While he had waited, and watched, Wendell had pulled out a pen and an envelope that had held his final orders. He had scrawled several lines of words on the back of the envelope, saying them silently to himself, rehearsing. He had so many things he wanted to say and ask of Gwen but was uncertain as to how to go about it. In the past he had found that sounding out things and writing them down often helped him figure out how best to approach a problem or situation.
It wasn't helping this time though. For perhaps the seventh or eighth time he slowly drew a line through the words he had just written down, then clicked the pen closed and laid it down neatly atop the envelope and pushed it aside. He clasped his hands together in front of him on the table just past his half empty cup of coffee.
"You want me to top that up for you, sugar?" the other waitress said, pulling Wendell out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the girl smiling and holding a coffee carafe in each hand. "Leaded or unleaded?" she asked.
"No, thank you. No more for me. I won't sleep for a week if I drink anymore." Wendell said with a sheepish grin.
"Okay, sugar... Gwen told me to tell you that she'd be right out. She's clocking out and grabbing her things. You know... I don't think I've ever seen her smile as much as she has this evening as long as I've known her. I don't even know you, but I think I like you." The gal said with a sweet smile and moved off to the next table to tend to filling coffee cups.
Wendell sat up a little straighter and smiled to himself. That was perhaps an off-hand compliment, but it really felt good. Especially because it told him that Gwen was happy with him or about him or because of him... who knew, but he knew that it made him happy too.
"Hi..." Gwen said as she slid into the booth on the seat opposite of Wendell.
"Hi yourself." Wendell parroted back at her with a smile.
Both searched the others face and eyes, looking for... well... for what? Hesitancy, reluctance, uncertainty?... or confirmation for what they both felt. They both sat there quietly for what seemed like minutes even if it were only for a few seconds at most. Gwen noticed the envelope and the pen resting atop of it and glanced back at Wendell questioningly. He followed her gaze and nearly blanched as he reached out with one hand and picked it up, crushing it and sticking it in the pocket of his dress uniform jacket. Almost blushing now, he looked up to see the curious look in Gwen's eyes. He had to break the silence.
"So... you're off work now... Wanna go somewhere for a bite to eat?" He asked then did a mental face palm realizing what he had just asked.
Gwen laughed out loud and then covered her mouth as if she were embarrassed by the outburst. Her eyes still twinkling with mirth, she removed her hand and reached across the table to lay it on top of Wendell's hand.
"Actually, I was hoping you could give me a ride home. I usually walk, it's not too far, just a couple of blocks, but it's raining cats and dogs out there now." Gwen said, looking hopeful... again, drawing her bottom lip into her teeth.
Up until she had mentioned it, Wendell had not even noticed that the weather outside had changed. It was only cloudy a couple of hours ago when he first came into the diner, but indeed, it was now raining heavily. Looking back into Gwen's face, he felt a lump forming in his throat. It was not from fear, really, more it was from realizing that this was a big step, even if it were just a simple car ride for a couple of blocks. It told him that Gwen wanted him in her life, and that she trusted him.
Instead of speaking his agreement, he grabbed his lid from the seat beside him and stood up. He offered his arm to Gwen, who had stood up as well and graciously accepted his offering. She slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, and the two walked to the door.
"Wait!" came a shout halfway across the diner.
Both turned to see the other waitress, Marylinn, trotting up to them from around the counter. She was carrying an umbrella which she held out for one of them to take.
"Thought you might need this more than I will. It'll likely be stopped raining in the morning when I get off. Y'all be careful out there now." She said with that same knowing smile and practically skipped off back to the counter and around it.
Gwen looked at Wendell and both smiled. Wendell put his lid on his head and pushed the door open. Gwen unfurled and opened the umbrella on the stoop just outside the door. The rainwater was pouring off the awning in sheets.
"My Jeep is just over here." Wendell almost shouted over the drumming of the rain on the umbrella. Gwen had pulled herself as close to him as she possibly could and held the umbrella with her free hand trying to cover both of them as best she could.
Wendell led Gwen around to the passenger side of the Cherokee and unlocked the door and opened it for her. She climbed in and got turned around, handing off the umbrella to Wendell. He carefully closed the door then almost dashed around the front of the jeep to the driver's side. He opened the door and collapsed the umbrella before climbing in and closing the door. He put the umbrella over the back of the seat into the back of the car. As he started to turn back to face the front. He felt a soft hand touching the left side of his face.
Looking up, almost startled, he saw Gwen looking at him, studying him. There was a momentary flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, but it vanished and was replaced with something else... surrender? Before he could even contemplate more, however, Gwen crushed her lips against his and literally took his breath away. Gwen moaned softly into the kiss. A kiss so full of tender longing and hesitance that heated up into a blazing roaring passionate lip play the likes that Wendell had only experienced a couple of other times in his life.
Like Gwen, Wendell surrendered to the moment. He lost himself in her embrace and her kiss. It was hard to tell what was louder, the beating of their hearts of the drumming of the heavy rain falling on the roof of the jeep. It was all just white noise to the both of them though. Background sounds that only served to accompany the musical gasps and moans each of them was making but didn't seem to realize it.
Eventually, they had to come up for air. They broke their kiss after a particularly close lightning flash and the accompanying thunder shook the jeep. The thunder rolling through the neighborhood seemed to go on and on. Much like the panting breaths they were both gasping at. Gwen lowered her head slightly and looked up through her eyelashes and bangs with wanton hungry look in her eyes.
"Wen... take me home."
Wendell looked at her and just knew that he would be spending the night with her. Not taking his eyes off of her, he mechanically reached for the ignition and turned the key to start the jeep. He did have to turn his head to look through the struggling wipers to see which way to steer as Gwen gave him directions to her place. She had scooted over next to him, almost in his lap as she held his right thigh with her left hand and his right arm with her right hand, her head on his shoulder.
It really was only a couple of blocks away from the diner, the little bungalow house that had been divided into two rental units. There was a short gravel driveway that was halfway overgrown with grass to the right of her side of the bungalow. After putting the jeep into park and turning off the ignition, Wendell started to turn to reach for the umbrella, but Gwen stopped him.
"It's only a few feet to my front door, let's just make a run for it." She said as she scooted back across the seat and opened the passenger side door and hopped out, grabbing her purse and fishing for the key as she ran around the front of the jeep. Wendell just shook his head and grinned before opening his own door and chasing after her only to catch her at the door.
