I live for the moment I hear that catch in her throat with our first kiss. Her breathing getting heavier with each tender touch and caress of her sensitive places, I wait for those three words she will not say..., yet.
Catherine Chapter 21
The Things I Hear --- Neil
My phone and my watch buzzing at the same time, both telling me it's five o'clock and time to get my ass up --- but is she up too; her flight to DC at seven-ish, arriving there around eigtht-ish; I think she said.
Getting my first cup of coffee and not even taking my first sip, it's my phone laying here on the counter buzzing again; this time it's Catherine calling, who, I wasn't expecting her to call. Picking up the phone to my usual answer to her calls,
"Hi Me," saying to the phone now on speaker.
"Hi.., it's me," a lilt in her voice. "You must be awake and up, thats why I called to make sure were," she's telling me.
"Yes I am...," replying. "My double alarm system worked perfectly and now I'm standing here in the kitchen talking to you and I haven't even had my first sip of coffee." telling her. "So I guess you must be already up too."
"Yes I am, and doing the same as you, having some coffee," she says, that giving me a moment for my first two sips from my coffee cup to hear her, "Are you still their," she's asking.
"Yes Catherine, I'm still here..., I was just taking those first two wake up sips of coffee so..., how long have you been up." asking her now.
"Oh.., maybe fifteen minutes," she says. " My usual pee alarm, like yours." she laughs.
"Well, I haven''t made that run yet, but soon, I think!" Telling her.
"Catherine...?" Saying her name after she hasn't said more.
"Bobby...," she says now.
"Bobby..., I, ah,,, you know after what I told you..., you know..." she stumbles over.
"Catherine..., I told you too..., okay..., nothing changes. Just..., please, call me when you can; especially this morning when you're back on the ground, alright?" Not asking her, but telling her.
"But now Catherine, I have to make that pee run, get a shower, dressed and out of here early because we're still going to that installation site; the longer walk I told you about. Oh, and you said your flight gets in about eight-ish?" Asking her.
"Yes." she says. "It's a very short flight from here to there, as I guess you know." she answers. "And I will call you just as soon as I can when I get there," she telling me.
"Good..., anyway Catherine, you um.., ah..., don't need to call me again until you're back home. I..., ah, you know too..., I was only..., was only teasing about that..., ah..., Nancy thing." My stumbling this time.
"You are such a shit, Swaggart!" She calls me. "I love you. Now, get your pee run in, shower, and get to work!" Sounds like an order.
"Bye, Catherine."
"By Bobby and keep your phone close by at all times." Her laughing I hear as the call drops.
Taking a different route this morning from the train station to the new system installation site; bypassing the school and it's cafeteria where I got my usual breakfast and coffee. Instead, today I've stopped in one of those boutique coffee shops for a large regular coffee with cream and sugar; not surprisingly, two dollars and fifty-cents more than I paid in the cafeteria.
But on exiting the coffee shop, it's John who comes bounding up the steps from the subway, carrying the same expensive cup of coffee as I have in my hand.
"I see you've taken a step up in your selection off coffee," he says on seeing me exiting the coffee shop. "Yeah John, and all I get for the extra two-fifty is one of their standard logo cups, a slip-on heat sleeve and a sippy-cup lid.
"Okay," he says. "But the coffee is hot..., right?"
"Yeah John, the coffee's hot." telling him just before I take another sip through the sippy-cup lid.
"So what brought you this way today," John ask. "Your usual walk from the train station was through the plaza and up eighteenth street; I think," he says.
"Just a change of scenery John," telling him, but it's really not the case. The real reason was avoiding looking over to that tall glass and stainless steel building with the big letters, IIG, on top and knowing she's not in it.
"How's the girlfriend," John's question pulling me back.
"Doing great John," telling him. "In fact...," as I take my cell phone from my jacket pocket to check the time, "she's probably about to board her flight to DC."
"DC," he ask.
'"Yes John. She'll be there for two days, some important meetings
along with seeing some old friends too." Of course leaving out telling John those friends are male, "Her Friends With Benefits."
"But I'll tell her you were asking about her when I talk to her later this morning, John."
"Two days with out the girlfriend..., huh old boy?"
"More than that John." telling him. "When she gets back she'll have a lot to get done before this coming weekend --- a reception Friday night for some out of town people who will be staying for the weekend. Plus a big dinner party for about twenty people Saturday night," she told me.
"Sorry Old Boy." he says. "I guess you'll be pretty horny by the time she gets around to seeing you again," John busting on me. And him saying that, another stupid thought, she'll get her, 'horniness,' taken care of tonight and tomorrow night. Then mentally slapping myself down for thinking it, but knowing it'll be true anyway, looking at my phone again; she should be in the air by now, my thought.
"Oh.., I don't know John. There are three other beautiful women who love fucking me, and just so you know," telling him now. "One of those is married too."
"You fucking lie!" he accuses me.
"No John..., no lie. Oh and this too, I fucked my ex-wife Sally this past Saturday night when I was in Virginia."
"You are so full of shit, Swaggart!"
"No, no shit John!" Putting some emphasis on it.
"Does your girlfriend know you fucked your ex-wife," he ask. "Just in case I meet her again and ah..., something accidentally..., you know..., slip of the tongue."
"In fact she does John!" Putting emphasis on that too. "Because I told her John! No secrets, no lies between her and I." That last part..., yeah, tonight and tomorrow night.
"Shit Swaggart..., how do you luck in to women like that?" He's not really asking, he's just envious.
"I guess I'm..., just a very nice guy, with a big dick and not like you, who is just a big dick!"
"Fuck you too, Swaggaart!" John saying back at me has both of us laughing at the same time --- me looking at my cell phone again to see what time it is; easily over Baltimore by now I should think.
Walking up on the floor, taking off my jacket, greeting the others hanging around the coffee urn, looking at the test lists that need to be run today, jabbing at John for spilling his coffee, looking at the clock on the far wall, it's time to get out on the floor and see what works and what fails; fixing the failures, rerunning the test. How many times have I looked at my watch? She should be on the ground by now; it's well past eight-ish!
My phone buzzing in my back pocket..., it's Catherine. "Hi me," answering.
"Hi, it's me," she says, sounding a bit out of breath. My quiet sigh of relief at hearing her voice.
"I'm sure glad to hear that --- a bit late," telling her.
"They didn't have a gate available, so we sat on the tarmac waiting for one, so we're running late," she says.
"Catherine..., I'll take your carry on and garment bag over to the shuttle waiting area." A male voice sounding close by to her.
"Thank you Neal, I'll be there in a moment," she's replies to him.
Neil..., he's there with her already?
"Bobby I'm sorry I have to go, the shuttle will be here any moment to take us to the hotel where I have to register and get my things to my room. Then Neil and I have to catch a cab to the meeting location. Her saying all that like it was just..., I would have already assumed it?
"And I'll try and call you later okay," she says.
And without giving me a chance to reply it's, "By Bobby," as the call drops.
"Yeah..., sure Catherine," saying it into dead air. Well the good thing is, she's on the ground and safe anyway.
Leaving the office building with John who's asking, "Got plans for tonight?"
"Well John, tonight I'm not going straight home," telling him. "Instead I'm going to the base gym and see if I can kick Sargent Rei's ass for once."
"What!" John surprise at what I said. "Who's Sargent Rei," he ask now.
"Sargent Rei is a marshal arts instructor. He's an expert in everything that kicks, chops, jabs, punches and breaks bones. He stands about five-foot-five and about one-hundred and twenty pounds --- quick as a snake and twice as mean. Also arrogant as all hell too! And he likes to beat up on guys like me who are almost twice his weight, taller and physically stronger too. An every time I go up against him I leave bruised and bloody. Sargent Rei doesn't pull any punches, but I learn something from him every time. An one of these times I'm going to toss his Korean ass across the gym; and tonight just may be the night!" Venting some of my frustration I hope.
Damn Swaggart, I guess it's a good thing your girlfriend's in DC... huh?"
Thoughts..., It's not that she's in DC, John. It's... why am I thinking like a jerk? I meant it when I told her, "Don't change a thing Catherine, enjoy your friends!" But still...,
Reaching the subway entrance, John waving good by with his, "See you tomorrow," he tells me, just as he ducks down the subway steps out of sight. And me, I won't change my route to the train station like I did to avoid seeing her building. Tonight I'll wave to it as if she were looking out her office window.
I, Really..., fucking..., hurt!
Looking at myself in the bathroom vanity mirror. My right cheek is red, that will be a nice bruise in the morning. Also seeing my left rib cage, already showing a big purple bruise. And my left knee hurts too --- maybe a bit of a limp for two or three days with that. But Sargent Rei will feel the same or worse.
"You quick for a big guy, strong too," he tells me. But you never fight smart!" He would jive me; Swaggart Rei always busting on me. "But tonight you fight smart. Next month we see you still smart," wiping his split lip as he walked away with a obvious limp. The arrogant fucker must have choked after telling me that.
"Thanks for the fight and I'll see you, too..., next, month!" Saying after him as Rei walked away with him flipping me the bird back over his shoulder.
Taking two non-prescription Acetaminophen tablets, chased by a big swallow from a short glass of vodka and bitter lemon. I never drink alone, but tonight the physical pain inflicted on me by Sargent Rei..., I've made an exception to it. Plus I haven't heard from Catherine since this morning's call, and now, picking up my phone to see it's just past mid-night --- Neil keeping her well occupied I guess, or..., wore out?
Neil, his voice I heard this morning while talking to Catherine, seemed pleasant enough, maybe a bit of authority in it too, the years of being in the military.
Now it's my phone buzzing just as I set it down on the vanity top; it's Catherine. "Hello me," answering her as usual with the phone on speaker.
"Hello...," she says, stretching out the greeting and something more in the tone of it I hear.
