12- Starting over… chapter twelve
Walter took a deep breath, clenched his jaw and escorted Gina into the Elias Enterprises largest gala of the year. Entering to the soft music he flashed back to his first dance with Paige. Gods, he thought, will I ever get over memories of her?
"Gina, how about we mosey over far away from the champagne?" Walter said quietly. "As you drove, you do not plan on drinking, I hope."
"No, I never acquired a taste for the bubbly, and only sling the Jack at home. How about I get us a couple flutes of soda water so we can at least look the part and stay sober?"
"I will park it here and stay out of the way until you return."
While endeavoring to remain unnoticed outside the main crowd waiting for Gina to return, Walter saw Richard, his daughter by him making the rounds. Stop and talk to numerous people, shake hands with men, the cheek kiss with the women, small chats then a shoulder pat and moving on to the next. He saw Zoe noticed him and she rose on tip toe to whisper in Richards ear who glanced his way. Walter backed up a couple steps closer to the wall, but Richard continued on his way talking to others and moving on.
With relief Walter saw Gina, with two champagne flutes make her way to him.
"Here you go, Walter," she said handing one to him then clinked her glass to his. "I must admit, you have attracted some attention."
"I do see a number of engineers and designers of the space division I have collaborated with are in attendance, so not surprising," Walter murmured taking a sip. "I also see a few of the students from the condo here as well, matter of fact think I spotted your buddy Hans over to the left of the woman with the pink dress."
"I told you, Richard has this open to any and all who are affiliated with the company. I spotted Jake, too. You may know more people here than you realize. Matter of fact, the gang that remodeled the garage are here, Dean and Anna are heading this way."
"Walter, how are you doing? Have any problems pop up in the garage? You liking it now that you have been in there for a while?" Dean asked.
"I was also wondering if you liked the loft living quarters," Anna said.
"Certainly isn't my old, familiar industrial garage. Even Richard has no reason to carp on it anymore. I have settled in quite well, the den in particular is set up efficiently. I have my desktop unit hooked up now, as well as the sound system. I particularly like the small colored lights throughout the place and leave them on- reminds me of functioning computer system lights."
"I thought that would be a good touch you would enjoy, plus keeps you from bumping into things in the dark," Dean said with a chuckle. "Saves the shins."
"Walter, Gina, Dean, Anna, hope you are enjoying yourselves." Richard said joining the group.
"Walter, nice seeing you again," Zoe said with a big smile. "Been a long time."
"I see the rest of the crew made it at last, come on Anna, let's get them together for a picture. Talk to you all again later," Anna said and she and Dean left to cross the room to the tasty treats table waving to others.
"Walter, wanted to let you know, as you suggested, I let HR know to keep an eye out for Scorpion being mentioned on applications submitted. Dineen and Dodd both were hired last week. Matter of fact, Dodd is in the banking and financial sector and Dineen back in HR, and you know Quinn is in the engineering section of fabrication." Richard said. "Quinn has already improved a process, so you are right, they are exceptional."
Gina, watching Walter saw his gaze drift over the crowd and stop to widen, staring before returning to pay attention to Richard. Looking over the crowd she could not spot who gained his attention.
"I told you they were an exceptional group and should do well for you," Walter said taking a sip of his water and noticing Zoe starting a conversation with Gina drawing her aside so Richard and Walter were in a separate space to talk.
Richard looked at Walter, "they are all on probation for the usual six weeks to ensure they mesh well. Are you sure this won't cause a problem for you?"
Walter looked straight at Richard, "I have told you as well as others over the years. Those who think my 'feelings' should be taken into consideration on decisions they make- such is not the case. Hire whom you wish, it is of no concern to me, will not make an impact on my working with you."
"OK, Walter. I will be starting the presentations shortly. You will be called to the stage. I will make the presentations short and sweet knowing you are not one who likes the spotlight, but you will find such awards to be good for your business. Some people are into plaques and commendations to make their decisions. Having commendation for your security programming from Elias Enterprises will do well since Gina is now putting ads in business publications."
"Thanks for the warning- Gina will be along anytime you call for me." Walter said with a smile. "You notice she still has not asked for a transfer, as you thought she would by now. She can haul all the stuff to the office- you are not expecting me to talk publicly, I hope."
Richard laughed, "I am not expecting a miracle, Walter. Just smile and say thanks and pass the stuff to Gina. You will find this isn't as bad as you expected to be. Time to get the ball rolling. You will be first so over and done for the evening rather than prolong your agony." Richard sauntered off with Zoe joining him while Gina came back to Walter's side.
"Get the briefing on the presentations and being in the spotlight?" Gina asked.
"Yes, I hope you were briefed as well, as I told Richard, anytime I am called you will be right up there with me, so be prepared." Walter said with a smile taking a sip of his water. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, "You asked for this so enjoy the spotlight."
Gina laughed, putting a hand on his arm, "unlike you, Walter, I certainly will enjoy standing next to you in the spotlight. I hope pictures are taken and it is in the company newsletter so I can clip them and put them in my photo album."
Richard walked up on the dais into the spotlight and within a short time he had gained everyone's attention and the room quieted. Zoe stood behind Richard to hand the awards on the table to her father as they were given out.
"I hope everyone is enjoying themselves, but it is time to take care of business. This is the time of year people within and affiliated with the organization are recognized for their excellence. The first and foremost level of excellence is patents of designs and processes. We have an affiliate who has been awarded not one, not two, but three patents all related to the space division. Mr. Walter O'Brien, please join me up here.
Walter grabbed Gina's hand and they walked up to stand by Richard, Walter managing to have Gina positioned between him and the crowd.
"Walter, there are people who are exceedingly proud to have three patents over their working life, to have three awarded in one year is excellence of the highest order." Zoe handed Richard the three framed patent awards who then passed it on to Walter to the applause of the crowd.
"Thank you," Walter said and turned to step off the dais.
"Whoa, Walter," Richard said with a laugh. "Not done yet, come back here." There were snickers in the audience as Walter, holding Gina's hand returned to Richard's side.
"Scorpion Security Systems, an independent affiliate of Elias Enterprises, has protected fifteen data centers holding data of the space, bank, and financial sectors. This security programming has been entirely written by Walter. Since these programs have been installed there has not been one incursion. While so many enterprises have been in the news about data breaches, Scorpion Security System has kept all our data safe and secure." Zoe handed Richard another plaque who then passed it on to Walter.
"Thank you," Walter said with a smile, again turning to step off the dais with Gina to applause. Richard continued to present numerous employees with plaques, announced personnel changes and students into internships.
Back on the floor, continuing to hold Gina's hand, Walter headed back to the far side of the crowd. "That was the last of the spotlight, right?" Walter asked. "We can kick back and relax now?"
"Richard is right, I will be prominently hanging all these in the office for future customers to see and include them in the publication ads." Gina said with a smile. "Awards from Elias Enterprises will do your business a world of good when it comes to getting customers."
Walter looked at her, "Thought the good programming was the defining decision for customers. Can you park that crap somewhere or shall I take it out and stuff it in the Malibu?"
"That is a good idea, better than carting it around all night." Gina said. "Then you can come back, get another flute of soda water, spend some time….. maybe a dance before calling it a night?"
Walter gave her a look, took the presented awards off her hands and walked out the door to dump it all in the car. Gods, dance he thought returning inside. Pausing to grab a bottle of water available at one table, he returned to the far side of the crowd but did not spot Gina. Taking a drink, he scanned the crowd to spot her dancing with Hans. Watching her enjoying herself he did not notice Jake come alongside him.
"You know, we still owe you a dinner," Jake said. "I haven't forgotten. We left a note, Gina and I."
Continuing to watch Gina dancing with Hans, Walter said, "student or intern, you have better things to do with your funds than pay for dinner for a relatively wealthy business owner not overly into the social scene."
"We really did want to apologize for the math major invasion. I had absolutely no idea they would pull a stunt like that." Jake said. "Quite a crass move by them to be honest."
Walter laughed turning to Jake. "To be honest, indeed. Those who are math proficient, like myself, are a tactless clan. As Gina has said, 'nature of the beast'. Neither you nor Gina have anything to apologize for the math majors and their wanting to show superiority over the 'old guard'. They now know I am not yet THAT old."
"That reminds me, Gina brought some pictures on her phone of some math you did? Remember that? Wayne was blown away, especially when she told him you don't own a calculator. She sure got a good laugh. She has been having a good time working with you- tweaking a lot of noses at the condo. Think Hans has been particularly poked."
"She may be using me to acclimate herself to being around a math major by the looks of it," Walter said nodding to Gina and Hans talking since the dance is over.
"Hans may have aspirations, but Gina is more geared toward engineering, I think." Jake said with a smile looking at the two talking. "Matter of fact, think this engineer better get over there for the next dance." Leaving Walter he walked over to join Gina and Hans to take Gina's hand when the music resumed to whirl her out onto the floor and wrap his arms around her.
Walter stood watching the two and others on the dance floor. Zoe came up to him. "Are you enjoying yourself, Walter?"
Walter smiled turning to her, "As much as I am capable in this kind of setting. You enjoy this kind of socializing? Your father certainly seems to; he is quite the master of ceremonies."
"Yes, he is quite the people oriented person," Zoe said "He truly likes rubbing shoulders with any and all people. Amazes me how he can remember names and particulars about so many."
Coming through the crowd, Richard joined them. "Not dancing, Walter? Know you don't drink, but have you tried any of the so-called 'tasty treats' yet? The chef's really knocked themselves out, ah, they are playing my song, come Zoe, let's take a turn around the dance floor."
Standing alone, the reasons for being there have been completed so Walter decided it was time to make his exit. Good thing Gina drove herself so he need not worry about her getting home OK, especially with Jake in attendance. Looking at them on the dance floor he thought they make a nice looking couple. Walter turned to look for the route to take to get to the door without having to dive through the throng when he locked eyes with Paige standing at the fringe of the crowd not twenty feet away. His eyes widened as she made her way toward him until she was close enough to extend her hand- "may I have this dance?" she asked.
"No," Walter answered and left.
Pulling up at the garage, Walter sat a moment, then got out to open up and pull the Malibu in. Closing up he went to the bedroom to get out of the suit and return it to its bag and hang in the back of the closet. He decided to take a shower then sat at his desk in boxers, towel around his neck. He swiveled his chair around to face Megan's picture on the shelf behind him and stare at it.
"Gods, Megan, I just can't do it again. Seeing her, being so close to her, GODS, I could not breathe. They damned near killed me, Megan, did destroy my life, and I am trying to remake it, and they think they can just come back and I will open my arms to start it all over again. Absolutely nothing has changed, Megan, NOTHING HAS CHANGED!"
He looked at his hands shaking, felt his chest heaving almost a panic attack, mind in a haze. He stood up slamming the chair into the shelves behind and stormed up to the roof, chilly as it was with wet hair and in his boxers. In time he quit shaking and his breathing returned to normal, the chill set in so he slowly got up and returned inside and sat at his desk again. He opened the laptop at the corner of the desk, and powered up the desktop unit to sit there not knowing what to do with himself. "I can't drive anywhere, much as I would like to, mind is too scattered and I will end up putting my foot into it. Almost died last time I drove in this state, did destroy a fine piece of automotive engineering." He opened the music file on the desktop and scrolled to Bach's Brandenburg and hit play, leaned back, closed his eyes and willed himself to relax listening to the intricacies of the violin, the mathematical precision. By the fifth concerto he was relaxed. When the sixth started he got up and got a bottle of water. Took a drink and went to bed dozing off to the sixth concerto.
Waking in the morning, he dressed in Jeans and t-shirt, went downstairs to open the garage door, pulled the Malibu out to hose it down, dry it off and pull it back in to give it a good wax, clean the interior, then started on the Ferrari keeping himself focused and busy with thoughtless tasks. When completed, he popped their hoods to check fluids and general checks, finally when done he leaned against the Malibu looking at the Ferrari next to it.
"Want to do another? When you finish the MGB I can bring the 120 and if you still have more steam to release I can bring Seth's Tundra, then as a last resort his wife's Prius, but she will have to bring it, I'm not near smug enough to drive it."
Walter turned to see Sarah sitting on the edge of the big concrete planter with the Mandarin orange. "Good grief, how long you been there? You could have helped, you know."
She laughed, "You kidding? I can sit all day long watching a man work. You are scrubbing and waxing those two within an inch of their lives. I can kind of understand adding a half quart of oil in the Malibu though not really absolutely necessary, but topping off the tank for the windshield washer fluid was a bit much especially as the rainy season is here….. supposedly, anyway. Is it an El Nino or La Nina this year?"
"El Nino, I think so should be some gully washers. What you doing here? You back to stalking or need some computer work done?"
"It is Saturday so I thought you might like to take a drive while the weather is nice. I parked in front but there was no answer to my knocks on the office door so I came around here to bang on the garage door to see you working away." Sarah said. "To be honest, the holidays, a.k.a., the silly season is a depressing time of year. All geared to families, mainly kids, craziness in the stores, too much booze ingested, too much weed puffed, so generally too much stupid and I needed a bit of sanity, so you popped into mind."
"I was wanting to drive last night but was not in the right frame of mind. If you would like to go along on my first jaunt beyond the city, let me put the top down, and with a passenger I will stay on an even keel. Shall we see how it does out on the dry hills two lane roads?"
"Are you serious?"
"As a peek frean."
"What? Thought your Gaelic only popped out when you were exceedingly angry."
Walter laughed, "inside joke. Shall we go?" He went inside for the keys and pulled the Ferrari out, closed up, looked at the sky but saw no clouds so put the top down, opened the door for Sarah, got behind the wheel and took off to gas up then on to the back roads in the hills around the city.
"I dare say we can find a restaurant in one of the small communities so give a yell when you get the munchies."
"You were so very concentrated when I came around to the garage when you were cleaning the cars, thought you had something on your mind and I didn't want to jolt you train of thought."
"Yes, things on my mind, but as it is all crap, it is now shoved into a deep, dark recess- compartmentalized I think it is termed. A computer file to be deleted in the fullness of time."
"This does handle the road well," She said. "You are taking curves faster than I would in the MG. and for a cheap, well, reasonably priced small sport car it handles fairly well."
Walter let up on the gas pedal glancing at the speedometer. "Sorry, sometimes they handle too well. Coming into a small town, ready for something to eat? A restaurant here has a very good breakfast served all day- farm fresh eggs and I have not eaten yet today."
"Sounds good and I am buying this time, no argument."
Pulling into the mostly empty parking lot they walked in to sit at a booth. The waitress called to him "Walter, sure has been a long damned time since you been out this way. Coffee and scrambled, hash browns and biscuit, right?"
"Patty, that is some memory you have."
"Sounds good, so make it two." Sarah said.
Patty yelled the order in and brought two cups and a pot of coffee to pour for them. "How come we have not seen you up here?"
"I got popped in the Datsun and it was totaled so nothing to drive but an automatic commuter not fun to drive out this way."
"Not hurt bad I hope."
Walter laughed, "no, just the melon thumped, but you know I have a thick skull. Datsun was damaged much more than me. It is in a junk yard being scrapped out for parts and I am back behind the wheel going strong."
The cook rang the bell and Patty brought their plates, then the pot of coffee to freshen their cups. With a smile Patty handed Walter the tab. "Hey, I was going to buy."
"Sorry, everywhere I go they have standing orders I always get the tab. Sometimes it is good to know people." Walter said. "Finish up, I want to get back before dark."
"Yes, sir!" Sarah gulped the last of her coffee and headed for the door.
Walter paid with a good tip then went out to open the door for Sarah, got behind the wheel and went to the gas station next to the restaurant and topped off the tank for the return trip to the garage getting there as the sun was setting.
Opening the garage he pulled the car in and closed up. "Like to stay the night? You can pull the MG in behind the Malibu if you want."
Sarah looked at him, "Open the door and I will bring it around."
Walter opened the garage door, Sarah went out and pulled the MGB in behind the Malibu and he shut the door and set the stops. Leading the way to the loft and on into the bedroom he shed his shoes, socks and shirt then turned to see her stopped at the doorway. "Something wrong?" he asked.
"Do you even like me, Walter?"
"You would not be here if I didn't," he murmured returning to her to capture her mouth in a passionate kiss, arms around her. "Stay the night, sex not necessary, I just do not want to be alone," he said. "Go take a shower, I will give you a shirt to sleep in, nice, cozy, and warm in my arms- sound good?"
She stepped back looking at him, "sounds good, if I had wanted to be alone I would not have come here. Nice, cozy, and warm sounds like just what I need."