7 – A Brief Interruption: The Second
"So, when are you coming home?" Marissa smiled from across the dining table, spinning ice in her glass with a straw while talking outside the crowded restaurant.
He smiled in turn, and thought for a moment, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's a month long project."
Her face fell slightly, "A whole month?"
"Hopefully at longest, then I'll get a chance to come back. This is my first contract, so I don't know how they treat new people."
He swallowed and turned back to his plate, aware of her disappointment as she momentarily broke eye contact to look at the passers-by.
The sounds of the crowd came to prominence about them in their silence, with bits and pieces of the conversations of others temporarily halting the continuance of their talk.
He cleared his throat, "I know it's not particularly...the best timeline, but..." He locked eyes with her again, "Who am I kidding? It's a terrible timeline. But, I think it's going to help us in the long term."
Marissa laughed quietly, looking down at her own plate which held the remnants of their nearly concluded meal.
"You're the smartest man I know. No mistake. It's not what we planned, but…I know you'll be amazing. If there's anyone qualified for something like this, it's you.
"It can be so dangerous, though, and a lot of that may just be rumors, but- ..." She trailed off, and took a breath to regain her composure.
He reached out and took one of her hands resting on the table, "I know."
"How much have they told you?" She asked, her eyes staring in concern. They were starting to flush red.
He blinked. "Very little...but they've told me how much they pay testers of my level."
"That's great, but I think it's still too vague. What if they want you to do something really dangerous and you've already signed?"
"I already have signed the contract."
"I know!" She exclaimed, and sat back in her seat, bringing her arms up to her chest and looking back into the crowd.
He took a deep breath, and, upon seeing the waiter stop at their table, he handed their plates up in exchange for the check. Pressing the check against the surface of the table, and returned his attention to her, "It's not forever."
She replied softly, "I know."
"And, there is something I want to give you. Something you can hold on to until I get back." Hurriedly he signed the check, and tucked it under a salt shaker. "I just picked it up two days ago, and wanted to show you before I left."
Interrupting their conversation was the faint sound of someone calling from a distance, "Marissa!"
Her eyes widened, and she turned away to look out onto the street and saw a young woman waving. Rising from the seat, she apologized, "I'm so sorry, let me see what she wants. Her Mom's been in the hospital and it's been so hard on her. I'll be right back!"
He nodded, and she hurried across the fancy patio to her friend and began to converse with the woman across the short divider between the restaurant and the street.
At nearly the same time, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked up at a man in a trench coat beside him.
"Mr. Williams, we're picking everyone up. It's time to go."
He frowned. "May I have just another minute?"
The man shook his head. "You told us to meet you here, and we have more pickups. We have your belongings and need to leave now."
Williams took out a small box and placed it on the table, and then stood to his feet. Marissa came running back to the table as he replaced his chair, "Wait! You're not leaving now, are you?"
He nodded sadly, and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. "I'll be back."
She kissed his cheek and let him go, holding back tears and making an effort to smile as he waved and departed. After wiping a tear that managed to escape her eye, she looked down at the box on the table. Carefully, she opened it. Inside, set in the middle of a pure white cushion there was a glimmering silver ring with a small diamond. A small note was stuck inside the roof of the box, which she removed.
The waiter returned, and, seeing her lost in the small note, he left without breaking silence.
Marissa covered her frowning lips, trying to disguise her sadness for the sake of the public around her, but her tears only pressed harder and the lump in her throat grew as she read the words of her betrothed:
"Though days pass into time,
And stone erodes into dust,
Love will neither fade nor rust.
I'll always treasure your hope and trust. – T.W."