Excitement in Death Valley
I met Marian at a fund raiser for the library. We knew each other distantly, but socialized with different people. She had a degree in library science in her past, and substituted for the full time librarians when they went on vacation. She was tall and slim and always well dressed. Elegant wasn't quite the right word. There was a quality of aloofness that added to her feminine allure. It said this was not a woman to make a casual pass at.
"Hello, Jeff, are you enjoying the event?" I was a writer. A nearly fifty year old divorced writer, to be more exact. I had grown up in an academic family with a respect for learning, so libraries and librarians fitted into my world view of goodness.
"Just getting some of my donation back in a glass." I smiled at her and she laughed with me. "You've been on the donor list forever, don't kid me. By the way, I saw that piece you did on the salmon up north. It was very good. Sounded like the trip to research it was fun."
The article was free lance that I had done on the spur of the moment, not counting much on it being picked up. But it was and got a lot of positive feedback. My editor sent an email complimenting me and asking when the next novel would be done if I was catting around in the redwoods.
"I caught hell from my editor for that one. She wants my next manuscript, not salmon." We laughed again. "Are you an outdoor person," I asked.
She spoke carefully, "A little. But it's nice to get away to quiet places now and then." She paused, and added, "Do you like company on your trips?"
I gave her my quizzical look that invited more conversation. "Do you have a favorite place that could generate another free lance feature? I pay for good leads."
She reached out and touched my hand. I felt more than a touch. "If you are flirting with me, I like that. My friends tell me I should be dating, but it's really hard after twenty years of being a single mother. Sarah is at Wellesley, so I don't have a good reason not to get out."
"I'm not sure you need a date with a divorced, middle aged writer, but it would be fun to try." I looked straight into her wide blue eyes. They didn't blink, and she quietly said, "What if we went around to Lee Vining and looked for rare birds?"
"If you are serious, my brother will lend us his RV and we can camp." We were exchanging noncommittal glances, but some emotion was flowing.
"I have a substitute assignment going on right now, what about week after next?"
Not quite believing a five minute conversation was getting me a trip with this special woman, I looked at her and said, "I would really like that. Let's go to lunch on Friday and talk about details. My treat."
"No, if you are providing the camping equipment, I am doing the food and buying lunch too." Her eyes were dancing. She emphasized 'equipment' as though it was a private joke between us. For me, at least, the aloofness was melting.
Ten days later, on a sunny warm morning, we were cruising down the highway on the east side of the Sierra with twenty-five feet of RV behind us. Marian had a big smile on her face and said, "This is fun! I've always looked down on the RV crowd, but it has its virtues, doesn't it?"
"My brother says if you keep the RV park directory handy, and think ahead a bit, it can be very pleasant. Just don't plan on stopping or turning around any old place!"
"Are girls on a first date with you allowed to drive it?" Her smile was getting my juices going. I asked myself what goes on between a 51 year old man and a 42 year old female on a first date. Time would tell.
Marian said, "We could detour to that gold mining town for lunch if you think the RV will take some gravel road."
"That's a great idea. I haven't been to Bodie since I was a kid."
After a dusty stretch of gravel road, I parked on a rise above the abandoned town that once held ten thousand miners. The view south to the Mono Lake basin, and east into the Nevada desert, was spectacular. I got out the camp chairs and a folding table while Marian unpacked the lunch.
"Would you like me to open some wine or get you a beer?" I inquired
She gazed up at me from her canvas chair, looking very comfortable. "The wine and the altitude will put me to sleep in no time. Have you decided where this luxury vehicle is going to spend the night?"
"Let's skip the alcohol while we ponder that important question." I got lemonade from the refrigerator and brought two glasses out. Marian had her binoculars and was looking down at Mono Lake. "I can almost see the birding platform at the northern end of the lake. Do we get to go there this afternoon?" She looked at me and smiled. I leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.
"You made a wonderful choice getting us this far. I'm content to have you navigate. Feels reassuring, somehow, to have a librarian in charge of where I'm going."
She reached over and ran her fingers through my hair. "You are just funning me, Jeff Martin. If I couldn't see Mono Lake right in front of me, I wouldn't have a clue where we were or where to go." She smiled and almost giggled as she took another bite of roasted tomato and avocado sandwich. I could get used to gourmet chow in the mountains.
I pulled out my iPhone. "Do you have one of these?"
"No. Should I?"
I handed it to her. "Read me what it says."
"It says Google Maps wants to use your current location."
"Say ok."
"Oh my. It's showing me Mono Lake and it has this pulsing blue thing. Is that us?"
"Yep. Hard to stay lost with GPS gadgets like that phone."
She got up and came to sit in my lap. "Will you show me about all this if I'm nice to you?"
"You are already nice to me. Look at this fantastic lunch."
"Well, I could find ways to be nicer."
I hugged her and went to kiss her cheek, but got her lips instead. A long slow passionate kiss.
"What did I do to deserve that? This is only a first date."
"For a first date, you are doing a lot to impress me. I understand that women who remember the bases from their teenage years are considered hopelessly out of it."
"You don't feel out of it to me. I just got a nice kiss, and even promises of more delights if I help you learn some new technology."
"Yes, more delights. Are we going to fool around up here, or are we going down there and watch birds?"
We gathered up the lunch things and I started off, grinding down slowly through town and following more dirt road into a side canyon to the south. No signs, no railings, just a steep grade and tight curves.
"I don't see this on the road map." Her voice had an unhappy edge to it as we bounced around another tight corner.
"Look on the map on the phone."
"Yes, I see a very tiny line headed toward the lake. Is that what we are doing?"
"Yes. All of us Martin boys know the backcountry roads."
She saw through me in an instant. "If you roll this thing, your brother is going to be very unhappy."
"Yes. He has a vicious streak from time to time."
She let me concentrate on the road, but muttered under her breath about male ego. In just a few minutes more, we were out in the open at the bottom of the grade.
"Are you going to tell me the truth about this route?"
"Only if you promise not to beat me."
"If we see a murrelet, you are off the hook."
I found the parking lot with no trouble and we hiked to the platform, which jutted inconspicuously into the edge of the lake.