Chapter Four: Unexpected Meetings
It was on Gordon's fourth day of being there that it happened. He'd got up with the sun and walked to the wharf again, and got to chatting with one of the guys on his break. Then he'd gone and bought a sandwich for breakfast and gone to Sumner Beach to eat it. Then he'd swum to the diving platform and messed around for a bit with two boys who were bunking school, got out and dozed in the sun until he was dry. Then he went back to the motel to get his hat and put on sunscreen, as he'd noticed that he'd sprouted a lot of freckles in the past few days. After that, he headed back to the sea-front and wandered along it from one end to the other. Around lunchtime, he went and charmed the lady in the shop into making his scoop of chips a bit bigger than the norm, and went to the wharf to eat them. After throwing the paper into the bin, he stood, staring out to sea with his hands in his pockets, day dreaming.
"Gordon?" Gordon started and turned. Then grinned. The person who'd said his name was standing a little way off, a cloud of short auburn hair blowing around her head, her blue-grey eyes shining.
"Gordon Tracey?" Her face broke into a smile. Gordon waved.
"You haven't grown an inch, Addie," he said cheerily. She laughed and ran to him and Gordon gave her a tight bear-hug, squeezing her close. She pulled away and stared at him.
"You've cut your hair! And you've grown! and you aren't a scrawny as you were, and you aren't dead! They didn't tell us much about you, it was like you fell through a crack and out of existance! We all weren't sure what to think! Billy was sure you were dead, and that's why they weren't telling us, but there was no memorial or anything, so we all just hoped you lived, and you did, and I'm so glad to see you! Where've you been?" and she hugged him again. Gordon laughed.
"Oh, here and there," he said lightly, with a shrug, then patted her head. "You still chatter as much as you used too, and you've cut your hair off too! And when did you mature?" He ruffled her hair. "Come on, lets walk and talk, girly." They headed off, Adelaide talking animatedly about the old Crew and WASP and everything that had happened since he left.
"Did Bill really do that?"
"Yep, and you know what else? You're looking at Lieutenant-Captain Rogers now, not just Leiutenant Rogers. How cool is that?" Gordon appeared to mull it over.
"It's good, but I still out-rank you, little lady. I was a Captain. Nah, just teasing, congratulations!"
She laughed and smacked his arm lightly.
"Tell me about the accident, what happened?" Gordon's smile wavered.
"I- I was in hospital for three months, and I had heaps of operations and then I got out. And that's all." Gordon's trap shut. Adelaide decided to leave it for now, as he so obviously didn't want to discuss it.
"Okay."
"So, why are you here, Addy?"
"My aunt lives here. Remember, I used to live here when I was small? I come back here to visit on my vacations. I like it here. It's so restful." She sighed, and found Gordon gazing wistfully at the sea.
"I kinda miss being part of WASP. At least there it was constant. Where I am now, it's hectic rush, then nothing for a while, then a hectic rush again. It gets to be so its always going, you're always on edge because you never know when the next rush will be..." he trailed off. Adelaide looked up at his face.
"Where do you work now anyway? You never told me that."
"Eh? Oh, it's a division of Tracey Enterprises, you know, the company my father runs? Yeah, well, part of that."
"You work for your father? Man, crazy! that must be pretty cushy."
"Believe me, it's not. The people I work with sometimes get really under my skin, we're always going, and working together. That's why I got this break, my dad let me off." He gave her an impish grin."So lets enjoy what we have! Come on!" he ran to the beach, shedding his shirt and shoes and waded into the water. "Come on!" She hesitated, but then Gordon sat on her and forcibly remove her shoes and socks, then pulled her in. The rest of the day was spent in an ecstasy of laughs and shrieks and light conversation, then a hot dinner and a walk to Adelaide's aunt's gate. Then he paused.
"It's great to see you again," he said. "Shall we meet again tomorrow? I'll come by here, okay?"
Adelaide nodded. "Okay. Goodnight!" And they parted. Adelaide felt her heart lurch as Gordon strode away down the road. 'Oh no,' she thought with dispair, 'I'm falling for him again.'
A/N: Sorry, ANOTHER short one, I guess I'm not really very good at long ones. I'll try harder next time!