I live for the moment when I hear that whimper in her throat at our very first deep kiss. Her breathing getting heavier, catches with each gentle caress, touch, stroke, of her sensitive places, I wait for those words she will not speak..., yet.
Catherine Chapter 10
Stepping back.
Entering the building, waving my ID to Amos, as I pass his desk. Then its back to the cafeteria for a large coffee I'll take up to the class room, where I see John at the coffee bar doing the same.
"She's married, isn't she," John asking.
An not at all surprised that he would ask me that, as I told Catherine, he hardly took his eyes off her, so he had to have seen her wedding ring too.
Yes she is John." Answering truthfully. "But there's a whole lot more to that, which I won't go into," telling him.
With that John turns to me, "Yeah, there usually is more to it," he's telling me. "An that's where someone usually gets very hurt, like maybe you Bob." John's warning.
With that, an capping my coffee cup, John follows along with me in silence until we reach the bank of elevator doors where John stops, an where I continue to the doors to the stair well as John calls after me, "You're not taking the elevator again," he's asking. "I keep wondering why you do it the hard way," he says.
"John," looking back at him, "I'm a Marine John, we always do things the hard way. If they were easy, anyone could do them -- except you." saying back to him. "An that's why when shit hits the fan anywhere in the world, the first thing a President ask is, "Where are the marines?"
John laughing, giving me the finger, as the elevator doors open. Where this suite steps out, an seeing John flipping me the bird, looks at John like he was going to say something to him, but first looks to me, then back to see John already in the elevator car with the doors closing.
Then him coming towards me, " You know that guy," his asking me.
"Yeah, I know him, he's kindergarten drop out, so the limited vocabulary," telling him. Then pulling open the door to the stair well, to sprint up the steps to the seventh floor, usually getting there before John, and his elevator except for today.
But John's words will come back to me often. Along with hearing other things I wish I didn't.
But up until break, the time has passed pretty quick because we're into things Frank doesn't have to ramble over one thing or another. But the time from morning break to hearing Frank's, "We'll stop for lunch now." Seems to have taken far longer than usual!
An grabbing my jacket off the coat rack at Frank's usual words about lunch, I'm out the door taking the stairs all the way to the ground floor, an out the 18th street exit. Where it's a fast walk, taking me pass the entrance to the parking lot, waving to Mister Willis, who's standing outside his shack as I go by.
An making the light at the cross walk to the plaza, an passing around the frozen fountain, to wait at the top of the plaza steps that lead down to a cross walk, and Catherine's building across the street. Where I'll wait, and walk with her to the deli.
But thinking better of it, maybe I should go on and get us a table, the place can get crowded around lunch time.
But on entering the deli I'm surprised to see it's not crowded at all. An the table I want, the one she and I shared the last time, is already occupied. So taking another one near the windows -- better to see her when she walks by.
But after reading over the menu board for today's specials, then the menu in my hand, it's just watching the people, and the traffic going by outside. But when hearing the girl behind the counter calling someones name, and being the people watcher I am, it's looking to see who it is that comes to retrieve their order. Only to realize the person approaching the counter is someone I saw come in many minutes after I sat down.
An just as I pick up my phone, it begins buzzing in my hand -- it's Catherine's number displayed. Answering it with, "Hello you." Where I hear, "Hi, it's me..., where are you," she's asking.
"Well, I'm sitting in the 13th and Arch Street Deli, waiting for a girl named Catherine to show up and have lunch with me. Where are you," my asking her now.
"Bobby, I can't make lunch," she telling me. "But can you meet me in front of my building as soon as you can get here," it's her asking now.
"Sure Catherine, but what's up?"
"Bob, it's been one of those mornings, but what I need to tell you, I'll wait till you get here." Where my senses light up with, uh-oh, this can't be good!
"Alright Catherine, I'll be there as soon as I can," my replying.
Where it's her, "Okay, bye." As she drops the call. Where I'm up, an out the door at the same time putting on my jacket, heading to the corner where I'll cross over, so I can be on her building's side of the street when I get there.
At the pace I'm going it's just a few minutes before I'm standing on the sidewalk looking up the the steps she'll be coming down.
Where it's only another minute when the doors at the entrance open with three people exiting, followed by Catherine with her purse strap over her shoulder an wrapping her scarf around her neck. An doesn't see me until she's almost to the top step, when is a wave to me, as she quickly descends to stop in front to me.
"Bobby, lets walk," she says.
But it's only after we've walked for almost half a block in silence that she hooks her left arm around my right arm, which eases much of the anxiety I've been feeling because of her long silence.
