Clare

Note: This is a slow burn, a realistic romance leading to a lot of sex!. It is a long story. I tried for a while to find a way to break it up into chapters. However, I wrote this using a lot of foreshadowing and backfilling to make the story more interesting and engaging, rather than following a strictly linear timeline. There was no clean way to break it up. Certainly no part could have stood alone.

I used to avoid reading long stories. Then I discovered those were often written skillfully and reading was rewarding.

I hope that is the case with this story, and that you have a great experience with this story about Clare and Jack.

There is a

lot

of sex later, but please do not skip ahead. You would miss so much fun!

I have quoted several songs and at least one book. I do not claim any rights to those works.

All sexual activity described or inferred to herein is between persons over the age of 18.

-----[]-----

Sunday

One does not expect one's life to change in the baggage claim area.

I had just arrived from Denver, via Houston, and was waiting now at the baggage carousel at the Panama airport. There was surely only one guy unloading the bags. It was slow. I was bored.

I glanced to my left and saw her.

Sobbing.

A full-body sob.

I watched for about five seconds. I had no idea what was wrong, but my heart hurt for her.

"Excuse me, do you speak English?"

"Yes!" There was a hint of a smile, but mostly it was tears and snot.

"I noticed you crying. It was painful to watch. Is there some way I can help you?"

What followed was a flood of words and sobs.

I had to make her slow down. "Wait. Come over here and sit with me. Tell me your name."

"Clare."

"Like Jamie and Clair from

Outlander

?"

"No. C-L-A-R-E. My mother was Irish. From County Clare."

"Clare. I like that. That's a pretty name. I am Jack. Did you arrive on the flight from Houston?"

"Yes."

"Is Texas home?"

"No. I own a condo in Miami. I was in Houston for work. I was going to fly home, but I had a strong feeling I should not go there."

"Why would you not go home?"

"Every two years I sign a new employment contract. Routine stuff, minor changes. But this year I've felt I should not sign. I don't know why. I guess I am running away from it.

"Do you believe in God, Jack?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you believe he sometimes gives us direction?"

"Yes, I've experienced that. Is that what's happening to you?"

"I think so. When I got to the airport to fly home, I felt a strong impression I should not. In desperation I looked at a departure screen and I saw Panama. It was the only one I saw, though I know the screen was full of destinations. As soon as I saw Panama I felt joy inside. This was where I needed to fly.

"I went to the ticket counter and canceled the last leg of my ticket and purchased a ticket from Houston to here with a flight to Miami in 35 days. That's when I have to be back for work. I figured I could fly to a lot of places in Central or South America from here, but when I got here my world fell apart.

"I was fine until I got here to the baggage area. I realized I had no idea where I should fly next. I had no hotel reservation. I don't speak Spanish. I have a personal assistant who handles stuff like this, and I didn't even know where to start in finding a hotel or how to get a taxi, and on top of all that I realized I have hardly eaten in about the last 30 hours. Then for some reason I started sobbing. A total melt-down. That's not like me at all. I am a strong, independent woman!"

"Well, Clare, I haven't heard anything difficult to solve except where to fly next. There are two options. I could take you to the Crowne Plaza and get you a room. It is the closest to the airport and has a free shuttle. But there are two big problems with doing that. For one, you don't yet know when or where you will fly from here.

"The other problem is my feeling you would sit alone in that hotel room and sob through the night, and my heart cannot accept that happening. Especially after watching all the tears and snot."

"There was no snot!"

"Clare, I saw your red nose. Rudolph is jealous."

"It may have been red, but there was no snot"

"Ok. I won't argue. For tonight, I have a better option for you, but you'll need to trust me, and I'm not sure how to convince you."

I didn't yet know her age, although I later learned she was 32. I was obviously much older. I am 70, old enough to remember from Simon & Garfunkel's

Bookends

album the line from the track "Old Friends": 'How terribly strange to be seventy.' Forget about the Beatles and 'When I'm 64.' That ship sailed six years ago.

"Wait, I have an idea. Here is my passport and my Colorado driver's license. Send photos of these to someone who needs to know where you are. Please tell them I insisted you do this."

She did as I said and sent them. "I sent them to Julie, my assistant. I guess an ax murderer doesn't hand out ID in advance," she said with a hint of a smile.

"Oh, let's be clear, I may be an axe murderer. I just don't plan to murder

you

." That earned a big smile and a laugh! Progress.

"Clare, my wife and I have a condo here, facing the Pacific, with a wraparound balcony I love. It is on the 50th floor of our building, so the view is fabulous. We bought it five years ago and now live here most of the year.

"Sue is in Cairo attending a conference with one of her clients and will be back Thursday. We have a guest bedroom that has a bathroom and shower and a door that locks. The lock is axe murderer-proof."

Clare laughed.

"We have been gone for four weeks, so there is no food in the apartment. My plan is to get a taxi home, dump my luggage, and take my car and go somewhere for dinner. If you join me, I won't have to eat alone.

You can stay as long as you need as our guest, even if it ends up being 35 days. I will be deeply upset if you try to repay me. You owe me nothing."

After a pause while she looked into my eyes, she smiled. "That sounds wonderful. You are so nice to rescue me from my meltdown! I can't imagine how I could ever repay you enough for your kindness."

An hour later, having dumped our bags at the apartment, we were having dinner together on an outside patio of a restaurant. Although it was the rainy season, there was no rain in the forecast. It was a delightful evening.

Clare

Jack asked me to add any comments I wanted to. We established a rule: We can edit or delete the things

we

wrote, but not anything written by the other. You will read later why we are doing this.

When we took the elevator down to the parking garage, Jack opened the car door for me. Then he walked around the car and got in. I said, "You know I am capable of opening my own door."

"I am sure you are, but if you are with me you won't. My mother taught me women are not objects; they are people. People I need to respect. She said one of the simple ways I could always remind myself of that is to open the car door, getting in and getting out."

"Jack. That's very nice of you. I won't fight you on it." Inside I was amazed at his respect and what a gentleman he was. I had not experienced that before.

Jack

Over dinner, I learned Clare was 32. Both of her parents had died of cancer three years apart. That was about ten years ago. She has a sister who is married with three children. Living in Montana. Clare seems envious of that life. I asked what Clare did for work. Fashion advertising. Works a lot with the production of images and video.

I told her I was retired and my wife was semi-retired and would be fully retired next year. She is a business consultant.

Clare laughed and smiled a lot. I realized she had a beautiful face. The kind a model would love to have. And a stunning, unforgettable smile! I told her it was good to see her feeling better.

"I am better. Thank you again for this wonderful evening and for rescuing me. You will always be my airport superhero."

"I was glad not to have to wait for my superhero cape. I had packed it in carry-on." Another beautiful laugh. And that smile! Armies have fought over such.

Back at the condo, I gave her a tour and showed her the guest room. "Clare, there is one thing I insist you promise me. Any time tonight, if you are in bed crying, my door is down there. It's not locked. Promise me you will come in and wake me up so we can talk and help you get back to sleep."

With some obvious reluctance, she finally agreed, solemnly sealing it with a pinky swear. Just like my youngest daughter would have done.

I was sound asleep but still woke the instant the door opened, I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but there was Clare. She was wearing pajamas! Strange, the things one notices.

"Clare, are you ok?" I heard a sniffle.

"Not really. I can't sleep."

"Here," (I patted the edge of the bed). "Come and sit here and talk to me. Have you been crying?"

"Yes. I'm in a strange place and a strange bed, and I keep worrying about where I should go next."

"I prefer my own home and bed as well. It also makes coming home that much sweeter.

"As far as the next place is concerned, will you agree with me that for two days you will not think about it? If I keep you busy sightseeing and stuff, can you set that issue aside?"

"I can try."

"If God told you to come here, it's for a good reason. Be patient and have faith."

"Yeah. I just prefer to be in control."

"Wouldn't you rather allow God to be in control."

"Of course, when you say it that way...but that is hard!"

"Yes, it is. Is there anything I can do to help you relax and fall asleep?"

Clare looked into my eyes for a couple of seconds and then looked down. "I am embarrassed to ask."

I looked at my alarm clock, "Clare, it's 1:15 am. Fortunately, the curfew on embarrassment kicked in 15 minutes ago. Just say it."

"Could I sleep here? I promise I'm not trying to seduce you. If you knew me better, you would know that already."

"Of course. I will move my axe and move over a little and make space for you."

She got settled in. I moved a pillow over for her.

"Jack, may I hold the axe tonight?"

"Well, do I need to take a shot of your passport and send it to someone?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Clare, in truth, I trust you completely. You can hold mine. I mean my axe."

She started giggling. "You know I will tease you about that tomorrow, right?"

"Good night, Clare."

"Jack, will you put your arm around me?"

I put my right arm around her, but then discovered I had no place for my left arm, so I put that under her neck. About 2 minutes later she was softly snoring. I apparently didn't last much longer.

There is an intimacy -- non-sexual -- about sleeping with someone next to you. A comfort. A feeling of security.

Monday - Jack

About five hours later I woke up. I had to pee.

Had. To. Pee.

The problem was pulling my left arm out from under her. It was still under her head. Once free I did my business and decided sleep was over.

It was sunrise in Panama, so I stepped out on the balcony and took in the morning air and sounds I had missed those four weeks. I watched the vultures, egrets and pelicans drawing circles in the sky. I watched to see if any ships were headed into the canal.

I went into the kitchen to wash a couple of glasses we had used and to begin a shopping list.

I had a text from Sue, telling me she loved me and missed me and would be back Thursday night (this was now Monday morning). She said she was leaving Egypt Wednesday and flying to London, spending the night there and then flying home Thursday. I replied to her, telling her I missed her and loved her as well.

I also hoped not to have to explain to Sue why a girl spent the night in my bed with my arms around her! I sincerely hoped Clare was over her fears and worries or would be tonight.

Almost on cue, Clare came out of the hallway, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a mess.

"Good morning, Clare! How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully. Was your arm around me all night?"

"It was. I woke up and had to pee, so I stayed up."

She laughed. "I thought so. It's funny, but when I was a little girl if something frightened me, Dad would have me climb in bed and I slept with his arm around me. Now I am 32 and that still represents safety to me. I don't mean this in any weird way, but thanks for being that for me last night."

"No problem. Happy to help. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great. The miracle of food and sleep. Tell me again what the plan is for today. I remember something about a store and sightseeing."

I was certainly pleased to hear she was feeling better. As much as I enjoyed sleeping together, I was hoping to limit it to last night.

"I would like to leave in about a half hour and drive to a nearby grocery store. I've started a list, but please add anything to the cart that you would like to have, especially for breakfast. We will bring the groceries home and then have breakfast.

"Then I would like to take you to visit Casco Viejo, the original part of present-day Panama. Locals usually don't include the word 'City' unless absolutely needed for understanding. I have a favorite restaurant there where we can have lunch.

"Then I thought we would go to PriceSmart -- it's like Costco -- maybe even partly owned by Costco. I need to stock up on some other things. Oh! I will get a nice salmon filet there and before freezing it I will cut off some smaller portions. We can cook a couple of those for dinner."

"I could make a salad."

"Perfect. Pick out anything you need at the grocery store this morning. We will cook dinner together. Are you a fan of

Outlander

or

Virgin River

?"

"Love them both," said Clare. "You like them?"

"I am a hopeless romantic. I love the

Outlander

opening song: 'Sing me a song of a lass that is gone.' Are Jamie and Claire the greatest love story in years, maybe ever?"

"Definitely. No argument here. After all, it goes back and forth over two centuries. Plus, Tobias Menzies is so good in his two roles. I do like Jack & Mel also, though."

"Interesting, Jack in

Virgin River

and Claire in

Outlander.

"

"Yes, but remember, my name is spelled C-L-A-R-E, not C-L-A-I-R-E."

"Well, Jack is Jack, anyway you look at it. Maybe tonight we can stream some Netflix."

"I'd like that. What time do you want to leave for the store?"

"Is 30 minutes too soon? I still need to shower."

"Then I will surprise you and be ready before you!"

And she was. There was something new, a woman ready before me.

It was a fun day. Just as I had outlined it.

I wanted to keep her mind busy so she would quit stressing. After watching a couple of episodes of

Outlander that evening, I caught her yawning, so I shut it off. "I have another great idea for tomorrow, so let's get some sleep, OK?"

"Good idea. Jack, I'll be fine tonight. You can lock your door, so you are also safe from axe murderers."

"Good night, Clare. Did you have fun today?"

"Oh, gosh! So much fun. I loved going to the grocery store. I don't get to do that often. Julie usually does most of my shopping. And I loved Casco... what is it called?"

"Casco Viejo."

"And you were right. The food in that restaurant was great, but do you know what my favorite thing was today?"

"

Outlander?

Holding the axe?"

"No! It was cooking dinner together. I always cook alone, if at all. Thanks for today. All of it. I am glad I found someone I can trust. And it was nice to hold yours.

"I warned you I would bust your chops over that! What time should I get up in the morning?"

"I usually get up by 7. Is that too early for you?"

"Not at all! Jack, what was your favorite thing today?"

"Watching you smile."

"Thanks. Night, Jack."

"Good night, Clare."

/em>Clare

I was having a little trouble getting used to Jack opening every car door for me. I reached for it out of habit once when we stopped and he made a funny sound like one of those buzzers that signals a wrong answer. He asked whether he needed to remove my door handle!

I realized I could easily get used to being treated with such kindness and respect.

Tuesday - Jack

The next morning, as usual, I woke up just after 6 and enjoyed a few minutes on the balcony. About 10 minutes later, Clare joined me.

"Wow, I didn't pay any attention to the view yesterday. This is fabulous. What are all the ships out there?"

"Those are ships in the anchorage. There is an east and a west side to it, because it is along both sides of the channel leading to the entrance to the canal and those ships are waiting."

"Waiting for what, to go through the canal?"

"Some ships arrive with a reserved slot. There is a limit to the number of transits each day and some ships arrive without a reservation. There are a few slots a day not reserved, so ships might wait a few days before transiting."

"Will I get to see the canal?"

"As a matter of fact, that is first on the agenda today."

She hugged me. "Oh, I am so excited, what time do we leave?"

"Let's have breakfast and then leave about 8:30 am. 95% of tourists go to the visitor's center at Miraflores, but I want to take you to the north end of the canal, to Colón to see the new Agua Clara lock. It was completed in 2016 and is larger than the original locks.

"There is also a visitor's center there--not crowded. If we time it right, we can see a monster container ship. You will be amazed at the size. Miraflores is great, too. They have an IMAX film about the construction of the canal, narrated by Morgan Freeman. We can do that tomorrow.

"On our return I thought we would go to Amador Causeway and have a late lunch or early dinner. The food is average, but I love the view and ambience. The Causeway is along the approach to the canal."

"You are my guide and my superhero. And I am hungry."

We left after breakfast. The drive was fun. We talked about the construction of the canal. We crossed the Chagres River, the source of power and water that runs the canal. We talked all day, to and from Agua Clara and out to the Causeway. Not just about the canal. All sorts of things.

After dinner we parked long the Causeway and crossed over to the west side. We sat on a bench and watched a couple of ships emerging as they passed under the Bridge of the Americas and slowly steamed past us, headed for the Pacific.

Later we settled down to watch some

Virgin River.

Afterwards we wished each other good night and headed for our bedrooms.

Wednesday - Clare

Jack took me to Miraflores and the visitors center there, He was wise in going to Agua Clara first. The crowds at Miraflores made it difficult to see. They stood about four people deep all along the rail where people stood to watch.

I still enjoyed it, but the best part was definitely the IMAX. Morgan Freeman! What a great narrator! I learned so much about the canal, but I was also surprised how much I had already learned from Jack.

We had lunch at a hamburger place. Awesome burgers! I would fly here for those!

That afternoon, Jack took me to see Panama Viejo. It turns out Casco Viejo was not the oldest Panama. The original dated to the early 1500s, but was sacked and burned in the 1670s. The survivors founded Casco Viejo.

Panama Viejo is now a national park. We climbed the bell tower of the cathedral, almost the only part still standing. The view from up there was amazing.

The heat was starting to get to me, but Jack took me to the visitors center which is wonderfully air conditioned. Great displays and a model of the original Panama.

I was having so much fun!

We cooked dinner again, but this time I cooked. I made a stir fry with a lot of vegetables and some salmon. Jack acted as my sous chef, prepping all the vegetables. He didn't have a wok, but he had a large frying pan that worked well enough.