute. My luggage is usually easier to pack than yours. I need some space on the bed…" she tried to stack some of his shirt and t-shirt several piles in only one, when she raised her eyes showing a hint of annoyance, "We are going to stay there only for the weekend. Do you think you are going to have the time to wear your entire wardrobe?"
"Come on Laura, you know me very well."
"…Yes, I think I do…" she interrupted him rolling her eyes and raising her hands with resignation. "But I never lose the hope…"
He lifted his eyes from the bed and noticed she wasn't in a good mood- Walking a few steps toward her he tried a different approach to slow down her bad mood just a bit-
"On the other hand…" he pulled her back to him, "Maybe I should try to share the suitcase this time. The big one will be enough for both of us." he started a path kissing her neck.
She realized she was getting distracted by his activity, a fact that annoyed her. "Don't try to distract me when I'm packing. I'll forget half of the things I need and once there you are going to tell me that you were right bringing half of your wardrobe, and I was wrong packing only the basic stuff."
"Do I have the chance to select what part of your wardrobe I prefer you to forget?"
"Don't bother. I can imagine it by myself…" Laura gave him a peck on the cheek trying to hide a sudden smile and to get free from his embrace and his distracting activities, resuming the focus in her task.
They were in the Auburn taking the US 101 N when the night arrived. The top was on despite the warmth of the April because a long way to Santa Barbara was ahead of them. The trip was made in silence, maybe as a consequence of their fatigue; or maybe because of her inner thoughts.
They were attending to one of Laura cousin's wedding, Ralph Holt. Although Laura hadn't been in touch with her father for a long time, Abigail had always insisted on remaining close to his side of the family, offering her daughters the chance to know their relatives. They had met several summers in Santa Barbara at Laura's grandmother's house, where she was very comfortable spending time with her cousin Ralph. They were the same age, and as Laura was a kind of a tomboy, she was always eager to follow him, finding his adventures together the better part about her childhood holidays.
Mildred had booked Laura and Mr. Steele at a charming hotel, right on Cabrillo Blvd. Although the ceremony was scheduled on Saturday morning, they decided to arrive there on Friday night and leave on Monday afternoon, enjoying the chance of resting the whole weekend after several frantic weeks at the office. Once their belongings were already in their room, they headed for a stroll around the coast looking for a place to have dinner. They found the perfect restaurant near Santa Barbara Harbor.
Finally relaxing after the trip, dinner offered them the time to talk about the last events of the week. Just as the work topic was over, they began to relax tuning into an expected more romantic level. The night was still warm on their way back to the hotel, and the sound of the waves on the shore was like a lullaby for Laura. After staying for a while getting themselves bewitched under the spell of the sea, they decided to call it a night. It would have been nice to make the walk along the Pier a little longer, but they were drained, and the plan was put on hold until the following night.
