A/N: Part 2 of travels with Will and Lou.
Chapter Eleven
12 June - Arizona
The sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky while Will arched the brown cowboy hat back on his head and placed on his sunglasses. Glancing at Louisa, he admitted she looked cute in a tan cowgirl hat, a white denim shirt, jeans and tan boots and made a little cough to get her attention.
"Are you hungry?" Will asked.
"Yes," she said with a small nod. They walked down the pavement when he opened the door to a small diner and a silver bell jingled after they walked inside. A waitress led them to a booth near the window when she handed them a menu and Will ordered two ice teas while they decided what to have for lunch. Will took the sunglasses off and hooked the arm of the sunglasses over the opening in his blue denim shirt. Louisa glanced at the chest hair which stuck out of the opening as she shyly smiled then looked back at the menu. He noticed the smile, but ignored it and nodded after the waitress placed the frosty glasses of ice tea on the table. The waitress wrote their orders on the pad she carried as Louisa watched her walk away and he noticed the sad look in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Clark?" he asked.
"I was just thinking about the Buttered Bun," she said and removed the paper wrapper from the straw before placing the plastic straw in the ice tea.
"Do you know if anyone bought the shop?"
"Yeah, but they tore it down and turned the space into a carpark."
Will felt his stomach tightening as he nodded and the waitress came with their order. She placed the plates down on the table then walked away and Louisa looked at the pile of chips and a hamburger with a slice of melted cheese, some lettuce, a slice of tomato and ketchup on a toasted bun. Will looked at the bowl of chili and the pile of chips when he picked up the spoon and started eating. Louisa cut the hamburger in half when she started eating and Will noticed the smile on her face.
"That good?" he asked and she nodded.
"I never tasted anything like it," she said and used the paper napkin to wipe her lips.
"Do you want to know what kind of meat it is?"
"Sure."
"It's bison."
"Bison? As in a buffalo?" she asked with slightly wide eyes and he nodded. She took another bite then a sip of the ice tea and wiped her lips with the napkin. "What are you eating?"
"It's called "chili", Clark," he said with a smug look and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"I know what chili is. But what kind of meat is that?"
"Rattlesnake meat," he said as she nearly choked on the ice tea and he gave her a worried look. "Are you alright?"
"Aren't rattlesnakes poisonous?" she whispered as she leaned closer and he smiled.
"Yes, but the meat is eatable," he said then placed a large spoonful of chili in his mouth, chewed then swallowed. "I was a little worried the first time I tried it. It's actually quite good."
Nodding, she started eating again when she looked at the clock on the wall then at Will and blinked.
"What time is the meeting?"
"It's at two," Will said, looking at his watch.
"Where are you meeting the client?"
"He wants to talk at the Grand Canyon. You can come with me if you want."
"He wouldn't mind?" she asked and he shook his head. "Can I try some of that?"
He used the spoon to scoop some of the chili onto her plate as they continued eating and Louisa silently admitted the chili was delicious.
The Grand Canyon
Will noticed the look on Louisa's face from seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time and he slid her hand in his.
"This is… This is amazing," she whispered while Will's client, Kenneth Drew, walked closer and took off his sunglasses.
"Yep, it is," he said and she looked at him.
"Hello, Mister Drew," Will said while holding his hand out and Kenneth shook hands.
"Good to see you, Traynor," he said as he looked at Louisa. "Who is this?"
"This is Louisa Clark."
"Nice to meet you, Louisa. Or may I call you "Lou"?"
"That will be fine," Louisa said and he smiled.
"Shall we get going?"
"Where are we going?"
"We're going for a ride," he said as he pointed to the helicopter and she looked at Will.
"He does business while flying over the canyon," Will said as he grinned and she fought hard not to panic. They walked to the helicopter as he helped her get in and she sat in the front seat next to the pilot. The pilot told her how to buckle the seatbelt while Will and Kenneth got in the helicopter and the pilot finished the preflight checks. Will leaned over to tap Louisa's shoulder when he pointed to the earphones on the floor near her feet and she placed the earphones on. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," Louisa said. "Why do we need to wear these?"
"It gets really loud in here," the pilot said with a grin and she nodded. The pilot started the engine as the helicopter rose off the ground and Will watched Louisa hold tightly onto the sides of the seat. A few minutes passed while Kenneth and Will talked as Will glanced at Louisa from time to time and she had finally relaxed.
"Um, excuse me, but what is this for?" Louisa asked as she pointed to the lever over her head.
"Don't touch that, Clark," Will said.
"Why?"
"it's the rotor break. Touch that and we drop like a rock," the pilot said and Louisa quickly placed her arm down. She watched the canyon spreading out around her as she noticed the different between one end of the canyon with the other end then the helicopter returned to the station and landed. Will and Kenneth got off the helicopter as Louisa removed the earphones and the pilot looked at her. "Sorry if I scared you."
"That's alright," she said then took Will's hand and got out of the helicopter.
"Did you enjoy your first helicopter ride, Lou?" Kenneth asked.
"Yes," Louisa said as she looked at the canyon.
"Well, it's been nice seeing you again, Traynor," he said as he shook hands with Will then Kenneth and the pilot walked away. Will looked at Louisa when he removed the Blackberry from his pocket and took a photo of her. Placing the Blackberry away, he walked closer when he took hold of her left hand and she glanced at him.
"Ready to go?" Will asked.
"No," Louisa said and he moved closer. She didn't mind him placing his arm around her shoulders as she learned her head against his chest and he made a soft sigh while she slid her arm around his waist.
15 June - Walnut Canyon, Arizona
The door opened while Will carried in the suitcases and Louisa closed the door. She noticed the puzzled look on his face when he placed the suitcases down and she stood next to him.
"What's wrong?" Louisa asked.
"I think they made a mistake," Will said while she turned and saw there was only one bed.
"Do you want to see if there's another room?"
"Yes," he said then sat down on the bed and removed the Blackberry from his jeans pocket. Louisa started unpacking as she glanced at the bed then at Will. She finished unpacking by the time he was done talking on the phone and he placed his hands on his knees.
"Let me guess," she said as she sat next to him on the bed. "There aren't any other rooms available."
"No, there aren't," he said with a shake of his head.
"Well, it's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before."
"That was different. You were still shaken up by your nightmare."
"Maybe a room will open up by the time you get back from your meeting," she said then got up and headed for the bathroom. He watched her close the door as the thought of not having her in the same room caused a large knot in his stomach and he sighed, leaning his lower arms on his knees.
Louisa watched while Will talked with his client while they stood at the top of the canyon and she looked at the information on the map display. She was amazed that someone would want to live in one of the twenty-five cliff dwelling rooms dug into the walls of the canyon by the Sinagua people. Many of the dwelling were built around a U-shaped meander and a zero point nine miles long looping trail descends one hundred and eighty-five feet before you get to the dwelling.
"Oh boy," she said as she looked out over the canyon and Will walked closer to stand next to her.
"Ready to go?" he asked as he pointed toward the stairs and Louisa slowly nodded her head. He took her hand then wrapped their fingers together and led her to the stairs.
The coolness of the air conditioning felt good as Louisa slid under the bedding and went to lie on her back. She had enjoyed looking at the cliff dwellings while Will talked with his client and Will had teased her about seeing if he could climb one of the walls of the canyon.
He seemed to change his mind about them sharing a bed when they came back to the room and had promised to stay on his side of the bed.
The bathroom door opened while Will came out and was wearing just his t-shirt and underpants. He got under the bedding as he slid onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. She looked at his profile until he looked at her, smiled and turned the light off.
"Good night," he said while going onto his left side and she looked at his back. Smiling, she rolled onto her right side when she felt him poke her back with his finger and she turned to look over her shoulder. "Aren't you going to say good night back?"
"Good night," she said then felt him moving on the bed to get comfortable and she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. In the morning, she woke to find he had rolled over during the night. His arm was wrapped around her waist and she felt his head resting against hers.
"So much for staying on your side of the bed," she whispered while looking at his hand. Smiling, Louisa slid her fingers around his as he lightly squeezed her fingers and she felt his breath against her neck after he made a content sigh.
7 July - Tokyo, Japan
Louisa had seen documentaries on television about Tokyo, but was still shocked by how impressive the city was as she looked around and held tightly onto Will's hand. He had signed several new clients during their stay and he was trying to find somewhere to go or something to do to celebrate. They kept walking when Will noticed a sign in the window and lightly pulled her toward the door to a shop.
"Where are we going?" Louisa asked.
"We're going to get some snacks," he said as he opened the door and they went inside. He picked up a metal basket off the pile as she followed him down the aisles and she was amazed by the variety of candies, soft drinks and bags of crips. He looked at the shelves when he picked a few items then placed the items in the basket and she arched an eyebrow.
"How about these?" she asked as she held up a packet of crips and he snorted a laugh.
"Remember last night when we had sushi and you had that little dot of wasabi?"
"Yes," she said when he arched his eyebrow and she looked at the packet then placed the packet back on the shelf.
"Good idea," he said and placed a few more snacks in the basket. "Now, these are Umaibos. I've had them once. They're really good. These are cheese. These are pizza. These are vegetable salad. Finally, these are shrimp and mayonnaise."
"Seriously?!"
"Yes," he said with a nod then looked into the basket. "These are Fruit Forest gummy candy and, even though I am not big on chocolate, these are Chocolate Daifuku."
"I guess those are mine then," Louisa said and he softly laughed.
"Finally, these are Corn Potage snacks, Puchi-puchi fortunetelling chocolates…."
"Those are mine, too."
"….and some Milk Bolo," he said with a sigh. He led her to the cashier as the woman gave them a big grin and Will bowed. She placed the snacks in a snack box as he nodded then paid and she placed the snack box in a plastic bag. Both Will and Louisa bowed before leaving the shop and Will took hold of Louisa's hand while they headed down the pavement.
22 August - Bangkok, Thailand
Will walked beside Louisa while they walked by the Buddha statues and he sipped on the water from the plastic bottle in his hand.
"Can we go see any of the temples?" Louisa asked while looking in the guide book she had brought with her and he blinked.
"What?" he asked.
"Can we go see any of the temples?" she repeated, looking over the top of her sunglasses. "Are you ok?"
"Yes," he said with a nod.
"So, we can go?"
"Well, I had planned on taking you to Wat Benchamabophit or the Marble Temple."
"Let's go!" she said as she took his hand and gently pulled, making him laugh.
It didn't take long to get to the relatively modern looking temple as she stood next to him and he glanced at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.
"I was just thinking about all the times I've been here. All I would do is check into the hotel, go to the meetings, go back to the hotel then go home."
"That sounds boring."
"It is. But this time….," he said as he held up his right index finger. "This time it's different. In fact, all these trips have been completely different."
"Because I've been with you?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows together.
"Yes, Clark, because you've been with me," he said and she was a little startled when he moved some hair behind her right ear. "This might sound like something out of a romance novel, but there are times when I feel like it's just me and you against the world."
"Ah," she said when she suddenly became shy and he reached over to take her hands. She looked deeply into his blue/gray eyes and he moved closer while wrapping their fingers together.
"So, do you believe me when I say I am glad you're here?" he asked and a light blush moved across her cheeks.
"Yes," she said as she nodded her head and they turned to look at the temple.
24 August
"We're going where?" Louisa asked as they walked down the pavement and Will glanced at her.
"We are going to a cat café," he said with a smug look.
"What, exactly, is a cat café?"
"You'll see," he said as they walked up to a door and she was surprised to see three cats sitting on a table, looking out at them.
Caturday Cat Café was painted on the door as he opened the door and they walked inside. Louisa's eyes went wide as she looked at the cat paintings on the walls as well as other paintings and murals, the quaint furnishings, people either sitting on the floor around the tables or sitting in chairs around small tables and the smells from the kitchen made her mouth water. Will was chatting with the hostess while Louisa stood next to him then noticed there were cats everywhere. People didn't seem to mind and some of them were playing with the cats while waiting for their meals.
"Uh, Will," she said while tapping his arm and he looked at her.
"Noticed the cats, did you?" he asked with a grin.
"How did you find this place?"
"I had a female client take me here once," he said as the hostess led them to a table and Will sat on the pillow. Louisa sat across from him when a Bengal cat strolled up to her, sniffed her foot and settled down next to her. "It's alright, Clark. You are allowed to touch it."
Louisa stroked the cat's ear as it made a soft purr and she smiled.
"How many cats are there?" Louisa asked, looking around the room.
"I was told there are forty cats living here, but only twenty cats can come out at a time," Will said as he looked at the menu. Louisa looked at the menu as the cat purred and she looked at the choices. "Would you like to start with the cheese and bacon spring rolls?"
"Yes," she said as the waitress came over and took their order. It wasn't a long wait for the cheese and bacon spring rolls to arrive and Louisa admitted they were really good. A few minutes later, the rest of their meals arrived and Louisa laughed when a white and grey fur cat kept meowing until Will removed one of the cat toys from the basket next to them and started playing with the cat. After dessert, they played with a few more cats then Will got up to pay the check and Louisa looked at some of the cats sitting on a table near the window. He held the door open as she walked by him then looked back to see if any the cats were following her and he closed the door behind them. They walked down the pavement when he looked at her and she placed her digital camera in her purse. She had taken some photos inside the café and he placed his hands behind his back.
"So, did you like it?" he asked.
"It was purrfect," she said when he burst out laughing then shook his head and she giggled.
17 October – Saint Anthony's Hospital
"Where is he?!" Camilla demanded as Louis looked up and saw Camilla and Steven coming down the hallway.
"He's in Recovery," Louisa said as Camilla came closer and sat down on the couch. She saw how upset Louisa looked when she placed her hand on top of Louisa's hand and Louisa sniffed.
"What happened?" Steven asked as he sat down next to Camilla.
"We were in the kitchen, having breakfast, when he… He…. He…," Louisa said as the tears came and she placed her face in her hands. Camilla moved closer and Louisa was surprised when she placed her arm around her shoulders then made soft hushing sounds. Steven looked at the doorway when Doctor Matthew Crawford appeared in the doorway and Steven stood up.
"Doctor, is my son going to be alright?" Steven asked.
"Yes," Doctor Crawford said, looking at the chart. "Thanks to the quick thinking of Miss Clark."
"Do you know if he's awake?" Louisa asked while Camilla handed her some tissues and Louisa wiped her eyes and nose.
"Yes, but he keeps saying "cluck".
"No," Louisa said with a small laugh. "He's saying my last name. It's Clark."
"Then you better come with me," he said and Louisa, Camilla and Steven followed him out of the room. They walked down the hallway as he pushed the button for the lift and Louisa watched the numbers moving. A few minutes later, Louisa stood in the doorway to the Recovery room and looked at Will lying under the bedding. The wires to the heart monitor rested on his right shoulder while the needles to the intravenous drip and blood drip was taped to the back of his right hand and a white plaster cast covered his left wrist. The nurse was looked at the screen to the heart monitor when she turned to look at Louisa, smiled and nodded for her to come in. Louisa walked to the bed as the nurse placed the chart in the holder at the foot of the bed and she watched the nurse leave the room.
"Will? Will, it's Lou," Louisa said while she brushed the hair out of his eyes and his dimples made light dents in his cheeks.
"I know," he said with a sleepy tone to his voice and half opened his eyes then blinked until her face came into focus. "Hello."
"Hello," she said and he saw the sad look in her eyes.
"Oh, Clark, don't cry."
"Why shouldn't I cry?! You scared the hell out of me!" she said, getting annoyed.
"I'm sorry," he said then slowly raised his left arm up so he could look at the cast. She reached over to lightly lower his arm while he looked at her then at the ceiling and sighed. "How am I going to explain this?"
"Just tell people you're a klutz and shouldn't be allowed to use sharp knives," she teased and he laughed.
"How else can I cut open a bagel?"
"Well, most people know to cut away from their wrists when they're doing that."
"I'm still amazed you stayed so calm through the whole thing."
"Believe me. I wasn't," she said as she took his right hand and wrapped their fingers together. He looked at their fingers then at her and a small grin spread across his face.
"You are never going to let me live this down, are you?"
"Nope," she said as he yawned and closed his eyes. Louisa gently sat on the edge of the bed while she watched him drift off to sleep, but neither of them noticed Camilla watching them from the window.
A/N: I hope you don't mind my version of what happened to Will's wrist. And the cat cafe is a real place.