Catherine Ch. 12

"They will also ask certain security questions, cross checking them with what they have on file to make sure who they're talking to is on their list of people they can communicate with," going on with more.

"Of course I'm on the list with Sally and three other close friends too. An Catherine, I will add you..., that is, if is alright with you," asking her now.

Gets her looking at me, "You would give me all that..., access into your house, your home, your life even, everything you have here," she's asking me.

"Yes I would Catherine," telling her, nodding my head in answer to her question. "That is, if you want it?"

Waiting on her answer, she looks at the panel on the wall, then tentatively touches the occupied button, enters the code to see the green light blink four times. I'm not surprised at all --- this girl is smart!

Then she looks at me, "I guess all you have to do now is show me the app for my cell phone," she says.

"You are really something else lady," telling her. "Tonight when we get back here I'll help with that and the security answers too."

Re-setting the system to away, then a quick check of the kitchen, turning out the lights, we make our way out through the garage to my truck. Opening the passenger door where I hold her laptop and brief case as she steps up onto the running board to sit on the seat, then handing back her laptop and brief case before going around to get into the drivers side.

Taking out my cell phone to bring up the alarm system rechecking that every thing is still okay before looking at her, "One last time, are you sure about this Catherine," asking her.

"Yes, I'm sure," she says.

"Okay Catherine, as I set my cellphone in the cradle on the dashboard, it's backing away from the garage, then its up the drive way, stopping to let a car pass before turning left, where we're on our way to the train station.

The road is a little slushy but nothing to make the driving hazardous. But for the next five minutes she hasn't said anything since I asked her about being sure about this. Glancing over to see her looking around the inside of the truck, then out the side window, then back to looking out windshield has me wondering what she's thinking. But when we get the stop sign at the road where I'll have to turn right to head down to the traffic light an the road that will take us to the train station. So waiting for the traffic to pass I look over asking her, "This is a lot different then riding in your Porsche, isn't it Catherine?"

"Yes, bigger," she replies. "Of course higher, plus a little bumpier, but I like it," she says. "You know...," she goes on. "I haven't ridden in a truck in..., I don't know how long anymore," she says,

"The truck does sit higher then the stock suspension was," telling her. "I installed some lifts to give it a little more ground clearance, because I sometimes tow a trailer for those friends of mine who have that garage band with their instruments and sound equipment in it. Also I'm the one who transports the canoes, or kayaks to some places where the roads are..., they call them, unimproved," telling her.

"Bobby, do you have a kayak and canoe," she ask.

"No Catherine, not yet anyway. But a friend and a couple of her friends do, so I get to use one of hers or their's when we go kayaking or canoe camping during the summer," telling her.

"Camping with one of your girlfriends," she ask now.

Pulling away from the stop sign to make my right turn, "Yes Catherine," answering her question, seeing her out of the corner of my eye as she stares ahead at the road --- what were you thinking..., Catherine? Wishing I could read your mind.

Turning into the train station's kiss and cry lane, "Catherine I'll let you out here, then park the truck and meet you back inside the station."

"No Bobby," she says. "I'd like to stay with you until you park, then I'll walk back with you."

"You know Catherine, the walk might be a bit slippery."

"Well, if I slip, you can catch me," she says, looking back at me.

"Sure..., you've been an easy catch since I met you," looking back at her.

"WHAT!" She says. "Easy Catch..., you..., 'yoou,' can go to hell too," she curses me.

Laughing at her as I'm pulling out of line to find a parking place along a row where I usually park the truck. Where its around to take her brief case and lap top she hands me before she steps down onto the running board where I help her down to the ground; locking the truck using the key fop.

Walking back to the station hearing "Easy catch..., you...," not very quietly either.

"You were saying something Catherine," asking her, where she purposely avoids answering my question, staring straight ahead.

"Catherine, if you want to wait over there by those windows, I'll get your tickets," telling her, as we walk through the doors of the station building.

"Thank you Bobby," she says. "But I'll get the tickets."

"Catherine, I don't mind paying for your tickets."

"Bobby...," she says. " You've paid for everything since we've met. So this time I'd like to buy your tickets," she's telling me.

"Thank you, Catherine, but I have a monthly pass I can voucher back to my company who reimburses me for it. So I'll get your tickets," telling her. "You've already repaid me many times over by just being you and now here with me."

"You are so full of it," she says. "I'll get my own tickets then, YOU can repay me later tonight," she says with a wink, where she walks away to the ticket window; ends the ticket question.

Waiting by the windows watching her while she waits in line, then coming back to where I'm waiting after getting her tickets. "Can we go outside," she ask, as she comes up to me.

"Of course Catherine, but it's warmer in here."

"Yes it is warmer in here, but still I'd like to go outside and wait over there," she says, looking to where she pointing through the windows behind me to a place outside. Once outside where I follow her over to a structure with poster side boards advertising a concert at the music center down town.

"Do you remember this spot," asking when she turns around to me.

Glancing around, "Yes. I usually stand about here while waiting for my train to arrive; why?"

"Because Bobby," she says. "This is where I first saw you and wondered who you were," she's telling me.

Hearing that I set her brief case on the ground next to me where, she leans heavily into me and not caring who can see us, share a long, very hard kiss.

This time, in this place, this kiss, is her answer to the question I asked her last night in the kitchen, about why she couldn't say it. And what she did in my kitchen this morning with the spoon of oatmeal and now this. Yes, this..., says all I need to hear..., for now!

But standing here so close a sheet of paper couldn't be slid between us, the sun peaking over the tree tops, my emotions flip, flopping in my stomach, scared, maybe scared more then at any time in my life, even when I was being shot at. But this fear is..., losing her! Because I want her so damn much I can hardly breath.

"I think I hear a train whistle she says." Her words intruding into my thoughts, snapping me out of my muse.

"Yes, it's about the right time," telling her, looking at my watch.

"Catherine, a train car should stop about where the guy in the brown overcoat is standing," telling her. "So when you board, take the car on the right, I've usually had better luck finding a seat in there."

"Okay," she says, as I'm picking up her brief case, the two us walking over to stand behind the guy in the brown overcoat. But waiting here a slight breeze brings the sweet smell of her cologne swirling around my head, bringing back the memory of that day so..., how many weeks has it been now? Where suddenly remembering that rude obnoxious man, wearing to much after shave, his coat smelling like stale cigar smoke, who cut in front of me just before I stepped up to board the train.

Son of a bitch! Thinking about that now. If it hadn't been for him doing that, I might not have been standing in front of her, where maybe he would have been the one instead. Where this whole thing with her would never exist.

Thank you mister rude, obnoxious man, wearing to much after shave, your coat smelling like stale cigar smoke, where ever you are --- as I look around to see if he's anywhere near by.

When the train comes to a halt right where I said it usually does its following Catherine up the steps where she turns right into the car to see an empty two person seat about half way in on the right. Sitting down, placing her briefcase on the floor between us, I turn to her asking for her ticket. Removing one from her purse, she hands it to me, where I place it in a clip on the top of the seat in front of us.

"Aren't you going to put yours there too," she ask.

Reaching around my shirt collar to pull the lanyard out from inside of my shirt which has, not only my Marine Corps dog tags attached to it, but also my monthly transit pass showing both to her,

"Remember, I have this Catherine," telling her. "I only have to show it to the conductor, who checks the expiration date."

"That's right, yours is free," she says.

"Yes, Catherine, in a manner of speaking, I guess it is."

"Bobby, how many more weeks of school do you have," she ask.

"How many more Catherine..., about..., seven, or is it six; why," asking her.

"Just curious," she says, where she turns her head to look out the window at what's zipping by.

Doing the same thing she been doing, watching what's zipping past --- modest single homes, changing to row homes, backs of strip malls or apartment houses, to old industrial buildings, warehouse, or various abandoned buildings going back more decades then I could guess, it's the landscape to a big city we're approaching.

"Not like the excitement of zipping down the expressway in your Porsche, huh Catherine," asking her.

Where she looks back, a non-committal expression on her face or a comment to what I said, she looks back to the dramatic change over from homes with acreage, to row houses with just sidewalks in front and alleyways behind them.

With nothing else said after her question about my weeks left of school, leaves me wondering why she asked it. But it's her cell phone buzzing in her purse that breaks each others thoughts, what ever hers were I wonder.

Reaching into her purse to retrieve it looking at the screen smiling, then answering it with, "Good morning, where are you?" Which begins the one sided conversation I can't help over hear.

"Okay, how were the roads this morning? --- Well, I'm glad to hear that, I was thinking about you driving in. Me?" As she looks to me, "I'm on a train." --- "Why?" "I'm riding in with someone." --- "Yes. --- Yes. Yes I did!" --- "I'll tell you about it when I get into the office. Oh, speaking of that, is Connie in yet?" --- "Okay if she gets there before I do, on my desk is a case she left for me to go over. Would you give it back to her when she gets in and tell her to go ahead with it." --- "Thank you and I'll see you in a little while.

--- "Okay, love you too. Bye."

Putting her phone back into her purse, "That was my girlfriend Sarah," she says. "She and I are co-program administrators, also very close friend," she tells me.

"Okay. But is your program that large it requires two administrators," asking her.

"Yes it is," she replies. "Sarah and I were hired around the same time to do the same job; research. But we didn't know each other before then. An we weren't assigned the same research projects either in order to compare results from different time frames. Her research," Catherine's telling me, "Was the time period from the end of World War Two, through the Korean conflict to the end of the Vietnam war," she explains."

"My assignment was from the first Iraq, second Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as all other conflicts of shorter duration," she says. "So comparisons could be made on what and how medical, emotional, psychological, issues were handled, treated, and their out comes," she's telling me.

"Also issues like divorce rates, suicides, drug addiction, homelessness as well as, finding jobs and holding them. But first of all before all that research took place, the company mailed questionnaires to their then current clients asking if they were veterans and would they be interested in programs the company could provide that would help them in any way with issues connected to their military service," she's telling.

"The response was encouraging enough for the company to invest the time and expense to start in on the research. That's when Sarah and I came in," she says. "Since then the program has expanded dramatically. Do mainly from the last three major conflicts," she tells me.

"Now the need for two administrators..., mostly time," she says. "The amount of travel early on, with that still there, but thankfully less. "Going on...," she says, "The countless meetings, establishing relationships with people in and out of the military, government, private institutions and medical facilities. So having two, with equal responsibilities with authority to make decisions, who shared the burden of all the traveling, endless meetings, made sense," she tells me.

"Sarah and I..." she goes on. "Are a perfect match. It's like we have the same mind. Plus..., we have some of the same..., interest..., if you know.., what I mean," she hints.

"Okay, you two not only work well together..., you also play well together," asking her.

Where it's a side to side tilting of her head, along with a slight raise of an eye brow, her non verbal, but still confirming what I'm taking her answer to be as, yes.

Nodding my head in response, "It must be a fine working and not so much at work relationship, huh?" Her acknowledgment is just a smile without the verbal confirmation. Its both of us smiling back at each other where she takes my hand to squeeze it affectionately several times.

At the same time asking myself, how can I be so lucky to be knowing and in love with a woman like this. It's almost scary! An I know..., what, scary is!

With her holding my hand, which last all the way into the terminal, where she lets go just before we move into the aisle to leave the train. Where our walk to the stairs is so close we easily bump into each other as we're moving along with the rest of the crowd.

But once out on the street, she hooks her arm in mine until I stop at my usual news stand to buy a paper, an greeted with, "Good Morning Mister Swaggart and how are you today."

"I'm doing well Henry and how are you," asking in reply, "Doing fine sir, thank you for asking." Henry's reply.

"It's nice to hear that Henry, an I hope it remains that way for the rest of your day too. Take care," telling him.

"You to sir," Henry's reply, where I walk away, folding the paper under my arm. But as Catherine an I are walking along its with her asking, "Is there any body who doesn't know you," she says.

"What do you mean Catherine, not know me?"

"Just curious," she says. "It seems that everyone you've met since I've been with you, knows your name."

"Well Catherine..., telling her. "I've been stopping at Henry's news stand every school day for the last..., how many weeks or so, to buy a paper. I guess you can't help getting to know someone a little bit, even if it's only getting to know their first name," telling her.

" No Bobby...," she says. "With you, it's more than that! I think people just like you right from the start. You're open, friendly, plus you're such a darn nice guy. I knew it as soon as we started talking that day we met. And now I know you're so much more," she tells me.

"So then Mister Swggart, what would you say if I told you..., I want to stay knowing you for a long..., long..., long time," she ask.

"What Catherine, only three longs?"

"I'll let you know about adding some more longs to that Swaggart," she says, with us laughing.

"Well Catherine, I hope I can help you add a lot more longs to that too," telling her.

"I want that too," she says. The surprise of surprises with her come back brings us to complete stop an with just one arm pull her into me. An right there in the middle of the City Hall Court Yard, crush her to me, kissing her so hard, it's brings on that squeal in her throat as she's kissing me back.

"Thank you Catherine," breaking the kiss. "I hope I will always live up to what you expect and want from me."

"I have no worries about that Bobby," she says.

"Okay then..., now that's out of the way, what about lunch," asking her.

"Sure, but you know...,"

"Yeah..., I, know." Remembering the last time.

"Bobby..., call me when you go on break," she says.

"Okay..., your office or your cell phone," asking her.

"It doesn't matter," she says. "I'll make time to answer it."

With that its her taking my hand as we cross to the plaza to walk hand in hand about a third of the way across before stopping. Handing back her briefcase, " I miss you already and we haven't even said good-bye, " she saying to me.

Completely stunned by that simple statement that says so much leaving me speechless an she sees it. Where it's her soft, quick kiss before saying good-bye, where I watch as she walks the rest of the way across the plaza, down the steps to the sidewalk, where she merges into the crowd crossing to her building.

Standing here, head turning in disbelief at her, "I miss you already, and we haven't even said good-bye." The lady really likes me and more than just what she said that morning back at her sisters, "I guess this means I like you!"

My feet barely feel the sidewalk under them as I make my way to the front entrance to my building, through the doors, then to the cafeteria like a robot to get my breakfast sandwich and coffee, then over to the table I usually sit with my classmates. Where I haven't even acknowledged John's greeting. Until his repeating it. But still no reply from me it's his, "Earth to Swaggart, do you read me?"

"Sorry John, I was somewhere else," telling him.

"Uh-Huh, the girlfriend again," he says.

"Yes John," my reply.

"Dumped you again, huh," he says.

"No, nothing like that at all," telling him. "She likes me John! An a whole hell of a lot too! She even spent the night at my house, she also plans to spend tonight there too," telling him.

"It's true John, she really likes me," telling him, seeing his mouth is hanging open like a fool.

After eating my breakfast, it's John with me making our way from the coffee bar, me to the steps, John stopping to wait for the elevator, it's John losing the race to our classroom as usual.

First setting my coffee cup on a near by table, then it's over to hang my jacket on the rack, then picking up my coffee cup, to stand at a window looking over at her building wondering, what are you doing right now Catherine Parker? My cell phone buzzing has me looking at the screen to see it's her cellphone number. Answering it with, "Hello you!"

"I called to tell you I miss you," she says.

Oh My God Girl, I miss you too," almost having to take a step back in surprise at what she just said.

"Where are you," she ask.

"Right now I'm staring out a classroom window at your building, why," asking her.

"Because I'm looking out my office window at your building too. So..., why haven't waved to me," she says.

"Hum, I think I remember a conversation some time ago about this same thing," laughing with it.

"Yes..., now that you mention it," she says.

"An the lunch, should I meet you there, or meet you and walk there together," asking her.

"Why don't I meet you there," she says. "We've been observed, so fewer questions."

"Catherine! I don't want this to cause any problems for you," telling her. "Because I'd walk away in a heart beat."