Period of Adjustment Ch. 01-04

It isn't hard to get used to sunny California days. Janice had told me that late July through September were the very best months of the year, and this year looked like no exception. As we rolled north, I was admiring the scenery as it changed from vineyards to farmlands, to open range, and then forests.

We stopped briefly in Leggett to stretch our legs and get a coffee. We were in the southern heart of the redwood forest, and the enormous, majestic trees were spectacular. We played tourist for a while, before returning to the highway and resuming our travels. A small restaurant in Arcata looked after the light lunch we wanted, and we were back on the road again, crossing into Oregon.

Another pit stop for a stretch, and a brief conference helped us decide to quit at Gold Beach for the night. It was a resort-type town where the Rogue River met the Pacific. Plenty of accommodation and restaurants according to the guidebook. It was only another half hour up the road, and we would be there before four-thirty.

As we drove into town, I liked the look of it right away, and Natasha agreed. We found a nice looking motel on the beach side of the highway and pulled in. They had rooms available, so we booked two and checked in. Natasha wanted to freshen up, and I wanted to rest for a few minutes. I was sitting in a comfortable chair watching the news when I nodded off.

I jumped when the phone rang. It took me a minute to remember where I was, before getting up and answering.

"Hello."

"Did I wake you? I knocked on your door, but you didn't answer," Natasha said in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, but that's okay. I guess I needed the rest. Thanks."

"Do you feel like eating yet?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute to wash, and I'll meet you out front."

Natasha had already looked up the local restaurants and had made a list of the possibles. We decided on Italian and, as it happened, the restaurant was just two blocks north on the same side. We walked.

We'd had more time to get to know each other that day. I was being very careful what I told her about my past. I wasn't going to lie ... at least, not blatantly. The fact that I was using a false name didn't enter into that equation. I also found myself wanting to tell her more. Give her some idea of what I had been through in the past years, but without being specific. I knew that wasn't going to work. Sooner or later, I was going to have to tell her the truth.

We held hands as we walked toward the restaurant. That gesture seemed so completely familiar and natural that I don't think she even noticed. The menu was conventional, with a few additional seafood entrées. We shared a bruschetta and opened a bottle of Chianti while we waited for our main course.

"I'm enjoying this trip, Nathan. I'm glad I decided to do this. It's so much more pleasant than flying."

"Good. I'm glad. I'm enjoying it too. It wasn't too tiring for you today, was it?"

"No ... but ... I'm the one that should be asking that question. You did all the driving. I know you must have been tired. You fell asleep in your room, remember."

"I didn't sleep as well as I usually do last night. I guess I was excited about the next three days."

She looked at me, her brow wrinkled in what I recognized as her facial question mark. "Excited?"

"Sure. With a beautiful companion beside me, I was really looking forward to today and I wasn't disappointed."

"That's very nice of you to say. Thank you, Nathan."

"I have a question for you, though. Why do you call me Nathan, and not Nate?"

"I don't know, really. I think I like the sound of Nathan much more. It's smoother ... and nicer. Nate sounds a bit abrupt to me. Does that bother you?"

"No ... not at all. Not when you explain it that way." I smiled my pleasure at her remark. "Nathan it is, then."

We finished our meal and sat, sipping the last of the Chianti and enjoying the vista out over the Pacific. It would be sunset soon, and the haze guaranteed it would be a beautiful sight.

We walked back to the motel, each apparently lost in our thoughts. I was thinking how much I liked being with this woman. I would want to date her when we got to Vancouver. I didn't want to do anything overt during the next two days. I didn't want to upset her in any way. I decided to wait until we were back in Canada before attempting to develop a relationship with Natasha, assuming she was interested, that is.

She did the soft kiss thing again as we approached our rooms, and I watched as she went inside for the night. I entered my room and sighed. What I wouldn't give for a night with that woman. Hell, forget the night. Just give me a couple of hours.

My room's only window looked out over the ocean, and the setting sun was turning orange in the evening haze. I noticed a door to the outside patio, and I picked up my digital camera before walking outside. There were a few plastic chairs around a cheap patio table, and I sat in one as I set up the camera. I took a few sunset over the ocean pictures, then just relaxed.

I sat for a while, listening to the surf and enjoying a warm evening. I'm not sure how long, but a few minutes later, I thought I heard knocking. I assumed it was somewhere else, but when I heard it again, I realized it was the connecting door to Natasha's room. I moved to it and opened it. She had a bottle of Bailey's in her hand and a smile on her face.

"I thought you might like an after-dinner drink."

"Sure. Come on in. I was just enjoying the sunset." I led her out onto the patio, pulled out a chair for her, and waited for her to sit.

"It really is beautiful here, isn't it?" She lifted her glass and we made a silent toast.

"This was a nice idea," I said, indicating the creamy mocha liqueur.

"I hate drinking alone. Besides, it would be selfish if I didn't share."

"Well, you learn soon enough that there's nothing romantic about being alone in a motel room," I said before realizing how it might be interpreted.

"Are you lonely, Nathan?" It sounded like a serious question.

I didn't look at her. I just stared out at the sunset. "Yeah, now and then."

We were sitting close enough that she could reach out and take my hand. It felt soft and warm, and I caught myself fantasizing again. I squeezed it gently, and she returned the gesture. I turned to look at her, and she was smiling. Not a big happy smile, but one of those enigmatic smiles that tell you she's thinking about something and you don't know what it is.

We sat silently for several minutes, sipping our drinks and staring at the now fading light in the west. It was still warm, despite being beside the ocean, and I didn't feel any urgency to go inside. At least not until Natasha rose, came to me and bent down until her face was right in front of me. And then, she kissed me. Not that feather-light touch from before, but a much more insistent kiss.

She pulled back and I looked at her, trying to interpret what she was thinking. She held her hands out to me and I took them, knowing she wanted me to stand. She walked me back into my room, closing the door behind me. I stood, waiting for her to do something, anything, to tell me what she wanted.

Her arms encircled my neck, and she pulled me into another even more passionate kiss.

"I'm lonely too, Nathan. I don't want to be alone tonight. I want to stay with you."

"I can't think of anything that would make me happier. Are you sure, Natasha? After all ...." I didn't get to finish and she plastered my lips with another soul-searing kiss.

"Be quiet. Just accept that it's happening. I want it. You want it. Just accept it," she whispered.