Thanks to everyone for your patience. I've been out of town much of the past two weeks, so it took me a while to complete this chapter. Hopefully the fact that it's extra-long will help :)
His first mistake was being indecisive.
Walt was standing with a carton of eggs in his hands, staring down into his cart.
He couldn't decide what Vic would want for breakfast. He'd shared many a morning meal with his deputy at the Busy Bee, at the office when one of them picked up an order, and in his truck on the way to a crime scene. While he could eat anything put in front of him without complaint or preference, she had moods about food.
I'm just not in the mood for eggs today.
It's just a pancake kind of day, Walt.
I feel oatmeal is the way to go this morning, don't you?
I've been craving an egg skillet. It's not on the menu, but I think I can convince them to make it.
He couldn't predict Vic's breakfast mood that morning, so he'd filled his cart with numerous options.
"Need any help?"
Walt looked up quizzically.
"You seem a little confused by those eggs you're holding."
Walt smiled a half-smile at Christine, the cashier, placing the eggs on the belt. "Just momentarily lost in thought."
"Contemplating the age old question 'Chicken or the egg?'" she asked with a laugh as she scanned the eggs.
"Something like that."
"Come to any conclusions?"
Walt thought about all the unanswered questions rattling around his head. "If only life were that simple." He continued moving the other items from his cart over to the belt.
She laughed again. "If anyone can crack that mystery wide open, it's you Sheriff."
He grinned. "I'll do my best."
Christine continued to ring up his items. "What did you think about that storm we had last night, Sheriff? Did you get stuck in it?"
Walt smiled at the memory. "Yep. Got soaked."
"Luckily I was already indoors. It didn't start up until after I got home from work. But oh my, that rain was sure coming down in buckets, and pounding against the windows. And that lightning and thunder was intense. The dogs were howling, and my kids both ended up in our bed. We didn't get much sleep."
Walt nodded. He didn't get much sleep last night either. But obviously for different reasons.
"Did you have any damage up at your place this morning?"
Reluctantly Walt pushed thoughts of Vic aside and brought his attention back to Christine and her question. "Damage? Not that I saw." Walt hadn't seen any noticeable damage that morning, but he had to admit his mind had been on other things as he'd left the cabin.
"That's good to hear. We had a few tree limbs down by us and things were a bit swampy, so the dogs came in covered in mud, but not much else. I hear the storm caused some damage around town, however. Apparently Dirk and Lynette Johnson had a tree land on their garage, and Pete and Wendy Casselman now have a gaping hole in their roof. Suzanne Nichols was in here earlier and said she saw a few damaged cars with tree limbs on them on her drive in."
Walt nodded at the news.
She started bagging his items, and Walt reached in to his back pocket to pull out his wallet.
"Do you have company coming over, Sheriff?"
Walt looked up, his hand paused at the opening of his wallet. There's no way she could know about Vic. "Company?"
"You usually only pick up a few items at a time when you come in, so I didn't know if you were preparing for visitors."
Walt scanned his items. He knew he should have been more decisive. Now he was going to be added to Christine's morning gossip. He scrambled to come up with a response. "Uh...just couldn't make up my mind. I guess they're right. You shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're hungry."
She laughed and then looked back at the register. "Cash or credit, Sheriff?"
Walt glanced at the total and handed her some cash.
She counted his change and gave it to him. "If you solve the egg vs. chicken conundrum, let me know."
Walt smiled as he put his wallet away. He'd add it to the list of conundrums he was currently facing.
XX
His second mistake was walking into the Busy Bee on a Saturday.
When he entered the cafe he was greeted by the hum of morning activity.
"Eating in or taking it to go?" Walt looked over at Dorothy who had called out the question from behind the counter.
"To go."
"The usual and a cup of coffee?"
He suddenly realized his mistake in coming in. Of course Dorothy was going to recognize Vic's coffee order once he placed it. "Uh...I'll pass on the usual."
Dorothy paused to look up at him quizzically. "You want to see a menu?"
Walt smiled and ran his hand along the hair at his neck. "Uh...just two coffees. One black. One with skim milk and three sugars." Walt felt Dorothy's eyes on him as his gaze dropped to the countertop.
After a moment she pulled out two to-go cups and started to fill them. "You and Vic got a case this morning?"
"Well...uh—"
Luckily for Walt a couple patrons stepped up to the counter, relieving Walt from her line of questioning.
When she was finished with the customers, Dorothy put lids on Walt's cups, and slid them in his direction. "Good luck with the case. Hope it doesn't take up your whole weekend."
"Thanks." Walt handed her some cash and picked up the coffee cups, the corners of his mouth turning upwards at the thought of a whole weekend being taken up by Vic.
XX
His third mistake was doing exactly what Vic had told him not to do and overthinking things.
His thoughts were vacillating between all the reasons why they should or shouldn't get involved, including all the reasons they would or wouldn't work. Images of what transpired between them the previous night kept slipping in between his more rational thoughts, and ended up on both sides of the pros and cons list he was mentally building.
Because his focus wasn't on his driving, he didn't notice Cady's jeep until he was right in front of it slamming on his brakes.
Putting his truck in park and cutting the ignition, Walt looked at his cabin through the windshield.
He couldn't believe this was happening. He and Vic were going to have enough trouble figuring out what was going on between them without Cady, or anyone else, shining a spotlight on it. When he'd left Vic, she'd been in his bed, wearing only his shirt. Cady's arrival could mean disaster.
His hand on his forehead, he thought through the possibilities that lay in store for him.
Vic may have been in the front room or kitchen when Cady arrived. And she may still have been wearing only his shirt, unable to locate her own shirt.
Or maybe Vic had been in the bedroom, caught when Cady popped her head in to check if Walt was still sleeping.
In either situation, why Vic was at the cabin would be painfully obvious to Cady. Would he find the two of them sitting in the front room, silently and awkwardly awaiting his arrival? Would they be sitting there all chummy, able to get over their initial embarrassment, and openly discussing him, the one thing they had in common? Or would they have relegated themselves to separate rooms in their shared discomfort? Cady on the couch, staring back and forth between the bedroom door and the front door as she awaited his return, Vic pacing in the bedroom.
There was still the possibility that Cady hadn't discovered Vic's presence at the cabin. Maybe Vic had hidden in the bathroom or under the bed when she heard Cady arrive, or maybe Cady hadn't checked the bedroom, having registered that Walt's Bronco wasn't parked outside, and surmising that he wasn't home.
Maybe. But with his luck...
Walt grabbed the bag of groceries and the tray of coffees and made his way to the cabin.
XX
His fourth mistake was entering the cabin carrying two coffees.
Of course, he wasn't thinking about the fact that he had Vic's coffee in his hand when he walked in the front door and found Cady sitting in the chair in his front room.
Cady looked up from her smartphone. "Morning Dad."
Walt's eyes scanned the room as he leaned over and placed the tray on the coffee table. "Morning Punk."
Vic was nowhere in sight and his bedroom door was still closed. He straightened and brought his eyes back to Cady who was looking up at him.
"Did you forget?"
"Forget?"
"Our breakfast plans. I left a message last night to remind you."
He had completely forgotten their breakfast date, scheduled by Cady weeks ago. He stayed on her for a moment before heading to the kitchen with the bag he was carrying. "I was just out picking up groceries."
He placed the paper bag on the table and began unloading the items.
"Well it turns out I can't stay for breakfast, as I now have to go into work. But I'll take a coffee if one of these is for me."
Walt froze, looking back at the tray containing the two coffee cups.
Before he could stop her, Cady reached out, picked up one of the cups and removed its lid to check out its contents. Seeing the creaminess of the beverage she brought the cup to her lips.
Walt cringed.
Cady grimaced in disgust. "Ugh. Sweet. Didn't you tell them just milk?"
"Uh..." Walt's mind went blank for a moment. "Maybe I slipped, and placed Vic's usual order. We've been getting a lot of coffees to-go as we've worked our recent cases. I guess I just ordered without thinking. You can have my coffee." He turned, grabbed the milk carton from the grocery bag and brought it to her.
"What are you going to drink? I can't see you drinking this one." She placed the offending coffee back on the table.
"I picked up some coffee grounds at the store. I'll make a pot."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
Cady removed the lid from the second cup and poured some milk in. She handed the milk carton back to Walt, and then looked him up and down.
"You better get that pot going, you look pretty exhausted." She scanned his face more closely. "Why are you so tired? I thought you left the Pony before I did. I looked up at one point and you were no longer sitting at the bar."
With so much else occupying his thoughts, he'd forgotten that Cady had been at the bar last night with some of her co-workers.
"I did leave before you...but didn't get much sleep."
"That storm was pretty bad, wasn't it?"
"Yep."
"Did Vic leave at the same time? I was looking for her, but couldn't find her."
"I...gave her a ride."
Cady smiled. "Did you and Henry get her sloshed?"
Walt paused. "Just wanted to play it safe...the rain makes it hard enough to drive when you haven't had anything to drink."
To shift focus away from the current conversation topic, Walt walked over to his desk and noted the blinking light on his answering machine. Cady had indeed left a message that, given what had transpired the previous night, he hadn't listened to. He reached out and pressed play, and then rested his hands on the back of the desk chair.
He was expecting Cady's voice, and was surprised when it wasn't hers.
"Hi, Walt. It's Theresa. I called your office but you weren't in. Ruby suggested I try you at home. Looks like you are out and about. I'll try you later this week." She let out a light laugh and then hung up.
"Was that Theresa Coleman?"
Walt looked over at Cady. "Yep."
"How is she doing—"
Cady's question was interrupted by Henry's voice coming from the machine.
"Hello Walt. I am just calling to see if you want my help with Vic's car. I—"
Walt pushed the desk chair slightly to the side, reached out and forwarded to the next message.
Cady's voice filled the room, her message reminding Walt of their morning plans.
The message had barely ended before he heard Cady shift in her chair. "What's wrong with Vic's car?"
His back to Cady as he stood at the desk, Walt closed his eyes. "Nothing's wrong with Vic's car."
"Then why did Henry offer his help with it?"
"As I said, I gave her a ride last night. Her car is still in the Red Pony's parking lot."
He turned toward Cady, finding her gaze focused on the floor near the desk. She raised her eyes, peering at him closely.
"Is something going on with you and Vic?"
He felt his breath catch. He forced the air out and tried to look calmer than he felt on the inside. This was the spotlight he hadn't wanted pointed at them. "Going on?"
"Are the two of you dating?"
He figured his best defense might be playing it dumb. "Dating?"
"It may have been a while Dad, but you know what a date is. Two people arranging to get together. Maybe going for a meal or a movie. Maybe a little something more."
He could feel the heat rising as he tried to ignore the 'something more' comment and turned to the side so Cady wouldn't notice. He'd focus on the first part of her explanation. He and Vic had definitely not had any arranged get-togethers.
"We're not dating."
"You sure?"
"Yep." He turned back toward her, holding her gaze. "Why?" He didn't know if he wanted to hear her reason for asking the question.
Cady watched Walt over the rim as she took a sip before lowering her cup. "My co-worker, Scott, moved here a couple months ago from Cincinnati, and I thought he and Vic might hit it off. Sean left five or six months ago, and I was thinking Vic might be ready to start moving on."
Walt stared blankly at her, his eyes drifting over to the closed bedroom door. He wondered how much of this conversation Vic could hear.
"Anyway, I introduced them last night. I didn't get a chance to ask Vic what she thought of him before she left. When I asked Scott, he said he was interested but that she seemed a bit distracted, and that some older guy at the bar had his eyes on her the whole time they were talking. He wondered whether Vic and this guy might be involved. You were an older guy sitting at the bar last night. I didn't think the two of you were involved or that you were the one he'd seen staring, but I thought I'd ask."
Walt pressed his lips together and stayed silent, hoping Cady would move on to another topic if he didn't engage.
Her gaze dropped briefly to his feet again, but then returned to his face. "So you're ok with me giving Scott Vic's phone number?"
Walt's eyes went unfocused for a moment as he inwardly cringed. Vic could absolutely hear this conversation, he was sure of it.
"Uh...that's not up to me. You can give Vic's number to anyone she wants you to give her number to."
Again Cady looked at Walt over her cup of coffee. "Ok." She paused, scanning the desk. "It would be weird, wouldn't it? You and Vic?"
Walt felt his stomach drop. "Weird?'
"Well, you know. Given that you're her boss. And the age difference. How old is she anyway?"
"I don't know."
"And you're so different. I don't know, I think it would be kind of weird."
Walt looked at Cady, keeping his expression neutral. "What kind of woman should I be looking for?"
He saw Cady's attention drift to his desk again, and he followed her eyes' path to the framed picture he had of Cady and Martha.
She quickly looked back at him. "I don't know. Forget I brought this up."
She stood, picking up the tray, and made her way to the kitchen.
His fifth mistake was not getting rid of the evidence earlier.
Walt's brain was churning through Cady's comments when he caught her movement in the kitchen out of the side of his eye. It was at this moment he remembered the whiskey bottle and glasses he'd moved from the coffee table to the counter next to this sink that morning. He stepped closer to the couch, his eyes darting over to the counter. Would Cady notice that there were two glasses? And that one of them had smudges of Vic's lipstick on it?
He watched as Cady walked over to the kitchen table and put down Vic's coffee. His gaze fell to the side table at the end of the couch nearest the kitchen. Vic's phone was laying there, in plain sight. He quickly stepped up to the end table, picked up the phone and put it in his pocket as Cady turned back towards him.
He needed to get her to return to the front room before she discovered the glasses near the sink.
"So when do you want to reschedule our breakfast for?" he asked as he walked toward the front door.
Cady sipped her coffee as she approached his side. "You wanna do dinner this week?"
"Sure. Just call me when you figure out which day works best for your schedule."
Cady shook her head. "Oh no, we're settling on a day now. I know what it's like trying to get you on the phone. And apparently you don't check your answering machine very regularly. How does Wednesday sound?"
Walt glanced over at the bedroom door. "Uh...Wednesday sounds good."
He turned and opened the front door, and then leaned forward to open the screen door.
"Before I go..." Cady extended her hand holding the coffee cup out. "Can you hold this while I run to the bathroom?"
Walt took the coffee from her before realizing what was happening, or, more importantly, what could possibly happen. He placed the cup on the desk and dashed to the bedroom door in an attempt to beat her there, trying not to look like he was desperate to keep her out.
"Uh...let me...let me check out the bathroom first...I kind of left it a mess."
Before Cady could protest Walt walked into his bedroom. With a quick glance around the room to confirm Vic was not in sight, Walt stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Swiftly he pulled back the shower curtain but found it empty. Perplexed, he grabbed his jeans from off the curtain rod and left the bathroom.
"Ok. You're good to go."
Cady stepped past Walt to enter the bathroom. "I'm sure your bathroom was fine, Dad. I've seen it in a far worse state before."
When Cady closed the door behind her, Walt turned back toward the room, his eyes falling on the bed. The covers were in disarray, and both sides of the bed looked like they had been slept on. A wave of anxiety passed through him. What had Cady seen while she waited for him to let her use the bathroom? What had she concluded?
Walt stepped up to the bed, pulled up the sheet and blanket, and rearranged the pillows. He then got down on his knees to check if Vic was hiding under the bed, but again did not find her. He stood, and with a glance at the bathroom door walked over to his closet.
When Walt opened the closet door he found Vic inside, her eyes big, her body on alert. They stared at each other in silence. The toilet flushed, pulling Walt's attention for a moment. He briefly closed his eyes and then turned back to Vic, his look apologetic.
Vic cocked her head to the side for a moment, pursing her lips, and then reached out her hand to pull the door shut. Walt stood staring at the closed door until he heard the bathroom door start to open. He stepped toward the bedroom door, lost in thought as Cady followed him back into the front room.
She paused in the doorway to the bedroom. "Are you ok, Dad?"
Walt shook himself from his thoughts and tried to sound casual with his response. "Yep. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. You're just acting kind of weird this morning. Antsy."
Walt swallowed. "I told you that I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Yeah, but it seems like it's more than that."
He took a couple steps toward the front door. He would love to end this current conversation, but if he couldn't, maybe they could at least have it out on the porch, or even better, out by her jeep.
Cady followed him to the door. "Did you share anything with Henry or Vic last night that you're not sharing with me? Do I need to give them a call to get an update on my dad, and what's going on in his life?"
"Uh...no."
Cady took out her phone. "I can text them both right now if you don't spill the beans."
Walt thought about Vic's phone in his pocket, panicking slightly but attempting to not look concerned.
"Cady," he said sternly, stepping forward and putting a hand on her hand holding the phone until she lowered it.
"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind...because of things going on at work...and I didn't get much sleep. That's all."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
Walt's gaze drifted to the bedroom, and then shifted back to her. "Nope. It will all work itself out." He wasn't so confident about that any more, but he didn't need to let Cady in on that fact.
He picked the coffee cup off the desk. "Don't you have to get to work?"
"I do." Cady looked around the room and then leaned forward and gave Walt a kiss on the cheek. She took the coffee cup from him. "I'll stop by the office at seven on Wednesday and we can go to dinner from there."
"Sounds good, Punk." He held open the screen door and watched Cady make her way to her car. He stayed in the doorway until her jeep disappeared from sight.
He turned to face the inside of his cabin, letting out a great sigh.
XX
His sixth mistake (although he figured at this point he should stop counting) was being his usual self in unusual circumstances.
Walt opened up the closet door, finding Vic standing with her arms crossed, the expression he'd last seen her wearing still on her face. She was wearing his shirt, but had put on her jeans and socks, as well as her bra, as he could see one of the straps through the open collar of the shirt. "Sorry." He held her eyes for a moment and then held up her coffee cup and cell phone. "Cady took a sip. I can make you a fresh cup if you want."
Vic wordlessly took the phone, placing it in her pocket, and then took the coffee, bringing the cup to her lips.
Walt nervously waited for her to say something, but Vic continued to drink, her eyes steadily on his.
Finally, she handed him the cup. "I gotta pee." She then vanished into his bathroom.
Walt stood for a moment, staring at the closed bathroom door, but then turned and left the bedroom. When he stepped through the doorway his gaze landed on Vic's blue shirt, lying on the floor beneath his desk, partially hidden by the chair. The chair he had moved to the side when he was listening to his messages.
He walked over to the desk, and was about to pick the shirt up, but paused. He looked over at the chair Cady had been sitting in, and then looked back and forth between the chair and the shirt. He then walked over to the chair, sat down and looked over at the desk. The shirt was partially in view, but he had no idea if Cady had seen it, or had recognized what it was. Of course, she had seen Vic wearing it at the Pony last night, but he didn't know if Cady had looked closely at Vic's attire or remembered it. He stood up, walked back over to the desk and picked up the shirt.
Walt straightened up, finding Vic standing at his side. He handed her the shirt he was holding. She looked at the shirt and then down at the desk, a smile grazing her lips as she seemed to remember how the shirt ended up where it had.
She placed the shirt on the back of the desk chair and took her coffee cup from Walt's other hand. Bringing the cup to her lips, she turned and walked into the kitchen.
"I'm starving. What did you pick up to eat?"
Walt paused for a moment and then headed for the kitchen.
"What are you in the mood for?"
Vic surveyed the items he'd purchased. She picked up the package of bacon and handed it to him. "I've got a taste for a breakfast sandwich. You're in charge of the bacon."
Walt paused at the counter, his eyes falling on the whiskey. He moved the bottle to the shelf Vic had pulled it from, and placed the two glasses in the sink. Vic's eyes were on him the whole time.
"Were those out while Cady was here?"
"Yep." He held up the package of bacon. "How many slices do you want on your sandwich?"
"Three."
Walt pulled a large pan from his cupboard and placed it on the stove, opened the package and counted out seven slices. He watched Vic scan his cupboards.
"Looking for something specific?"
"Eventually I'll want a couple plates, a pan, a cutting board and a sharp knife, but right now I'm just being nosy. I bet very few others have had the chance to look inside these cupboards."
"Only a handful."
He saw Vic pause for a moment and then continue her investigation of his kitchen. He leaned down and pulled out a cutting board and pan from the lower cupboards, and then opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. Vic pulled down two plates and two glasses.
She placed the plates on the counter in front of the toaster, and placed two slices of bread on each one. She filled the two glasses with orange juice, and then pulled the package of coffee out of the grocery bag and walked over to the coffee machine.
Walt turned toward her. "I can make that."
Pulling open a drawer, she located a filter and a coffee scoop. "You're the one who sacrificed his coffee for the greater good." She set about making the coffee.
As Walt attended to the bacon, he watched Vic move around the kitchen. He couldn't help himself from staring and was caught off guard when she stopped in front of him. He tried to look elsewhere and not make it seem like she'd just caught him staring at her, but he didn't think he pulled it off.
She brushed against him as she leaned over the stove and dropped a pat of butter in the pan he'd placed on the other front burner. She looked in on the progress of the bacon, and then looked up at him. Her face was close and Walt got lost for a moment in her eyes. When he blinked, Vic grinned and took a step back.
"Did Cady see my shirt below your desk?"
Walt paused, holding the tongs in mid-air. "I'm not sure. She wasn't looking for it, so she might not have seen it or recognized it if she did, but I don't know."
Vic nodded as she moved back to the counter and began slicing the cheese.
"I'm thirty-four."
"What?"
"You told Cady you didn't know how old I am. I'm thirty-four."
Walt didn't say anything as he flipped the bacon.
Vic looked over her shoulder at him. "And you're, what, sixty-two?"
Walt dropped the bacon slice in the pan and spun toward her.
"I'm not—"
Vic started to laugh. "Relax. I know you're not sixty-two. I just wanted there to be a moment where it crossed your mind that I might think there are twenty-eight years between us, and yet wanted to sleep with you anyway. Now a seventeen year difference doesn't seem that bad, right?"
Walt turned his attention back to the pan. "How do you know how old I am?"
"I snooped in your personnel file."
Again Walt turned toward her.
Vic laughed again. "Seriously Walt, you've got to do a better job figuring out when I'm kidding. I didn't peek at your file." The mischievous smile she gave him did not give him comfort.
"I saw your driver's license."
She turned back toward the cutting board and started slicing a tomato. "And before you start wondering if I snooped in your wallet, I'll assure you I didn't. You had your license out one time."
"Uh huh."
Vic placed the bread slices in the toaster and then joined Walt's side again, turning on the burner. She walked over to the table, selected two eggs, and then put the carton in the fridge.
"Who is Theresa Coleman?"
Walt paused, and then reached into a cabinet and pulled out a plate. He placed a few paper towels on the plate and then stepped back in front of the stove. "A family friend."
Vic cracked each egg into the melted butter in her pan. He didn't know if she was looking for him to elaborate further, but she remained silent as she cooked the eggs.
He removed the bacon strips from the pan and placed them on the paper towels. Vic snatched one of the slices as he passed by and popped it in her mouth.
"Hey!" He slapped at her hand when she tried to go after another slice.
"What, did I eat one of your slices?"
"Actually, I expected you to do that, so I made an extra slice."
Vic laughed heartily. "So you can't seem to tell when I'm pulling one on you, but you know me well enough to make an extra slice of bacon because you expect I'll try to steal one."
Walt raised an eyebrow at her and then turned to the table and started moving the remaining grocery items to the fridge and the pantry.
The coffee was ready so Walt grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup. "Do you want a refill?"
"Sure."
He retrieved another mug and filled it, adding milk and sugar, and then placing their mugs on the table. He turned around and moved the glasses of orange juice over to the table as well.
Vic grabbed the toast and placed an egg on a slice on each plate. She added a little salt and pepper using the nearby shakers.
"Do you think it's weird?"
Although he suspected he knew what she was referring to, he wanted to afford himself some time. "Do I think what's weird?"
Vic positioned slices of bacon, cheese and tomato on each egg, and then placed the other slice of toast on top.
"The possibility of us. Getting involved."
"You're referring to what Cady said."
"Yep."
Vic brought their plates over to the table and they both sat down.
She held her sandwich in her hand but refrained from taking a bite while she waited for a response.
Walt watched a trickle of condensation roll down his juice glass.
"I...I understand Cady's points."
Walt saw Vic's jaw momentarily clench. After a moment she relaxed her jaw, took a bite and silently chewed. He picked up his own sandwich and started eating.
Their food before them gave them an excuse to avoid eye contact, and they spent a few moments eating in silence.
"But do you think the points she brought up are reasons not to...get involved?"
Walt swallowed. "I don't know."
She looked directly at him. "So you think we should just go back to how things were, as if nothing happened?"
He dropped his gaze and lowered his sandwich to his plate. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Do you think you can do that? Go back to how things were before last night?"
Walt looked back up at her. "It might be...less complicated?"
"Really?"
He didn't respond. Of course it wouldn't be less complicated. Just a different kind of complicated.
"So if Cady asks for my number to give to her co-worker, Scott, I should give it to her?"
Walt briefly tensed. "You can give your number to whomever you choose."
"But how would that make you feel, me giving my number to another guy?"
Walt looked down at his hands, which were clasped and resting at the edge of the table.
"You weren't the older guy at the bar Scott told Cady about? The one watching me as I talked with him?"
He refrained from answering, his silence confirmation that he was indeed that guy.
"So it wouldn't bother you if some other guy asked me out?"
"I didn't say it wouldn't bother me."
"But obviously it wouldn't bother you enough to prevent it from happening."
He stood and paced the length of the kitchen. "You deserve to be with someone your own age, Vic. Not with some old fool, set in his ways. If you hadn't been drinking last night, you'd have come to the same conclusion, and never kissed me."
"What the hell are you talking about...who I deserve to be with? Age has nothing to do with anything. I deserve to be with someone who makes me happy. I want to be with someone I...want. The alcohol didn't suddenly make me want to kiss you. I kissed you because I've wanted to kiss you, and I was hoping the alcohol had finally loosened you up enough that you'd kiss me back. These supposed reasons not to be together always seem to be holding you back...continue to be holding you back, apparently. You're letting others' views about us hold you back. Why can't you go after what you actually want for a change?"
Walt turned away from her, resting both hands on the counter, the questions, excuses, arguments and fears bombarding his thoughts at the same time as her words. Words that were pummeling him. Words that rang true.
He heard Vic exhale in frustration and then walk out of the room.
He thought about pulling the whiskey back off his shelf. Instead he followed Vic out of the kitchen.
She was standing in front of his desk, unbuttoning his shirt she was wearing. She turned toward him as he entered the room, continuing to work on the buttons. When she'd unfastened the last button she tore the shirt from her shoulders, defiantly looking at him as she stood before him in only her bra. The look she gave him seemed to say 'Take your last look, and see what you're going to be missing.' He found himself wanting to step forward but he didn't, and instead dropped his gaze.
Vic shrugged into her shirt, buttoned it and without another word, walked out the front door.
He stood frozen, listening to the bang of the screen door slamming shut.
Part of him was yelling at himself to go after her. The other part kept him rooted to the spot he was standing in.
He seethed inwardly, angry that he was screwing this all up. His usual self usually excelled in unusual circumstances. At work anyway. But today he had committed a series of mistakes. Mistakes that brought about embarrassment, anxiety and stress, and caused him to fall back into his usual pattern of retreating instead of going after what he wanted most.
Suddenly the door opened and Vic stepped back in.
"I'm going to need a ride."