Penny tried to concentrate, but all she could think of was William's departure. She pictured him saying goodnight, turning, walking away, out of her life. It saddened her, yet, was inevitable.
When she actually heard the words, they startled her. She wasn't sure if she had imagined it or if he truly said goodnight. Then he took her hand, bending low, kissing it softly. She felt the skin below his lips glow. He waited for her to unlock the door, get into the car, and start the motor. Then, with a smile and a wave, he turned to go.
She watched him as he walked away, all grace and balance, not even realizing the tears were falling, until one hit her hand. She looked down in surprise, just for a second. When she looked up again, he was gone.
Penelope scanned the entire area, but he had disappeared. She felt the goosebumps on her arms and neck, wondering where he had gone. She waited a moment, then put the car into gear and drove home, slowly, reliving the entire evening. The music pounded in her head, the all-consuming love story running through her mind.
At home, she removed her finery; beautiful lingerie no man had ever seen. "Let's face it, Penny, no man ever will!" she said out loud. She slipped into her soft running shorts and loose t-shirt, removed her make up and crawled into bed, again reliving the evening. She fell asleep with visions of William walking through the crowds, heads above everyone, carrying wine to her, smiling at her, looking at her.
In the morning, she laughed at her whimsical thoughts. She reminded herself it was a chance meeting...ok, two chance meetings that really meant nothing. Her life would continue as before. She had her life, dammit! She had Katherine and Robert and sweet Meg. She had her work. She had...ok, that was enough! She was content with her life, she always had been. She knew other women found their happiness in some man, but that wasn't her. She was a woman who stood alone, didn't need all those silly emotions clogging up her days. She really didn't have time for flights of fancy or mysterious men who came and went at will! She shook her head one more time, for good measure, clearing it of all romantic love stories and chance meetings with charming men. And she set out to continue her life.
At first, despite her best intentions, she looked for William everywhere. He might be parking near her car or going to the same drugstore. But he wasn't. He might be buying groceries for dinner. But he wasn't. He might decide to pick up some great chinese food for dinner. But he didn't.
Over the next few days, her expectations of seeing William slowly dwindled. Finally, one day, she forgot to look for him, she forgot to hope to see his smiling face and beautiful green eyes. It was a cool, sunny afternoon and Penelope left the office early, intent on getting out into the fresh air. There was a lake near her office, in the center of a beautiful, lush park. From her high office window, she often saw people walking around it. Some were very serious walkers, with heads down and legs pumping, circling the perimeter, oblivious to the beauty around them. Some were young lovers, so involved with each other that they were oblivious to everything, beauty or otherwise. And some, the ones she longed to join, circled and observed, enjoyed the greenery and the clear water, the bright blue sky, the fresh breeze. Those walkers always made her want to be with them. She had even brought some comfortable clothes for her walk, but had never really found the time to leave work and just enjoy the afternoon.
Today, though, the day she gave up on William, was the day she decided she needed to go, needed to join the people who enjoyed life and savored it completely. She wanted to be one of the people who embraced it fully. Today, she would walk. She locked her office door and changed into her 'walking' clothes. She left instructions for her assistant and walked away from all her concerns. She planned to slip away quietly, to just go out and enjoy the day and the lake. She succeeded, riding down in the empty elevator, almost giddy with happiness at her unexpected holiday.
She energetically strode across the park, feeling her muscles begin to stretch and burn slightly. She breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of freshly-mown grass and the clear, pure air. When she reached the edge of the lake, she paused, just inhaling the absolutely perfect day. She turned to begin her walk and nearly tripped over William, who was standing next to her at that very moment.
All her vows flew from her head. She was so delighted to see him again, to look into his beautiful green eyes and feel his smile warm her, that she totally forgot that she had dismissed him from her very full life. She smiled tentatively, caught once again in his orbit. He reached out, touching her arm, happy to see her as well. They didn't speak, but turned together and began walking, side by side, keeping perfect step.
Penelope was sure she could recognize his scent, although the air was redolent with nature's smells. She could feel his warm skin near her, feel his aura surrounding her, keeping her safe. Still they didn't speak. If she saw a particularly beautiful flower, she only had to look at it and knew that William had seen it too. They walked in unison, as if they did it every day and were used to the other's rhythms. They circled once around the lake at a comfortable pace, neither feeling the need to talk. As they reached their starting point, they slowed. They stopped at the edge of the lake, both entranced by the beauty of the amazing day.
William spoke first. She closed her eyes to inhale his smooth voice, so she could feel it in her soul. He spoke as if they had never spent time apart. He asked about her days, about her work, about things they had mentioned before. It flowed so smoothly. Again, without comment or plan, they turned to walk away, toward a hotdog stand in the shade of the trees. William took her arm, helping her over some uneven grass, then kept his hand there, warming her entire body.
At the stand, William ordered for both of them, glancing at her for her approval. Indeed, he ordered perfectly. A foot-long hot dog with lots of sauerkraut and ketchup, cream soda with lots of ice, and a large bag of curly fries. Exactly what she wanted and would have ordered herself. They took their food to a bench in the sun, sitting apart and turning toward each other. They ate, talking happily about so many things. Once, William reached over and gently cleaned a little ketchup smear from her chin. The sun was setting and the park was emptying. Soon, it seemed they were the only ones there, the only ones anywhere. The vendor packed up his cart and rolled away. Still, they sat together, watching the sun set over the lake, watching the colors paint the sky, too incredibly beautiful to be real. It was an easy silence too. Everything seemed easy with him. Everything seemed better.
