Incident On A Bus

* * *

She left the bus in Toledo, as I somehow knew she wood. Was that her destination? Or was she just ditching me and in search of another anonymous lover on another bus for the coming night? I didn't know, but I did know something very special. Our parting kiss was more than just a kiss.

So I asked her straight out. If I can find you again, would you be mad at me, beautiful lady? She laughed that wonderful giggle-laugh that is so infectious, and held both of my hands in hers as she leaned back away from me. "Why don't you want to walk away from me and our relationship right now, Mr. John-Wayne-Man-Of-Action-With-A-Gentle-Touch-Guy? Didn't you get enough of me last night?"

'Listen, Ms. Angle-Lady-Lover-And-Love-Of-My-Life, I don't think I could ever walk away from you if you didn't want me to. But I have to know now if you want me to? Are you married, and do you want me to walk away and not try to find you? I need to know.'

Her giggle-laugh seemed to fill the bus station, and it came from both her lips and eyes. "Well, you do seem persistent. I guess the answers you are looking for are 'No' and 'No.' I am not married, and if you can locate me, trace me like some kind of criminal, which I am not, then maybe just maybe, we might work on building a relationship. But just how do you plan on finding me. You don't have a clue about me. If you think you can go back to Hagerstown and trace me from there, forget it. I don't live in Hagerstown any more, and my trail there has long since grown cold. And I am not traveling under my real name, so that isn't any help to you. So, tell me, just how do you expect to track me down?"

In reply I smiled, brought her to me, and kissed her deeply. Then I handed her my business card that I had been secretly palming out of her view, carefully watching the expression on her face. I was not disappointed as a look of complete and total surprise flowed over her like so much cold water as she read it. When she once again looked at me, I winked, turned, and said over my shoulder as I climbed back on the bus, 'I'll be seeing you in a few weeks. Take care till then, Darling.' And the bus door closed.

* * *

Her name is Amanda Marie Allen, she is 25, and she lives at... well, you don't really need to know that, do you. She was raised in Hagerstown, but left that town after high school to attend Georgetown University. She graduated with a BS in Accounting and an MA in Business Management. And I didn't even raise a light sweat finding all that info (and a whole lot more) about this special woman. After all, I do work at the Department of Justice, and for an agency known as the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was a small thing to trace her, find her, and watch her. And by the way, she is single, and works as a mid-level manager for Commerce, which is just three blocks or so from my office in the Hoover building.

I was sitting at a carefully laid out table complete with two chairs, table cloth, two candles, fine china, wine glasses, two waiters standing nearby who worked for a gourmet catering company, and one musician complete with violin. Oh, and there was also two dozen yellow roses and a yellow orchid corsage. What made it somewhat unusual was that the table was set up in a small city park. It was next to a park bench, across the street from the Commerce building. What made that particular park bench so interesting was that Amanda Marie Allen always ate her lunch while sitting on it with one of her office friends.

She came out the doorway right on time, laughing, talking and walking with Lidia Booker, one of her female co-workers. They crossed the street together, then turned towards the park bench. They were so engrossed in conversation that she failed to see my offering until her friend drew her attention to it. And then she and I made eye contact... Oh, how I love her surprised giggle-laugh... And her tears of happiness... And her sweet kisses...