7- Starting over… chapter seven
Entering the combination at the man-door to the garage bay, Walter walked through the downstairs. The little colored lights throughout and the string along the stairs were reminiscent of computer lights when a system was functioning- without the blinking. Interesting effect he thought as he headed for the stairs to go to the den. Sitting at the desk, he turned on the desk lamp and glanced at the pictures of him and Megan hung between the arched openings. The laptop, open at the corner of the desk, showed no new mail. Sitting back he looked at the picture of adult Megan. "Looks like it is just us again, Megan," he said, "but you are not here, so just me. Sorry, think I will hang your pictures elsewhere. Looking at you looking at me these days, think you would be disappointed in me. Don't like that look." He got up, took the two pictures down and set them up on a shelf behind him then sat back down. "Out of sight, but not out of mind, Megan."
Walter pulled the laptop over. After the pleasant drive with Sarah in the MGB convertible, he decided the time has come to look into obtaining a more interesting vehicle for late night drives. The Malibu 'company car' is a good means of transportation, but he needs something that handles and makes him focus on the driving for the nights he can't sleep… meditative. He thought for a moment, then typed in Triumph TR6 for sale. Looking through what popped up, he did some research on the Triumph in-line six engine, and parts availability. After an hour or so he powered down and headed to the bathroom to shower. Drying off, he pulled clean boxers on and went to bed. Laying across the bed staring at the ceiling he thought of Sarah asking about him inviting her in for a drink…. then wondered if Paige has been invited by some man to have a drink knowing she does drink alcohol.
He grabbed one of the spare pillows and curled up on his side with it. GODS why do I keep thinking of her, she does not care, never did 'cause I am not man enough to satisfy her, can't meet her needs, too much a lost cause. Furiously he threw the pillow, snapped on the light and went through the den and down the stairs, to snap on every light in the place so the brightness blasted his eyes. He pulled the whiteboards over to the center of the set up seating area, went up the stairs three at a time to grab the laptop to bring it back down and pull up some science sites until he ran across some theoretical math where the answers were requested. He scanned through and wrote one at the top of one whiteboard and started the long, involved, board filling work of coming to an answer. He did come to an answer, circled it and scanned for another problem to write at the top of the second whiteboard to start again, to again fill the board with symbols and numbers to finally circle the answer at the bottom corner and went on to scan for a third to put at the top of the third whiteboard and began again, finally working at a less frantic pace when there was a knock at the back-bay man-door. He walked into the back-bay and put in the combination to open the door to find Sarah standing there.
"I went for another drive and came back past here and saw the place lit up like an airport. You did say you had work to do. I'm not tired and no one else seems to be awake around here but you. Like some company?"
Walter chuckled, "coffee, tea or water?" he asked opening the door wider so she could enter. "I'm not exactly dressed for company, but you are the one intruding, so put up with it." He walked into the open area to the whiteboards and continued working the last problem while she sat and watched.
While working the math he said, "I am rather lacking as a host, if you want something to drink, go through that door into the office kitchen and help yourself, look around, you will find whatever you need."
Sarah got up, opened the door and found the kitchen light switch by the door. Left the door open and saw the coffee maker was already set up so flipped its switch to start it up. Opening cabinets she pulled out two coffee cups with the 'Scorpion Security Systems' with black scorpion logo and put them on the counter. While the coffee was working she went back to sit down and watched as he continued to fill the whiteboard. When the coffee quit gurgling she went into the kitchen and filled two cups, putting one on the table by the whiteboard and sat back down sipping hers.
When he circled the last answer on the whiteboard, he picked up the coffee, backed up a couple steps and took a drink while looking over the three boards. He finally turned and sat in a chair looking at Sarah. They both sat in silence sipping coffee for a few moments.
"I have no idea what is on those boards," she finally said. "I made it through calculus but that was my top math ability and I have not used it in years. I won't even ask you to explain all that as it just won't register."
"Why are you here?" Walter asked. "This is LA. There are places open twenty-four, seven filled with people looking to get together, socialize, connect, why here? Why me? Why the interest?"
"Obviously you are somehow oblivious of your appeal, Walter. You are handsome, straight forward and to the point in conversation, intellectually stimulating, fascinating to talk with, and not the average male on the prowl out to conquer."
"So you came to my place in the middle of the night to talk?" Walter asked. "You know nothing of me, could be a serial killer, a computer game hacker, any number of things," he said smiling. "You routinely risk your better health and welfare like this?"
"No, while searching a person on-line things may be left out, but there is enough on you. Your former team, you worked with Homeland Security, that you are the fourth highest IQ ever recorded, a math and computer genius. Such a fascinating individual and here you are alone, and I was alone and did not want to remain alone tonight."
Walter looked at her while sipping his coffee. "You on birth control?"
"Wow, you are quite the romantic, silver tongued devil, aren't you. Yes, been on for years to regulate and assuage the bad cramping I get. And no, don't do this a lot, but not exactly a nun, either- I am thirty years old after all. You want me to sign a nondisclosure contract? This is like a business merger," she said laughing. "I just thought a pleasant dalliance for two people alone. The time spent talking with you piqued my interest, but maybe I was mistaken."
Walter rose, shut off the coffee maker in the kitchen, turned off the light and closed the door, went around and turned off the blazing lights to just the colored lights. "I am going to bed, care to join me, come along, if not I will let you out."
"Lead the way, you romantic devil, you," Sarah said with a laugh.
Walter went up the stairs with Sarah following through the den on into the bedroom. He picked up the pillow he had thrown on the floor earlier and pitched it on the bed. He turned, opened his arms and she came to him for a kiss. Walter surprised himself- he had a surge of hunger and the kiss became deep and passionate, his hands slipping under her shirt to unclasp her bra to remove it and her shirt. Her shorts went next as did his boxers and still kissing, his hands pushed her panties down for her to step out of. He lowered her onto the bed and laid next to her to kiss again then kissed, nipped and licked his way to her breasts, hand slipping between her legs to gently pleasure her to match his readiness. She was breathing heavily and squirmed making herself receptive. Walter positioned himself above her and kissed her deeply then moved to pull her on top of him. She reached down to position him and lowered herself to take him in with a groan and rode him to her climax while Walter watched her reaction to be sure she was satisfied, feeling her pulsing around him. She collapsed onto his chest shuddering. He rose above her to again enter and thrust at a tempo to bring her to climax again then sped up to spill into her with a groan and, after a moment, lowered himself to lay next to her. She was totally sated to lay with eyes closed and breathing slowly returning to normal. She opened her eyes, raised up to kiss him deeply, then put her head on his shoulder, arm across his chest and leg across his to settle in to sleep. Walter reached over and pulled the light blanket over them and settled in to sleep as well.
Walter awoke in the morning to find Sarah still laying with her arm across his chest. He moved it gently and got up to use the bathroom, then into the shower. While scrubbing his hair, Sarah joined him. He kissed her and they lathered each other up to have another round of passionate kissing to press her against the shower wall, her clutching him and glazed half lidded eyes again assured Walter she experienced a climax before he again erupted with a groan each holding the other up until, returning from the high, able to stand on their own. They then soaped up again, rinsed off and got out to dry each other.
Getting dressed and using her fingers to comb her short auburn hair into place Sarah said, "I must admit, Walter, you certainly surprised me. The way you were last night, cold and calculating downstairs, then so very passionate in bed especially ensuring I was satisfied….. more than once. You are not like other men who just take care of their needs."
"What is the point if only one is fulfilled?" Walter said pulling boxers on then went into the bedroom to dress in jeans and t-shirt.
"There is the return to cold and calculating," she said. "How do you do that?"
"Why get into useless emotional entanglements when the only point was physical release?" Walter asked. "You did not want to be alone last night, I was readily available and in a frame of mind that the math was not getting the job done."
"Wow, cold and calculating, again. I see now why you are single."
Walter turned to look at her, "you are single as well. What does that say about you if you are so judgmental the morning after? Who came to whom last night? What exactly are you expecting?"
Sarah looked at him with a frown, "I expected nothing yet got more than I expected."
"If you are ready, I have a data center's security I need to attend to," Walter said. Going through the den he put the laptop in its case and followed her downstairs. Sarah led the way to the back-bay, he kicked out the manual stops and opened the garage door to pull his car out. When he turned to get in the car she turned, put a hand on his chest and kissed him. "Have a good day, Walter," she said then exited the garage, got in her MGB, started it up and left. He pulled his car out, put the garage door down went through the man-door to set the manual door stops and exited through the man-door, got in the car and left for the Fullerton data center to meet Bob Martin.
Getting to the Fullerton data center he walked to the main gate and told the security guard his name and that he was to see Bob Martin. Within minutes Bob came to escort Walter to the facility.
"Richard has every data center scheduled for you to do upgrades. He is very worried about the space and financial systems being hacked. We are mostly the space think tank and test labs data. Anyone gets into that they can really learn a lot. Everyone who has had your upgrades so far have been happy- their monitoring, at least according to Harley and a couple others, have shown no incursions at all."
"I will just be scanning this system and be back in a day or so with security to install. As I have told all the others, monitoring is necessary. Should you get heavy activity, let me know. I may be back and see if I can backtrack to the hackers or at least their location."
"Here we are," Bob said opening the door to the server facility. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I will just be here an hour or so, then I need to be escorted back to the gate" Walter said. "When I come back to install I will message you a time, probably tomorrow or the next day at latest."
Walter pulled his laptop out of its case along with the cable and hooked in then sat down and started his scan. An hour passed and he was finishing up when Bob returned.
"Perfect timing, you are all done? I will walk you to the gate. By the way, I want to let you know I am happy to meet you. My wife was in the hospital when that tainted blood fiasco went down a couple years back. Her doctor was able to hold off on her surgery until it was straightened out, fortunately. Others were not so lucky. Was overjoyed to see that jerk get twenty, no parole. Anyone who can deliberately make people sick just to make a profit is one sick animal. Could not imagine Richard doing such. But so much for that, I am sure you get a lot of thank you's and probably get tired of it like celebrities being bothered at restaurants by fans." Reaching the gate, he shook Walters' hand. "I will tell the wife I met you, she will be jealous. Just message me when you are ready to come back. Have a good day and watch for the nuts on the road."
Walter drove back to the garage, pulled the car in and went up to the den, powered up the desktop unit, pulled the laptop out, opened it to place it on the corner of the desk. Went into the kitchen and got coffee started. Returning to sit at the desk he thought a few moments then pulled the keyboard over to bring up a file. Opened it and scanned to make the necessary alterations for use at the Fullerton data center. He got a cup of coffee and continued with the coding. Three hours and five cups of coffee he was done, pulled an external hard drive out and started the download. The laptop signaled new mail. Opening it to find a message from Gina:
Walter- once the Fullerton data center is upgraded, Richard requested you see the Pacoima data center. Banking/financials stored there. See Joe Reed, the manager there. Gina
Walter checked the downloading program and went down to knock on the door to the office kitchen and entered.
"Gina, sorry I did not set up the coffee after swiping some from the kitchen last night. I got into some theoretical math last night- my fun during down time." He said sitting down in an easy chair.
"Walter, everything in this place is yours, you can swipe coffee from here anytime." She said with a smile. "Would Hans understand your 'fun during down time' exercise? Have it on paper so I can stuff it under his nose when I see him again?"
"Presently downloading the program for the Fullerton facility to install tomorrow afternoon. If you want, you can message Joe Reed in Pacoima that I can be there in the morning to scan their system. I can go there in the morning and Fullerton afterward." Walter said. "Don't have it on paper, just whiteboards I have not erased yet."
"Can I take a picture of them?"
"If you wish, the whiteboards are in the seating area, don't know why you would find it interesting, but have at it. I am going back up to check the download." Walter said leaving the door open as he went through to return to the den.
Gina grabbed her phone from her purse and went through the kitchen and spotted the whiteboards and snapped a picture of each.
"HEY WALTER! YOU DID ALL THIS WITHOUT A CALCULATOR?" Gina called and laughed when she heard him say from the den, "I don't own a calculator."