Miranda turned off the motor and pulled off her helmet. She was startled to see a mahogany-colored dog with scraggly fur and pointed ears barking and wagging his tail at the sight of her.
"Gabriel?" she asked, getting off her motorcycle and giving the dog a scratch behind the ears, "What are you doing here?"
"I found him here." Jackson's voice surprised Miranda. She hadn't seen him.
"Hi," Miranda said, turning toward Jackson.
Jackson smiled, "Hi, Miranda,"
There was a silence for a moment.
"So how was Portland?" Jackson asked.
"Rainy," Miranda said simply and truthfully, "but it went well."
"That's good," Jackson said.
Another silence.
"You want to get something to eat?" he offered.
"Sure," Miranda said. They headed into the building with Gabriel tagging along behind them.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So why did you go to Portland?" Jackson asked.
"I told you already. I went to visit friends." Miranda answered.
"I know." Jackson said, "What's the real reason?"
Miranda shifted uncomfortably. "Well ..." she said, "It's kind of a long story."
"Really?" Jackson asked, even more interested, "I'm all ears."
There was a long silence, then Miranda figured that she might as well tell the story, because it certainly didn't look like Jackson would back down any time soon. "I guess it all started seven years ago, when I first met Declan."
"Declan?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah." Miranda answered, "He's an Anthropology professor at Northern Oregon University. I was his assistant." From there, she proceeded to tell him about everything. She talked about Peggy and about going to Alaska and bungee jumping off of the Miranda River Gorge. She talked about almost dying from a virus and being saved by the healing cloth against her wishes. She talked about finding out that Declan was dating Peggy. That had been quite the embarrassing experience. Then she talked about moving to Texas and working there for three years.
"... and that's basically the whole story." she finished. She was amazed at herself. She had never planned on telling 'the whole story' to anyone, let alone someone she barely knew. Her eyes drifted off toward the window and she realized that it was completely dark outside. "I was going to find a hotel before it got dark ..." she mumbled.
"There's a pretty good hotel in Gateway," Jackson offered, "I could drive you there."
"What about my motorcycle?" Miranda asked.
"It'll be fine." Jackson said, "No one ever comes here, anyway."
"Okay," Miranda agreed.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jackson forced his eyes onto the road as he drove down the highway, but he still stole little split-second glances at Miranda every once in a while. She was sleeping, and he didn't blame her. He'd be tired, too, if he had spent the whole day riding on a motorcycle.
He turned on his blinker and made his way toward the Gateway exit. At the end of the ramp there was a stoplight. It changed from green to yellow, and then to red. Jackson brought his car to a stop in front of the intersection, then turned his attention toward Miranda.
The moonlight came through the window and illuminated her dark hair and her face had a beautiful look of tranquility on it. He felt compelled to reach out and touch it, but then he heard a honk from behind him. The light was green.
In a few minutes' time, he made his way to the hotel. He gently nudged Miranda to wake her up. Her eyes opened and he noticed for the first time how deep blue they were.
"We're here," he managed to say.
"Oh," Miranda said drowsily as she picked up her bag of clothes and other necessities and opened the door.
On an impulse, Jackson reached out and grabbed her hand. She turned to face him, but he didn't say anything. Miranda was confused for a moment. Then Jackson began to lean toward her, which was when Miranda realized that he was about to kiss her.
Miranda once again surprised herself by not backing away and making some kind of excuse, like she usually would have. Instead, she leaned closer and after what seemed like an eternity, their lips finally met in a kiss.
It wasn't quite what you'd call passionate, but more gentle ... almost friendly.
Afterward, there was an awkward silence as Miranda felt her face go a deep red.
Jackson smiled shyly, "I guess I'll see you in the morning," he said.
Unable to say anything, Miranda nodded and exited the car. She heard his engine start as he pulled out from the curb and drove away. She took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the hotel.
Okay ... everyone in unison ... AWWWWW! Two more parts to this story and I'm done, but I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing. I've just been having soooo much fun writing it. Oh well, I can come up with another one.
"Gabriel?" she asked, getting off her motorcycle and giving the dog a scratch behind the ears, "What are you doing here?"
"I found him here." Jackson's voice surprised Miranda. She hadn't seen him.
"Hi," Miranda said, turning toward Jackson.
Jackson smiled, "Hi, Miranda,"
There was a silence for a moment.
"So how was Portland?" Jackson asked.
"Rainy," Miranda said simply and truthfully, "but it went well."
"That's good," Jackson said.
Another silence.
"You want to get something to eat?" he offered.
"Sure," Miranda said. They headed into the building with Gabriel tagging along behind them.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So why did you go to Portland?" Jackson asked.
"I told you already. I went to visit friends." Miranda answered.
"I know." Jackson said, "What's the real reason?"
Miranda shifted uncomfortably. "Well ..." she said, "It's kind of a long story."
"Really?" Jackson asked, even more interested, "I'm all ears."
There was a long silence, then Miranda figured that she might as well tell the story, because it certainly didn't look like Jackson would back down any time soon. "I guess it all started seven years ago, when I first met Declan."
"Declan?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah." Miranda answered, "He's an Anthropology professor at Northern Oregon University. I was his assistant." From there, she proceeded to tell him about everything. She talked about Peggy and about going to Alaska and bungee jumping off of the Miranda River Gorge. She talked about almost dying from a virus and being saved by the healing cloth against her wishes. She talked about finding out that Declan was dating Peggy. That had been quite the embarrassing experience. Then she talked about moving to Texas and working there for three years.
"... and that's basically the whole story." she finished. She was amazed at herself. She had never planned on telling 'the whole story' to anyone, let alone someone she barely knew. Her eyes drifted off toward the window and she realized that it was completely dark outside. "I was going to find a hotel before it got dark ..." she mumbled.
"There's a pretty good hotel in Gateway," Jackson offered, "I could drive you there."
"What about my motorcycle?" Miranda asked.
"It'll be fine." Jackson said, "No one ever comes here, anyway."
"Okay," Miranda agreed.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jackson forced his eyes onto the road as he drove down the highway, but he still stole little split-second glances at Miranda every once in a while. She was sleeping, and he didn't blame her. He'd be tired, too, if he had spent the whole day riding on a motorcycle.
He turned on his blinker and made his way toward the Gateway exit. At the end of the ramp there was a stoplight. It changed from green to yellow, and then to red. Jackson brought his car to a stop in front of the intersection, then turned his attention toward Miranda.
The moonlight came through the window and illuminated her dark hair and her face had a beautiful look of tranquility on it. He felt compelled to reach out and touch it, but then he heard a honk from behind him. The light was green.
In a few minutes' time, he made his way to the hotel. He gently nudged Miranda to wake her up. Her eyes opened and he noticed for the first time how deep blue they were.
"We're here," he managed to say.
"Oh," Miranda said drowsily as she picked up her bag of clothes and other necessities and opened the door.
On an impulse, Jackson reached out and grabbed her hand. She turned to face him, but he didn't say anything. Miranda was confused for a moment. Then Jackson began to lean toward her, which was when Miranda realized that he was about to kiss her.
Miranda once again surprised herself by not backing away and making some kind of excuse, like she usually would have. Instead, she leaned closer and after what seemed like an eternity, their lips finally met in a kiss.
It wasn't quite what you'd call passionate, but more gentle ... almost friendly.
Afterward, there was an awkward silence as Miranda felt her face go a deep red.
Jackson smiled shyly, "I guess I'll see you in the morning," he said.
Unable to say anything, Miranda nodded and exited the car. She heard his engine start as he pulled out from the curb and drove away. She took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the hotel.
Okay ... everyone in unison ... AWWWWW! Two more parts to this story and I'm done, but I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing. I've just been having soooo much fun writing it. Oh well, I can come up with another one.