by H. L. Wegley
“Very good, except I would’ve gotten the SWAT team to the church on time. About five minutes earlier. I don’t ever want to come that close to losing you.”
“Lee, we wouldn’t have lost each other forever. Not after this morning.”
“No.” He frowned. “Not forever. But I kind of like the thought of spending our lives together here on planet Earth, first.”
Her almond-shaped eyes squinted as she peered at him. “Do you want to explain exactly what you meant by that?”
Lee braced himself for some kind of outburst. “No, I don’t.”
Instead of giving him an outburst of anger she gave him a coy smile. “I didn’t think so. But, at least you didn’t lie to me. Now, let’s go in and have some of that All-American food.”
Forgiveness? Is that what she just gave me?
When Lee escorted Jennifer through the door into the diner it seemed they entered into another time. “Well, what do you think?”
Jennifer stopped, smiled, and scanned the large, open room. “Black-and-white checkered floor, red vinyl seats, booths along the wall. Looks like America, circa nineteen fifty-five.”
He gestured towards an empty table in the middle of the room. “My mom and dad have tried to describe what life as a child was like in the late fifties and early sixties. They said it was an innocent time. Listen to the music, Jenn.”
Words that said only one person could make this world seem right came from the big jukebox in the corner creating a soothing atmosphere.
Jennifer sighed as she walked towards the table. “Yes, being here almost makes me forget what we experienced this weekend. Life in twenty-first century America. Not an innocent time.”
After seating Jennifer he sat opposite her and folded his hands on the table. “I wish we could recapture some of what that generation had.” Lee’s gaze wandered down the directory of songs listed on the mini-jukebox on their table. “Maybe we can. And look, Jenn, there’s not a single British group listed. Only American music. Is this American enough to suit you?”
Jennifer had already opened a menu. “It’s perfect,” she replied, as she turned to address the approaching waiter. Before Lee could speak, she placed their order. “Prime rib and potatoes with a garden salad for both of us, please. You can choose our drinks, Lee.”
Her order stopped any protest he might have voiced. Once again he smiled and let his gaze rest on Jennifer. “Two cherry cokes, please.”
After the waiter left with their order Jennifer leaned forward onto the table and looked into Lee’s eyes. “OK. Now that we’ve ordered the next item on the agenda is—”
“Is you. In some ways I feel like I know everything about you, yet in others almost nothing at all. There’s a lot more I want to know.”
She reached across, unfolded his hands and took one of them. “As long as I get a turn at this too, you can ask away.”
“You can have your turn, but only if you go easier on me than you did coming home yesterday.”
The warmth in her eyes conveyed the message, even before her words reached him. “You don’t have to worry about that. You already passed my test.”
“Just for your information I like my test better.” Today the subject of tests brought no protest from Jennifer. “Now. Questions. Let’s see. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?”
“Come on. I have a Top Secret SCI clearance. What do you think?”
“OK, what about traffic tickets?”
“None.”
“Well you should have gotten several. I’ve seen you speeding, running red lights—”
“You’re not funny. I’m squeaky clean and you know it. “
“You already told me your dad died. But what about your mom?”
She stared across the room. “She moved back to Hawaii not long after Dad died.” Her gaze came back and met his. “It was a hard time for us all.”
He placed his free hand over hers. “I’m sorry you had to experience that.” He paused. “Your last name is Japanese. Is your Mom Japanese, too?”
“My dad was Japanese, as was nearly fifty percent of the island population eighty years ago. No. Mom is Hawaiian.”
“That explains it then. Two beautiful races of beautiful people and you get—”
“Look, we’re not going to talk about appearances today.”
He was looking and he couldn’t help thinking about her appearance. Nor could he forget her temper, which seemed to have mellowed.
Maybe she just oscillates between aloha and hara-kiri.
A penetrating look from Jennifer made him fear she had read his thoughts. He decided continue the questioning while he still had the floor.
“OK. Do you have relatives here on the mainland?”
“Yes. My grandfather on Dad’s side lives about two hours south of here.”
“What about brothers and sisters?”
“Despite what you think I’m not an only child. I have two younger sisters—much younger than me. Both live on Oahu with Mom.”
He wanted to ask about her sisters. How much younger? What were their ages? He changed his line of questioning. “Did you like church today?”
“You know I did. After the sermon, the last song really grabbed my heart. But tell me something, does your church always test a new Christian’s faith by threatening their life? That’s pretty brutal.”
He laughed. “No, it doesn’t. If it did though, you would’ve passed with flying colors. But can we please stick to more pleasant subjects?”
“Do you mean like the looks we’re getting from three-fourths of the people in the restaurant?”
“Are we—”
“Yes. We’re in a fishbowl here.”
As he glanced around the room eyes from nearly every table were focused on them.
He supposed Jennifer was drawing much of the attention.
But they had definitely been recognized.
“Do you want to leave?”
“No, but I’m not comfortable with—”
“I think we just need to break the ice. Then we might find this place will warm up nicely.” He looked to his right and smiled. “In fact, there’s an icebreaker headed our way right now.”
Jennifer looked up into the smiling face of a white-haired gentleman. She was fidgeting—definitely uncomfortable.
He related to people more easily than her. He would frequently take her out of her comfort zone. Maybe it would be a good thing.
Lee looked into the man’s face and smiled, but Jennifer continued to shift uncomfortably in her chair with the uninvited attention.
“Miss Akihara, Mr. Brandt, please pardon my intrusion on your dinner. But a lot of folks here tonight want to thank you two for what you did for all of us. Now, I know the news never tells things as they really are and probably some of what you did will never be told to the public. But, may God bless you for your service to us and to the USA.”
It sounded like the media told more than they should have even known. Those prying reporters probably found a loose tongue or two in Kerbyville.
Jennifer smiled at the heartfelt thanks.
Lee stood and reached for the man’s hand. “Thank you sir. You’re a veteran, aren’t you?”
“Yes, son. I was in the Army. Infantry, World War II.”
“I thought so. Jennifer and I owe you a much deeper debt of gratitude for your service.”
“Did you serve too, son?”
“Air Force, five years. I served in Iraq briefly. But due to my job I was mostly stateside.”
After only a few short words he felt the bond between the two men, one-half century apart in age, being cemented. When the two vets embraced as men do, patting each other on the back, he noticed the music had stopped.
Applause broke out throughout the diner. Above the applause, he heard, “God bless you and God bless the USA.”
He smiled as he watched Jennifer being swept into the sense of community warming the atmosphere of the restaurant. It was the right thing for the
World War II vet and for Jennifer, too.
Her face relaxed and she was smiling now.
With a simple greeting and an embrace as catalysts, the diner morphed from a room partitioned into many isolated family groups to the atmosphere of a family reunion.
He shook his head and chuckled. “I think sometimes celebrities would be better off if they didn’t run and hide. Just think of the bonds they could build with their fans.”
With friendly chatter creating a comfortable background he turned his attention back to their dinner, which was now being served, and, of course, to Jennifer.
“Did you know how the conversation would go when you stood up?”
“No. But by the man’s age and bearing I was pretty sure he was a World War II vet so who was I to turn him away? He was a hero because of a heroic choice. We just got terrorized into the part.”
“Don’t remind me, please. I don’t feel like a hero either, just a survivor. But I heard you tell him you were in the Air Force.”
“Yes. Five years. That’s where I got into meteorology. They sent me to school for a year to get my degree.”
“So you didn’t go here to the University of Washington for your undergraduate work?”
“No. I went to Texas A&M.”
“Do you mean Lee Brandt is a real, live Texas Aggie?”
“Guilty as charged. And no Aggie jokes, please.”
“No jokes.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “But since it’s my turn now I’ve got some more questions for you.”
“As Peterson says, ‘OK, shoot’.”
She gave him a mock frown. “You just had to say that, didn’t you?”
“Sorry. Bad joke.”
Her smile replaced the frown. “You’re forgiven—”
“Jenn, I think you’re growing soft. Did God do that to your heart?”
“Maybe God and a certain meteorologist I know.”
“Good for them. Maybe now I can forget about running through the flea cave and—”
“Don’t count on it. If you ever lie to me, Lee Brandt, you’ll find yourself in a cave on Iron Mountain in your underwear. And I can get you there pretty quickly.”
“So I’ve observed. But, if you ever drive that recklessly again you’ll probably kill us both.”
She ignored his comment. “Now. Regarding your family, tell me about your parents, brothers, and sisters.”
“Mom and Dad retired early. They live in Arizona. Lake Havasu City. I have a brother living in New Mexico and a sister who married and moved back east. Ohio. It’s not the East Coast, but that’s back east to me.”
“Birth order, Lee. Out with it.”
“You sure can be demanding. I’m the oldest.”
“I knew it. But you know something?”
“What, Jenn?”
Jennifer looked down at her dinner. “We’d better eat our steaks before they get cold.”
“Good idea. Can’t live on love.”
Her coy smile returned. “How do you know? Have you ever tried?”
“Never had the opportunity before.”
“Before what?”
“Before you. But let’s not try that now. I’m hungry.”
25
Lee couldn’t believe he had found someone like Jennifer.
After she dropped him off at his apartment and he unlocked the door and entered, it struck him that he had been with Jennifer for nearly all of the past forty-eight hours. Walking into his apartment used to feel like coming home. Now it felt empty and he felt incomplete.
At 8 p.m., he sat propped up on his bed contemplating the changes Jennifer had made in his life…and several changes he still needed to make. His phone rang.
“Hello…7:30 a.m.?...With the CEO?…You want Jennifer at the afternoon office party?…I’ll make sure she’s there.” It was his second-level manager, Barry’s boss.
He picked up the post-it adhered to the nightstand beside his bed and glanced at the number before keying it in. He didn’t need to. He’d memorized it twenty-four hours earlier.
“Hello.”
“It’s Lee, Jenn. I guess you really did give me your phone number.”
“After our twenty-hour date and after today does it still surprise you?”
“After this weekend I don’t believe anything about you will surprise me.”
“How should a woman take that?”
“I just meant that now that I know how amazing you are nothing you do will amaze me.”
“You’re really pretty good at pulling your foot out of your mouth. But you’ve probably had a lot of practice.”
Despite the mile between their apartments he could see the smile on her face. “Thanks a lot. The reason I called is you need to meet me at the parking lot at North Fourth and Park Avenue about five ‘til one tomorrow afternoon.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. No. Been there, done that, Lee. I don’t think it’s a safe place to meet.”
“It’s safe for people who drive black SUVs. I’m the one who should be worried. I’m in the white sedan.”
“I won’t be armed and I won’t chase you. I promise.” There was laughter in her voice.
“So, you’ll be there?”
“Silly guy, of course I’ll be there.”
“I’d better go. The CEO called me with orders to brief all of upper management about the incident early tomorrow morning.”
“Do you think you’ll get much flak about some of the things we, uh, rather, I did?”
“If I do I think I’ve got enough political and news-media clout at the moment to give it right back to them. I wouldn’t be giving them anything they didn’t deserve. After all, they were the ones who created the conditions exploited by the terrorists.”
“Will you give them flak like you did with Barry yesterday? That was impressive, Lee. Thanks for standing up for me.”
“You deserved it. Besides, it felt pretty good to me, too.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight. See you tomorrow.”
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. Walking into his work area with Jennifer on his arm was something he couldn’t wait to experience. As he lay on his bed he planned his presentation for the CEO. He was still fleshing out his indictment for outsourcing a critical computing system when his thoughts faded from gray fuzziness to darkness.
****
Monday afternoon Lee slipped through the turnstile and watched a black SUV roll up to the gate shack, where Randy stood on duty. When Jennifer’s window slid down he heard Randy’s nervous voice.
“Is that you in there, Jennifer?”
“Who did you expect?”
“Right now any black SUV makes me pretty jumpy.”
“I’m really glad you’re OK. Lee and I were worried about you after hearing all the shooting.”
“Thanks. But you’d better park that thing. Here comes Lee.”
By the time Jennifer found a parking spot, Lee stood alongside the SUV. “Grab my hand, Jenn. Let’s give Randy something to talk about.”
She took his hand. “You don’t waste any time, do you? You’re a smooth operator, Lee Brandt. Tricking me into holding hands.”
“Aren’t I.” He squeezed her hand, while the two walked towards the gate shack.
“Brandt,” Randy’s voice sounded across the parking lot. “Is this a social visit or work?”
When they approached the gate shack, he replied. “Both, Randy.”
“Remember last time?” Randy smirked at them. “Are you sure you want to do this again?”
He smiled. “Very sure.”
Jennifer filled out the visitor’s form and then produced her driver’s license.
Randy remained quiet through the rest of the guest-badging process. But as the two walked towards the turnstile the security guard cast his slur.
“Really robbing the cradle aren’t you, Lee?”
Jennifer dropped his hand, whirled, and leapt in front of Randy. “Look, idiot! I’m twenty-five years old—at
least as old as you. I have a master’s degree, and I work for the government. The only one robbing the cradle was the doofus who hired you!”
Randy’s face turned white and then back to a glowing shade of embarrassed pink.
Jennifer ended her stare with her coy smile. “Gotcha, Randy.”
Randy’s rigid posture relaxed when he recognized Jennifer’s feigned anger. “Whew. Lee, I’d hate to see what it’s like to really make her mad.”
“Believe me, that’s not something you want to do. I’ve done it.”
Jennifer returned to his side and looked up with her squinting frown. “Was that a Christian thing to do?”
He took her hand again. “Certainly. God has a sense of humor, too. After all, He created the duck-billed platypus.”
“How’d your briefing go this morning?” She squeezed his hand.
“It went well. You impressed upper management with your work and our story intrigued them. We’re not in any kind of trouble. On the contrary, we’re headed to a party in our honor. Barry didn’t plan it. That’s no surprise. It was his boss’s idea. The CEO will be there and he wants to meet you to thank you in person.”
“What about the wrap-up session Peterson mentioned yesterday?”
“That’ll be after the party. In Joe’s office on the first floor.”
Lee escorted Jennifer to the large second-floor conference room. He held her arm when they stepped into the doorway.
Loud applause greeted them.
When Jennifer stepped in far enough for everyone to see her, the room grew silent. He was growing accustomed to Jennifer’s effect on men the first time they saw her.
National Aerospace’s CEO started clapping again. The applause spread throughout the room. The party began. But Jennifer’s face still held the gaze of every man in the room. He couldn’t blame them.
His second-level manager seated the honored couple with the attending managers.
Lee would have preferred sitting with the IT staff. But he and Jennifer were being honored. He shouldn’t complain.
As the applause quieted, the CEO of National Aerospace remained standing.
Lee cringed at this turn of events. This man, politician that he was, could not stop talking once he started.
