4. Romantic Gesture
Claire sat in the waiting room, entering the taxi driver’s number into her phone. She felt okay walking to her dentist appointment but wasn’t sure how she’d feel about walking back. This would be a preliminary visit, but wanted to have a contingency in place should they do any work. She fidgeted in her chair, moving from one side to the other. Claire, like most people, never enjoyed going to the dentist. When they called her name, she fortified herself for what lay ahead.
After taking x-rays, and a consultation with the dentist, it became clear she would need more treatment than anticipated. When the dentist asked if she wanted to get started with cleaning, she agreed. It would be one thing to cross off her list. On the next visit, they’d fix a broken crown and look into a procedure on the tooth next to it. When they presented her with the bill and estimate of the future work, she had to admit the trip down had been worth it. While not looking forward to more extensive work, at least knowing ahead of time helped. She could buy some soft foods and soup to have on hand after the procedure.
After exiting the office, Claire felt good enough to walk back. She strolled down the long boulevard, seeing new sights along her walk. On arriving back at the house, she headed up to the Mirador. Climbing the stairs, she found Pat with a laptop, engrossed in his work. He glanced up as she mounted the last step.
He glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, hello.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were up here working. I thought you might still be out hiking.”
“That was earlier.” He shut his laptop. “But it’s alright. I couldn’t think where to go next, anyway.”
“Well, you could always kill someone. Isn’t that what they tell writers to do if they get stuck?”
He chuckled. “Yes, I’ve heard that. I need this character though. I’ll think of something.”
She shielded her eyes from the sun. ”Narrow escape perhaps?”
“Perhaps. Please, have a seat.” He motioned to the chair next to the sofa.
She went over to a rattan chair with pillows in riotous colors of red, green, and yellow. An ottoman was nearby, and she slipped off her shoes before putting her feet up. The warmth bathed her feet. “Oh, this is nice.”
“Yes, I love coming up here. I’ll sit in one of these chairs while gazing over the lake. Just empty my mind and breathe.”
She readjusted her back into the pillow. “Do you get a lot of ideas for your book doing that?”
“More like seeing the back of my eyelids.” He winked, and she laughed.
“I did that the other day while I was reading. I can’t remember the last time I took a nap.”
“Well, I’ve gotten used to those afternoon siestas. Especially since lately, the muse has been striking late at night.”
Claire chuckled. “I think I’d had more naps here than I can remember since being a toddler.”
“It’s the laid-back vibe. If you think of a tide, it has that soft ebb and flow, back and forth. That’s part of the reason I moved here. Your days can be filled with as much energy or quiet as you prefer.”
“What was the other reason?”
He ignored her question, and instead asked, “How did it go at the dentist?”
Claire wondered what the circumstances were that he wasn’t sharing, but decided not to pry. “Okay, though it turns out I need more work than expected.”
He nodded. “That’s what happened to me. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and get veneers. I didn’t want to deal with it anymore. It wasn’t fun, but once it’s done, it’s so much better. I should have taken better care of my teeth in my youth, but there you have it.”
Claire nodded. “Yes, but I have doubts about veneers.”
“It’s not bad. They’ll probably last me about twenty years. By then, I’ll be hitting my eighties.”
Claire’s mind caught on to what he’d said. So he was only in his early sixties?
He interrupted her thoughts. “When do you go back for your procedures?”
“Next Tuesday. I figure I’ll grab some soup and some more books from the library in case I don’t feel like doing much that day.”
He nodded. “Good idea. I’d be happy to play ‘go-pher’ for you. Have you checked out Machima yet? Why not let me grab you a smoothie from there after you get back?”
“That’s thoughtful, but I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
He waved his hand, “Nah. Not a problem.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you, I’d appreciate that. Also, if you ever need a beta reader, my offer still stands.”
“Maybe. We’ll see. For now, are you going to the dinner tonight?”
Claire had forgotten all about it. “Oh, hmm. Possibly. How did you know about it?”
“I’m going.”
She cocked her head. “I thought it was for new people?”
“I’m new. I just bought this place. I’ve been here before, but recently decided to move down permanently.”
“Oh. For some reason, I thought you’d lived here a long time.”
“No. Came down on vacation for a few years… then circumstances changed.” His voice grew husky. “It was time to move on, so I decided if I wanted something different, why not come here?”
“That’s a big step. To move to another country.”
“Sometimes the biggest step is to decide if you’re ready to move forward. Whatever happens after that is easy.”
Claire cocked her head as he spoke. “That’s pretty profound.”
“Not really. Life’s short. We waste time debating options instead of taking the chances presented.”
Claire giggled.
“Funny?”
She shook her head. “Not really. It’s kind of our unspoken motto for our book club. Though it was more for one member.”
“Did it work out for her? I gather it’s a her.”
“Yes, she.” She shrugged. “I guess it remains to be seen.”
“So everyone has their own phrase in your group besides ‘take a chance’?”
“Not really. Though they said mine was a plot twist.”
“Because of your literature background?” He set the laptop to the side.
“I suppose.” Claire wiggled her toes. “Can we walk to it?”
“Excuse me?”
She swiveled in her seat. “To the restaurant.”
“Sure. You can walk pretty much everywhere. If you want, we can walk over together.”
“Well, I forgot to let them know I’d be coming, so it may be too late.”
He shook his head. “You’ll be fine. We can always make room for one more chair if needed. Lots of people forget and then show up. You won’t be the first.”
“Oh, okay. I would like to walk over with you. That would be nice since I’m not familiar with where it’s at.”
“Okay. I’ll leave you to it.” He picked up his laptop and moved down the stairs.
Claire lay against the chair, a soft breeze catching a lock of hair and tickling her nose. Her eyes closed and when she opened them again, an hour had passed.
She stretched before rising from the chair. She’d have enough time to change before dinnertime. Back in her casita, she pulled out an outfit for the evening. A nice shower restored her energy. After brushing her hair, she made quick work of braiding it into her normal hairstyle. Instead of putting it up in a bun, she left it hanging down her back.
Once she’d dressed, she read some more from her book before hearing a rap on her door. Grabbing her open-toed sandals, she put them on before going to the door.
She opened the door to find Pat dressed in clean, pressed linen attire. He had a jacket slung over his back. While the town was noted for its year-round mild temps, it could get chilly in the evening. And even cold. Lucky for her, so far it had stayed in the low sixties and mid-fifties. So no need for the coat she normally wore in Colorado. Claire grabbed a shawl she’d purchased.
“I’m ready.” She moved outside of the house and closed the door behind her.
He motioned toward her side gate. “Shall we?”
“Great.”
They walked along the streets until they came to a simple door in a plaster wall. A small sign above gave the only indication of a restaurant inside.
Upon entering, Pat led the way past the indoor tables and out to an enclosed patio space. As they arrived, small lights twinkled on, giving the feeling of an enchanted garden.
“Oh, this is nice.” She admired the area and the plants.
“The food’s good too. Ah, there’s the group.” He waved to a group of people. Women outnumbered the men, and two of them gestured for Pat to sit beside them.
He turned toward her. “Um—”
“Go ahead. I’m fine. I can’t monopolize your time just because I’m renting the casita from you.”
His brow crinkled, but he nodded before striding down to the end of the table. He kissed each woman on the cheek in turn, their cheeks bright.
Ah, maybe that’s the reason he likes it here so much.
Claire looked for an open spot. A couple had an open chair close to them and beckoned her to join them.
Over the delicious meal, Claire heard how Steve and Gwen were snowbirds who spent the cold winters hibernating in Mexico. They regaled her with stories from their home in Minnesota. She kept up her part of the conversation. As the wine flowed, the laughter grew, and she had a lovely time with the couple. Across from her sat a gentleman named Bob. He’d been in the town for a while but had joined them since they had an empty spot.
Bob regaled them with side-splitting tales. More than once, Claire wiped her eyes from laughing so hard.
Every once in a while, Claire sensed eyes on her, causing her to glance around. One of those times she caught Pat turning his head away.
Soon dessert and decaf coffee were served. She sighed with contentment. Bob’s words caught her ear.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I said, if you’re here for a while, would love to see if you could help with our English Second Language classes. Your background is in English, correct?”
“Well, yes. But I’m only here for a few more weeks.”
Bob frowned, dejected at her answer.
“However, I’d be happy to look over your syllabus.”
He shook his head. “Don’t have one.”
“Curricula?”
He shrugged. “That’s why we could use your help. We’re a small group that’s been taking Spanish lessons. We wondered if any of the older residents might want to learn English. We found out some do. Their grandchildren know and they’d like to learn. Our goal is to have different dinners during the month. So one dinner we’d all speak Spanish and the next one English. We’re not sure if it will work, but that’s our thought, anyway.”
“I’ve heard of those immersion-type getaways over in Europe doing that. I think it’s a good idea.”
He pulled out his wallet and handed her his card. “Could we set up a time to chat?”
She’d taken the card when she felt a presence behind her. She swiveled to see Pat with a scowl on his face.
“Are you ready to go? I’m going to head back now.”
What’s the matter with him?
“Yes. I just need to pay first.”
“I’ll get it,” Bob replied.
Pat bristled. “The lady can pay for her own meal.”
Bob stiffened, “What’s your prob—”
“Let us. We enjoyed our chat tonight and hope to see you again.” Steve took the bill from the table.
“Yes, our treat,” Gwen replied.
“Well, thank you. I had a great time, and it was so nice meeting you both. I hope we’ll get to see each other again before I leave.”
“Absolutely.” They chimed.
Claire rose as Pat pulled out her chair from behind her. After waving goodbye to everyone at the table, she followed him to the front door.
Once they’d made it outdoors, she realized she’d forgotten her wrap. As she felt its warmth on her shoulders, she spoke. “Oh, thanks. I’d forgotten to get it before we left.”
“Not surprising. You know Bob’s a big womanizer. You’d do well to steer clear of him.” He shrugged into his jacket.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. He wants my help with some ESL classes. That’s all.” She stopped but her thoughts moved on, wondering why it should concern Pat at all.
“You’ll have to trust me on it.” He moved so she could walk down the narrow sidewalk.
His tone bothered her, and she responded, “Well if anyone looks like they’re a ladies’ man, I couldn’t help noticing the women fawning all over you when we arrived.”
He blustered, “I don’t … I didn’t—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m tired. Let’s go.” Claire stepped off the sidewalk onto the cobbled streets.
She heard Pat’s admonition just as she took another step. Her sandal front caught in a groove between two rocks, causing her to pitch forward. She struggled to remain standing, but in a flash, Pat came around and grasped her arms. They fell together, he taking the brunt of the fall on his side. A loud pop sounded as they landed hard on the uneven stones.
For a moment, time stood still. A burning on her leg let her know she’d scraped it, but other than that, she’d landed on Pat. She pushed back from him. “What’s the matter with you, you old fool?”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“But why would you do such a thing?”
In answer, his head came up, and an arm wrapped around her neck. He bent her face to his, their lips meeting in a soft, warm kiss. The scent of wine and coffee mingled and Claire braced herself as the ground spun. Was she falling again or had a bout of dizziness hit her?
When they finally broke the embrace, she sought to say something.
Anything.
Nothing came to her. She gazed into deep blue pools, meeting her gaze.
Shocked, she tried to right herself.
It wasn’t that he had kissed her. It’s that she had met his kiss back with the same passion and vigor.
The sounds of other voices broke her trance.
“Are you okay?”
“What happened?”
An unknown woman’s voice said, “I fell and broke my ankle wearing that kind of sandals when I first arrived.”
She heard Steve’s voice. “Are you okay? Do I need to get help?”
Pat groaned as Claire was lifted off of him. She dusted off her dress and assured Steve she felt fine. No major injuries. Poor Pat had taken the brunt of the fall with her weight as well.
She bent down next to him. “Pat, are you okay? Can you get up?”
He grimaced. “I’m pretty sure I’ve broken my arm.”