Not a fool this time… chapter 11
Walter drove back to LA and pulled into a beach parking lot to sit on a bench and watch the waves, shore birds and people. The evening on-shore cloud bank moved in so people thinned out getting out of the damp chill. He remained pondering his inability to pick up what others did so easily- was it inability or unwillingness. Even that security guard, a complete and total stranger caught up the undercurrent between Gale and Walter- Dave did, too. Was this that 'not being cognizant to the unconscious working of the psyche' he mentioned? Why would he deliberately prevent himself from seeing in another what he desperately wants? Makes no sense when sense, science, solid facts are the very foundations of his core self. He walked back to the car and drove home to the garage.
Walter sat at his desk in the garage. It is Friday afternoon. On a whim he messaged Gale:
Gale- Would like you to join me on a drive into the mountains after work. Will be in the visitor parking area. Walter
He pulled the Ferrari out, locked up and set security, headed to gas up the car for a long drive and went to sit in the visitor parking area of her workplace. He was early, but quitting time finally arrived and the massive number of Richard's employees at the space enterprise facility started leaving. Being Friday they seemed more eager to get to their cars and off for whatever their weekend plans were. Some left alone, some in groups, a lot of babbling and banter- a couple waved to Walter seeing the blue Ferrari. Within a short time, it was just stragglers until no person came out the door for a few minutes. Guess you should have checked for a reply, stupid, he thought to himself- after that mess at the data facility, her leaving like that and you figure she wants to spend time with you? Pathetic. He started the car to leave when he saw her emerge from the gate and wave to him. He pulled the car around to save her the walk and she got in.
"Thanks for waiting- I replied I was going to be a few minutes late getting out- Friday's always have some last minute things to do," she said turning to him with a smile. "So what is in the mountains that is calling you….. Walter ... "
"Sorry, just happy to see you…. I left the garage without checking for a reply…. well, maybe didn't want to see a reply after your leaving the data center like you did."
"I was a bit miffed, but on reflection figured I was being unreasonable, so here we are. Again, what is in the mountains that is calling you, or is it just a drive to enjoy the handling? I can watch you downshift rather than use the brakes- who knows, maybe I will graduate to street racer before you know it… Walter? Walter- you better put it in gear or one of the security guards are going to come out to see what the problem is."
Walter blinked put it in gear and took off to head out of town.
"Amazes me how you can get anywhere you want to go without hitting a freeway. Everybody and their kid brother out there in the miles long parking lot and you just glide along getting wherever you need to go."
"Knowing the streets is necessary for those times when time is of the essence to get somewhere. Not in a rush now, but never know what may happen."
"No…. never know what may happen," she repeated quietly with a smile watching the city scenery change to dry, brown foothills.
They went miles in silence when she finally turned in her seat to look directly at Walter, "what prompted you to want to go for a destination free drive this evening?" she asked. "To get your mind OFF things or to help sort things that are ON your mind… anything I can help with?"
Walter glanced at her but didn't know how to start the conversation. Fortunately they came into a small rural village and he pulled into the gas station to top off the tank. They both went into the convenience store to pay. The older man behind the counter said "Hey, Walt, been quite a while since you were out this way." He took the money and Walter went back out to fill the tank while Gale walked around then decided to get a couple bottles of orange juice. She paid the man behind the counter for them then asked, "Walter been driving out this way for a while, huh?"
"Yeah, used to be more often he would be out here, but been a while. Used to drive a little orange Datsun Z. What happen to that- Ferrari is quite an up-grade."
"The Datsun is in pieces in his garage- started a ground up restoration a few weeks ago. Engine up on the bench and pretty much dismantled."
"That is good to hear- he had the damned seats held together with duct tape, and think the muffler was held up with baling wire…. he isn't going to do any drastic modifications with it is he? He damned near killed himself driving like a nut a couple years back. Don't want that happening again- glad to see you with him- less chance of him taking it to the limit like he used to."
"He didn't have a passenger that time?"
"Now you mention it, he's never had anyone with him before. You and he a 'thing'? Nice to see if so, but none my business….. he's done- here's his change. Have a good drive…. and tell him to drive safe."
"Thanks, will do," she said going out the door. Walter held the door for her and she handed him his change while getting in the car. "I have some orange juice if you get thirsty."
Walter pulled out and continued the drive in silence, the brown hills giving way to small green pines and cooler air as the sun lowered in the west. She glanced at him, "going to be a pretty sunset with the clouds. Must be a star filled sky up here at night. Does the on-shore cloud bank make it up to this elevation?"
"Generally no. And the sky is much better for viewing this far out of the city light pollution. There is a view point another mile up the road you may enjoy."
He pulled into the parking area of the vista point. This time of day there were no other cars so he parked, shut the car down and they got out to walk to the railing to view the city in the distance.
"Never been here before- it's beautiful…. and so quiet," she said quietly. "Hard to believe the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles is so close- yet so far away. Shall we sit on a bench and wait for the stars or were you planning to drive farther out?"
"No, this is the destination I had in mind. I like it, at night especially."
They moved to a bench where the view was most open, facing west as the sun went down.
"You have so many places no one else seems to know about….. and people along the way know you by name."
"It is nice to get out with rural people- they tend to be less intrusive or judgmental than city people or those you rub shoulders with on a daily basis."
"Do other people you bring up here or to Dave and Sara's enjoy it, too? Be careful taking people to Dave and Sara's or there will be a pilgrimage traffic jam for Sara's pies."
Walter looked at her, "never brought others on any of my drives, especially to Dave's. He and Sara both are rather….. less than sociable- do not handle crowds well."
"Ahhh, like you," she chuckled. "You certainly don't come off as a social butterfly. No wonder you get along with them so well….. birds of a feather… as the saying goes."
"I am much more a 'social butterfly' than I was years ago. You would see that had you known me a decade ago."
"If this is your idea of 'social butterfly' you must have been a veritable hermit a decade ago," she laughed. "Tell me Walter, why am I here if you have never brought others?"
"Because you are… important to me," he said quietly. "I did not mean to up-set you at the data facility- my mind was on the job at hand- I tend to focus too narrow when doing a job….. I did not want you to leave, and was at a loss on how to make amends."
Gale looked at him sitting on the bench looking out at the colorful cloudy sunset. "And you are 'important' to me… no, not 'important'….. I love you. I can come right out and say it. I fully understand you don't have such feelings for me- that is why I left. Unrequited love is a bitch and my trying to spend time with you without making you uncomfortable because of MY feelings is difficult. I will spend as much time around you as I can because I am fascinated by you, want to be with you, your presence makes me happy so I will stay until my hanging around gets too intolerable for you to put up with."
Walter turned to her. "There is nothing about you that makes me 'uncomfortable', I have been at a loss to express myself. I am pulled in two directions- I want to be with you but do not know how to make those ties that bind to keep you with me. You shake the foundations of my life- and I find I enjoy it- I enjoy how your mind works even though it is so different from mine. Different- in ways you out think my line of reasoning without making me out as being wrong- different but equal, another line of inquiry just as valid that I never would have come up with myself….. am I making any sense? Does this rambling show you why I prefer mathematics as this imprecise language is SO frustrating."
She chuckled and moved closer to him on the bench, put her arms around him and laid her head against his chest to hear his heart. "Walter, you do not have to 'make those ties that bind' as I made them myself. I have been tied to you for quite a while, happily so. Such ties have to be freely given, and I do give them to you." She looked up at him and he bent his head to kiss her. "Ahh, you have no idea how long I have wanted this… such a beautiful starry night…. the first of a lifetime."
They sat in companionable silence until she had a chill so they got in the car for the drive back to the city.
"It is quite late, shall I drop you off at your place? You know, I do not even know where you live- with your family, an apartment, never did a search so you need to give me directions."
"As I said before, I would much prefer to be in the garage- especially tonight. I have waited long enough to have you in my arms. I want it all."