Finding Love in Thin Places

Day 9: York

The next morning the sky cleared for the first time since London as they arrived in York.

"York is possibly my favorite city in England," Chris began.

John interrupted, "The other night at dinner you said you loved Skye the best in all of UK?"

"Skye's in Scotland, and I'll warn ya," Chris chided with humor and in his best Scottish brogue. "Do not tell a Scot that it's in England. You're likely to get punched."

He continued, "The Minster is beautiful, with some of the best examples of medieval stained glass in England. The view from the top of the tower is one of the best views in the world, if you ask me. We have a great local guide, Elisabeth, who we'll meet for a tour shortly."

A lovely mid-twenties blonde, Elisabeth worked for the Cathedral, and knew her stuff. The first hour of the tour focused on the long history of the sacred site, reaching back to the Roman ruins visible in the undercroft. They began their ascent of the tower by climbing up a side tower's narrow winding stairs. The next stage required them to follow a precarious footpath along the edge of the transept roof to the central tower. Although wider than the side tower's stair, the climb up the central tower contained even more steps. Winded, they emerged onto the tower roof.

It is said you can see all of Yorkshire from the top of the Cathedral and despite seeing the view more than once, even Chris and Elisabeth gasped as they emerged onto the roof on this gorgeous day. After last night, Chris tried to avoid Kate, and so stood with Elisabeth chatting about leading tours.

"No! Stop! Get your hand off me!"

Kate's voice firm, loud and clearly angry, caused the group to turn and see Kate smack John's hand away from her hip.

Sarah rushed to them, beating Chris and Elisabeth by a few steps, taking a stand between John and Kate.

"I didn't do anything; I was just trying to point out..." John fumed.

Sarah cut him off, "John maybe just back away a bit?"

Kate's voice livid and forceful, "You don't need to put your hand on my ass to point at something."

Chris's blood rose and he moved before he could think completely. Pushing John back and sticking his finger in John's face, Chris growled, "Keep your hands off her and leave her the fuck alone."

John responded in kind, " I looked it up, I'm going to report your little affair here to your boss. You're not supposed to be..."

Kate snapped, "For the last time John, it's none of your damn business, and there's nothing to report."

"Bullshit!" John hissed back.

"OK, that's enough John!" Sarah cautioned.

Elisabeth stepped forward, "Right now this is my tour group. John, I'm sorry but you can't do that kind of thing on my tour. You need to please leave the Minster now. You can wait on the front steps. Please don't make this more difficult."

John backpedaled, "Gosh, Kate, please I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Please leave sir." Elisabeth's stern voice brokered no argument.

John turned and moved down the stairs quickly.

Elisabeth quickly pulled Chris to the side. "What the bloody hell?"

Chris took a deep breath trying to calm himself. "Kate's an old friend. And maybe we've been a little too..."

"An old girlfriend, I bet." Elisabeth chuckled before he could finish. "You better call Amazing Journeys and let them know. I'm free, I could do the rest of York with them today, if you want? Give you a little space? Are you coming back for Evensong?"

Chris collected his thoughts and nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I'll head down, you can finish up with them here. I'll meet you in front?"

Chris walked over to Kate and Sarah.

"Are you OK?" Chris asked Kate while he gently touched her arms.

"Oh, I'm fine," frustration and anger tinted her words.

"Do you want to press charges? I'll support whatever you need."

"Can we just get rid of him?" It came out as a statement more than a question.

"Yeah, I think we can. Let me work on that."

Chris quickly navigated the descent. As he left the Cathedral, he saw John standing on the steps talking to someone on his phone. Chris gave him space and placed his own phone call. He got through to Chuck, the main tour coordinator, quickly.

"I'm glad you called; I've got some guy named John on the other line. What's going on?" Chuck's tone both annoyed and concerned.

Chris explained the situation as quickly as possible, omitting the kiss, and sticking to facts, not feelings.

Chuck drew in a deep breath, "Grace is talking to John and he's apparently lodging a complaint, but it seems to me he's in deep trouble himself. We can't have him doing that kind of crap."

"Oh, I agree. I'd like to kick him out and send him packing right now. I'm going to tell him he can't rejoin the group today."

"That makes sense. Are Kate and," Chuck paused. "Who's their priest?"

"Rev. Helms, Sarah," Chris supplied.

"Yeah, are they around? Can you get them on the line?"

"They're still inside. I left the group with a local guide. I'll connect you when they get down." They wrapped up and Chris hung up the phone.

He turned and watched John's animated discussion on his phone. Chris saw John's dissatisfaction with the outcome as John appeared to physically deflate as he hung up.

Chris crossed the distance between them, took a deep breath and kept his voice even and cool, "John, you need to spend the day on your own. I'm going to give you the hotel information. After I get a chance to discuss this further with Kate, Sarah, and Amazing Journeys, I'll make decisions about how we will handle all this. At this point, I think I'm going to ask you to leave the tour. The main question is whether Kate will press charges. It's simply not acceptable to assault people."

John shook in fear and anger. Chris prepared himself for John to lash out when they heard the group emerge from the cathedral. John ripped his ID card from his neck, hissed "Fuck you" and stormed off.

Sarah and Kate closed in on Chris quickly, while Elisabeth herded the remaining group to the edge of the narrow street. Chris could hear her begin to talk a little about Guy Fawkes, pointing out his alleged birthplace in the pub just across from them.

Sarah began, "I'm sorry about that."

Chris put up his hands, "Not your fault at all. And my reaction muddied things, I'm sorry. Can you talk to Chuck at Amazing Journeys?" He pulled up his cell, hit the auto dial, and handed it to her.

Chris turned to Kate, "I'm so sorry. I'm working on getting rid of him. He won't be around today at least. If there is anything else I can do, please let me know. Can you talk to Chuck after Sarah?"

Kate nodded, "Thanks. I'm sorry, maybe we..."

"You did nothing wrong!" Chris answered firmly.

Kate nodded. She knew he was right.

Sarah described the series of events, and then handed the phone to Kate, who expressed her version of events with more anger. She ended vehemently, "Either he goes, or I do!"

Kate handed the phone back to Chris and Chuck said, "John's back on the line. He's filed a formal complaint against you. Says he's going to sue. I'm thinking it might be good for you to step away? What's left in the day for them?"

Chris described the remaining itinerary, and the availability of Elisabeth. "You can dock my pay and use it to pay her."

"Ok man. Take the day, let Elisabeth do it. This gives us a little breathing room. Keep in touch though."

Chris transferred the day's information to Elisabeth who gathered the group to move them toward the next venue. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the hotel. He grabbed a five-pound meal deal at a Waitrose and dropped his backpack at the hotel, choosing to travel lighter. A few hours at the National Railway Museum and a walk along the city wall soothed his soul.

***

About four o'clock, he found a pub, and decided to have a pint. He debated whether to join the group for Evensong, or at least attend when his cell phone rang.

Chuck started talking as soon as the connection went through, "I've spent a crap load of time talking to your tour group. I've got good news and bad news."

"Hit me with the bad news first."

"Formally, because there's a complaint, we have to suspend you. I think this will get resolved in your favor quickly, and I know you'll be OK money wise. I've asked Carl if he's available to take over. He'll be there late tonight."

Chris chuckled, "Yeah, I don't do this for the pay. Thanks man. I kind of lost my cool." Chris sighed, "She's an old girlfriend actually, and maybe I do still have some feelings for her."

Chuck laughed. "Well, rumor has it, there's a bit of that feelings stuff goin' around, but you didn't hear it from me. The good news is that I've got John on a train to Edinburgh now and a flight tomorrow. Kate doesn't seem to want to press charges, but I used that as leverage with him. He's happy to leave. I'm sorry man, you should probably avoid them tonight."

They finished up and Chris downed his beer and decided, "Fuck evensong, I'm going have a few and get some good dinner and hit the hay early."

***

After a nice dinner alone at one of his `the group won't find it' places, he returned to the hotel and retreated to his room quickly to avoid running into any of them in the bar or elsewhere. Pulling up his laptop, he composed a long email to Sarah, thanking her and apologizing. And then he turned to Facebook, pulling up Kate's account. He must have started the message fifteen times but he didn't know what to say.

Then he heard a tentative knock on his door, followed quickly by a forceful version. He opened it to find Kate standing there.

"Hi...I'm..." he started to stammer.

"I know. I heard at dinner. You're suspended and I'm sorry. But I'm not."

Putting her hand on his chest, Kate pushed him back into the room as the door closed behind them. She kept pushing until his knees hit the foot of his single bed and he fell backwards onto it. Without pause, Kate climbed on top of him, her knees straddling his torso, her arms pinning his, and her lips taking his. Thrilled at her desire for him, he returned the kiss and their tongues found each other teasing and exploring. Her ardor opened the floodgates to the passion he had suppressed for days.

Breaking their kiss and sitting up, Kate deftly pulled her knit shirt over her head and tossed it onto the little desk. Chris's hands slid up her jean clad thighs to her hips, and then up to her waist. The feeling of her skin, warm and soft, was everything he'd dreamed of as a teen, and everything he still wanted. Chris gasped as Kate undid her bra and shrugged out of it. His hands continued their path, gently cupping and caressing both of her full breasts. Kate moaned slightly and then slid back off the bed.

Chris followed her and the frenzy of clothing removal left an explosion of garments scattered on the floor, desk and chair. Kate pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him again. Her vulva pressed against his stiff member. She leaned down as Chris's hands retraced his earlier path and caressed her now naked thighs, hips, and waist. His hands roamed the soft globes of her curvaceous ass. Her breasts pressed into his chest as she began to kiss him again.

"I,''

kiss

, "need,"

kiss

, "you,"

kiss

, "right,''

kiss

, "now." Kate's hips rocked and she took him deep inside her. Grinding, kissing, her body took over and she embraced the passion that had built since Westminster. While memories of times with Steve flashed through her mind, she felt no guilt. She felt only deep, passionate desire for this man, the boy of her youth and now the man she wanted to share everything with. She sensed Chris's orgasm building and she knew that he wouldn't last long, and she didn't care. She simply wanted him.

Chris focused on the amazing view and sensations overwhelming him. He admired Kate's gorgeous curvy body and marveled at how good her skin felt against his. As she took him, thoughts crossed his mind that he should worry about her pleasure, but he couldn't. He had finally let his desire loose and he couldn't control it and he didn't want to. After only a couple minutes he erupted into her, groaning, "Oh God, Kate, yes, take me, God yes."

Chris's groan and orgasm sent Kate soaring. Her hips bucked against him and while she didn't explode, the intensity of the moment together satisfied her in other ways. Their growing connection made incarnate in that moment.

It ended quickly, and yet it took a lifetime. They slid further up the bed, and Kate curled up against him. As they lay, catching their breath on the narrow bed, her head on his shoulder, their bodies entwined, Kate began to talk, "Can I come with you tomorrow?"

"Oh Kate. Stay with the tour, you'll love the Lake District, and Edinburgh." Chris wanted her to run away with him, but he knew this would just add fuel to the still volatile situation.

"But I want to see you! I want to be with you. Take me to Scotland, show me that instead?" Chris heard the desire in her voice.

"We can, in time, just finish the tour. Please?" He felt her shrug, "If you leave, poor Carl's gonna have a shit ton of paperwork and he'll never forgive me."

Kate looked up at him with skepticism, her brow furled as if to say, "Paperwork?"

"No, I'm serious you have no idea." Chris tried to joke, but even he didn't believe himself.

"Can I at least spend the night here?" her fingers playing with the curly grey hair on his chest.

"That," he said with conviction, "I won't argue against at all."

They began to kiss again. This time, Chris rolled Kate onto her back, one arm under her neck. They kissed, slowly, deeply as Chris explored her body. He caressed and teased the soft skin of her breasts. His fingers brushed lightly across her nipples while their tongues and lips explored and received each other. Slowly he moved his hand down her body to her hip, the broad fullness of it causing him to moan slightly.

"I always loved your hips," he whispered as his fingers traced the line from her hipbone to her mons and back again.

He brought his hand back up her side, his attention focused on her breast and nipple again, gently pinching as she gasped. Chris caressed and explored, his hand roving her torso, hips and the tops of her thighs. Gently, he spread her legs.

Chris gasped, "You look so amazing, spread out for me."

His fingers, starting as far back as possible, glided gently up her sex. His middle finger just barely parted her wet lips. As the tips of his fingers reached the top of her mons, he lifted his hand and reached back to begin the caress again. With each stroke, his finger slipped just a little deeper between her swelling lips.

"I love the way you feel, I love touching you," he whispered as his lips again found her mouth.

As her arousal built, Chris's fingers began to focus on her nib. Chris explored her reactions as he softly teased, swirled, and slid his finger up and down around her most sensitive button. He bent to take her nipple into his mouth, Kate gasped, "Yes."

Chris's shaft stirred again, recovering from their initial coupling, and he pressed it against her thigh. Feeling his arousal added to her excitement. Reaching down, Kate took Chris's hand and guided him, showing him how to touch her, as she remembered her fantasies as a youth and just a few nights ago. As he settled into the right rhythm and speed, Kate felt her orgasm begin to wash over her.

"Oh god, yes!" she cried as her hips bucked against him.

Soon the sensation overwhelmed her and her legs closed, trapping his hand against her. As their lips and tongues teased and kissed again.

"Take me," she whispered.

Chris slowly withdrew his hand and gently repositioned her, kneeling between her legs. Placing his hands on either side of her torso, he slid into her, slowly but deeply. Kate gasped with delight and Chris began to thrust. Long controlled thrusts at first. But again, his body's desire took over and he began to thrust faster, harder, and deeper.

"Oh yes, just take me, take me," Kate gasped until Chris erupted again, his moans becoming guttural groans.

He collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck and shoulder while his body convulsed in her. As their passion subsided, they cuddled together in glorious afterglow.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Kate whispered, "and I'm getting cold."

He chuckled as they rose. Chris pulled back the covers before he picked up and carefully piled the strewn clothing. As Kate emerged from the bathroom, he killed the lights and they slid into the narrow bed. They held each other and soon fell asleep.

Chris woke about one o'clock and lay there in the dark. Her warm body pressed against him. He could feel the swell of her breasts on his chest and the skin of her thighs on his. His mind reviewed his life, remembering his days with Kate at twenty, the joy, the fun, even the smooching. The heartache when he lost her. And the long winter where he struggled, trying to find love again.

He remembered the spring when he met Marie. He thought about their life together: kids, jobs, moves, adventures. He even remembered the fights and hurts of decades together; he cherished those memories too. He even recalled the deep loss when the cancer, moving so fast, overwhelmed her. The memories of his life formed a tapestry that now wove back onto itself, like a Möbius strip. The beautiful fabric of life, love, and joy amazed him. He felt a new growing sense of love and joy as he lay next to Kate. Feelings that, just a week ago, he thought he might never feel again. The tears came as the hole he lived with for years filled.

He prayed silently, "thank you. I have a wonderful life. Sometimes I lose sight of it. But I'm lying here with this beautiful, wonderful woman. My heart so full and my joy so complete. Thank you."

Chris dozed on and off, spooning Kate, and holding her tight. About five in the morning, a rap came at the door.

Kate groggily lifted her head and whispered, "What's that."

The rapping came again, a little more forceful, "Chris, it's me Sarah, I've got to talk to you."

"Ok, just give me a minute," he called back as Kate grabbed her clothes quietly and slipped into the tiny bathroom.

Chris pulled on his pants, trousers and shirt then opened the door. Sarah looked like hell.

"I spent hours talking with your guy Chuck at Amazing Journeys, but he says he can't budge on the suspension, and now I can't find Kate. Meg hasn't seen her since dinner, and she never came back to their room, and I'm worried sick." The words tumbled out of her in one long stream.

Chris couldn't hide his smile and Sarah laughed, "Is she in the bathroom?"

"Just a sec!" Kate sang from behind the door.

"Chris this just isn't right!" began Sarah, and then she saw the embarrassed and guilty look on his face, she quickly corrected, "Your suspension I mean. Your um,'' she paused, smiling conspiratorially, "romantic activities are a welcome development as far as I'm concerned."

"Sarah, it's OK. I'm fine. My friend Carl's a great guy, he's going to do a great job with you."

Kate emerged from the WC, pulling her shirt on, "Sarah I don't know if I can stay..."

Sarah looked at her with compassion, "You know John's gone, right? He's headed back. Please stay."

Kate sighed. "I just..."

Chris turned and looked in Kate's eyes, and touched her on the shoulders, "I'd love you come with me." Kate blinked in surprise at the apparent one eighty. "But I think you should stay. I think you need to be with these people even more than you need to be with me. I love you. Please, go see the lake district. Do it for yourself. Finish the tour." Chris made a heartfelt appeal.

"Please stay with us." Sarah's voice shook with emotion.