Rune Alignment
Chapter 4.
"Oh, good grief, it's twenty of twelve," Wintermantle exclaimed. "I've got an early class tomorrow morning. I need to go."
"I didn't think it was that late," said Goren as he checked his watch. "I'll follow you home." He slid out of the booth, drew several bills from his money clip, set them on the table, and held out his hand to help her up. Ah, a whiff of cinnamon as her head passed in front of him as she rose.
"That's really not necessary, Detec-- Bobby," she countered. "My apartment is not far from the University."
"No, I'm following you." Goren reached for her wrap and held it out for her, right end up this time. She turned and let him lay it around her shoulders. He was like a wall behind her, tall, and broad, strong; and a bit close. Nice. Goren let his hands linger on her shoulders for a heartbeat. She was just the right height. He drank in her scent. What makes cinnamon so sexy? How is it that she smells like that?
"I suppose there is no arguing with you," Wintermantle gave in.
"Not really," he smiled, put a hand at the small of her back and followed her to the door. "Night Dickie, see you again," Goren called to his friend who waved to Goren and blew a kiss to Wintermantle.
Goren followed her back to the University area. She is unbelievable, he thought, fascinating and funny. That voice, God. He felt a twinge in his pants as he thought over the previous hours. Do not mess this up, he told himself.
Wintermantle signaled a left turn into an apartment alleyway several blocks past campus. They parked and he walked to her car. "Well, here I am, home, safe and sound," she said as he held out a hand to help her from her car. They stood nearly face-to-face, looking deeply at each other, silent. Maybe just a little too close for propriety's sake. Goren wanted to taste her lips. He wanted to take her face in his hands and take her mouth in his. He could see it happen in his mind. She looked like she wanted him to. The way she looked at him. Maybe she was thinking, wanting, the same thing. It would be so good, so natural. A twitch in his pants.
Maybe not, though, maybe she didn't want the same thing and he only thought she did because he wanted her to, wanted it to happen. She might be frightened if he made the move too early. She would not want to see him again, would avoid him, and it would be over before it began. Do not mess this up, he reminded himself.
"Let me walk you to the door," he said, and the moment was over. Again, with his hand in the small of her back, he guided her to the door of the apartment house.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Bobby." Looking at each other. Standing close. Smelling her. Goren thinking again, that pant-twitch again, wanting it, last chance.
"I'd like to do this again some time," Bobby said as he moved his hands to her arms and didn't even know he did it. More silent looking, more silent thinking.
Finally, "Would, would you like to come up?" she said tentatively. She said it; she said it, she invited him to her apartment.
"Yes," he whispered deeply. "But I can't. It's late and we both have to go to work in the morning. Next time."
"Alright, then, another time. Thank you again, Bobby. Good night." He watched through the glass front doors as she entered the small lobby, crossed to the elevator, pushed the button, turned and waved. The elevator doors opened and in she stepped.
Goren stood for a few moments, not wanting to leave, breathing in the air she had breathed, catching a whiff of her scent. Slowly he returned to his car. He saw lights came on in the top floor, back corner apartment. He took his cell and entered her home number from the back of the business card she had given him earlier. She answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"I just wanted to make sure you got in alright."
"You are the gentleman. Thank you so much. Good night."
Goren drove to his place with a smile on his face. He had never felt like this before. It was almost adolescent; almost cliché. So, this is what that kind of happiness feels like. It's good.
He thought back over the preceding hours, sitting there with her. They actually did discuss the discrepancy he thought he saw in the authentication. But it became very clear very early that he was wrong, as he knew he would be. He'd asked the question during the interview just to keep her talking to hear that voice.
From there they talked about her professional life. He learned that she was widely traveled because of her work. She had served a number of times as an expert witness in the US, the UK, Italy and Germany. She was a licensed authenticator of ancient Western European artifacts and writings. She was a linguist of ancient written languages and had consulted on the written language that appeared a three-part epic film a few years ago. She held degrees from Cambridge and the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh. She had taught at several places including Oxford. She had three books in print and was currently working on another. She drank chamomile tea and did not eat pie of any kind. He still did not know much about her personally. They did not talk about his life.
He locked the SUV and entered his building, stopping to pick up his mail from the box. He didn't even look at it, so entrenched in his thoughts about her. He climbed to his floor and entered his apartment. Had Goren believed he dreamt, he would have hoped his dreams would allow him to relive this evening. He fell asleep grinning.