Chapter 6: Looking For Love In All The Right Places

 

June 18, 1991 - Tuesday

 

              Ellie's Taurus pulled into the dig site. She usually parked in a manner, so that she could see Alan's red pickup truck. It had taken her a few weeks to figure out which truck was his, since there seemed to be so many red pick-up trucks there. She was still proud that she was able to get to the bottom of that investigation. Women had their ways of finding out those types of things.

              To her disappointment, his truck wasn't there. It was missing just like the day before. As she exited her car, she spotted another truck driving toward her. It was blue, so it definitely wasn't Alan's truck. She had come to know from her investigations, that this particular truck was Rob Tandy's. The rock music blaring from the radio was additional evidence of it being Rob.

              His truck stopped next to Ellie's car and he quickly got out, putting a halt to the music.

              "Good morning," he said cheerfully.

              He was definitely a morning person.

              "Good morning," she returned.

              He looked around for a second.

              "Where's the rest of your team?" He asked, referring to Allison and Logan.

              "Allison isn't going to be here today and I'm not sure about Logan. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to tell you that Allison isn't going to be here today," she said, smiling.

              "Consider it done," he said, nodding. He glanced toward Alan's trailer, "Look at that. He's already gone. That man gets up way too early."

              Ellie played dumb.

              "Who? Dr. Grant?"

              "Yeah. Last night, he left a message on my machine. He wants me to give something to that old fossil, Dr. Harper."

              "Old fossil?"

              He laughed.

              "Just a joke. Harper is quite funny. His comic timing is pretty good . . . for a prehistoric archeological remain."

              Ellie politely laughed. Not because Rob's joke was funny, but because she was finding out where Alan had been.

              "So, how are you adjusting to life in Montana?" He asked.

              "It's not so bad, really. I'm enjoying myself and I've gotten to meet a lot of new and interesting people."

              "That's good. I'm glad you're fitting in so well."

              "You think so?" Ellie asked in a surprised tone.

              "Oh, yeah. Alan talks about you all of the time."

              "He does?"

              Ellie tried to be careful about the surprised expression that had just developed on her face, but she found it very hard to disguise the happiness. Rob noticed, too.

              "I get the feeling that you talk about him all of the time, too."

              Ellie was still working on containing her happiness.

              "I guess you could say that."

              Saying that short sentence out loud was her first public admission, hinting at how she felt about Alan. Rob decided to give her some more information about his old friend, since she seemed interested.

              "It's good to see him . . . interested . . . in someone after Kathryn," Rob said.

              "Kathryn?"

              "He was married before. She passed on about three years ago."

              "I had no idea," Ellie said sadly.

              "He hasn't talked about another woman since. And now, there's you."

              Ellie was speechless and Rob could see that she was getting embarrassed, so he tried to end the conversation in a sensible manner.

              "He's a lucky guy," he observed, smiling.

              Ellie turned a slight shade of red. She quickly regained her composure, and then changed the subject.

              "I'd say that I'm the lucky one. Being here, on a working and thriving dig site, has been a great experience, education-wise."

              Rob noticed how she shifted subjects on him. He decided to let it go.

              "Well, I'm glad you feel like you're learning something."

              "And speaking of which, I need to get going."

              "Always the dedicated one, aren't you?" Rob joked.

              "You know it," Ellie answered, smiling again.

              She walked away from Rob, wishing that she had found out more details about the whereabouts of Alan. Instead, it seemed as though Rob was the one that found out details about how she felt about Alan. She decided to stop thinking about Alan and Rob. There was nothing she could do about it now, anyway. She went to work, walking through the camp, looking for Logan or Dave.

              Rob stood there, watching her leave the area. Alan really is a lucky guy, damn it. There had been several occasions now, where Alan had brought up her name in casual conversation. He could see that Alan was smitten with her, but, up until now, he wasn't sure how she had felt. After talking with her for a few minutes, he had his answer. She was. He smiled, as he headed toward Alan's trailer, in search of the folder Alan wanted him to give to Harper.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

              Ellie finally made it home to her apartment, after a longer than usual day at the digs. It was getting late and she realized she hadn't eaten yet, so she searched the phone book for a place that was still open, and ordered some food over the phone. She had gone most of the day without much to eat or drink, besides a donut and soda that Logan had given her in the afternoon. She had gotten into her car and drove to where her food was waiting. It was a local bar, called "The Hell Creek Bar & Grill".

              Ellie walked into the bar. She looked around nervously, as she tried to quickly figure out where she would have to go to pick up her take out order. The bar was completely full. There were about 30 people in there, including seven or eight at the bar itself. The majority of the people were sitting at the various sized tables, while some were playing darts, and a few were crowded around the juke box.

              Taking a closer look at the people sitting at the bar, she noticed something disturbing. Raymond, the tow truck driver, was standing right next to the register, where she had to go. She took a deep breath, and then walked in that direction. She reached the counter without delay. The troublesome man had his back to her, so she waited patiently for the bartender to become available. He finally did. He came over.

              "What can I do for you, beautiful," he said.

              This remark grabbed the attention of the troublesome man. He turned around and saw her.

              "Oh, lookee here. If it isn't that . . . that . . . lady who never paid me."

              The man was obviously very drunk, yet again. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. She tried ignoring him by never making eye contact.

              "I need to pick up a take out order, please," she whispered to the bartender.

              "Name?"

              "Ellie."

              "Okay. Be right back."

              Ellie nodded. She didn't dare look to her left, which was where that drunk man was. To her dismay, he got even closer to her.

              "So . . . Ellie. That's a really pretty name there, missy."

              Ellie leaned forward a little, to check on the bartender's progress. He wasn't coming back yet. She finally looked at the man.

              "Look, please leave me alone," she said softly, as she looked around to see if anyone was watching.

              The man stepped away from the barstool, staggered, and almost fell. He grabbed onto Ellie's arm for balance.

              "I want you to come home with me, sweetheart. So come on," he said, dragging her. "Let's go to my place, so I can get paid."

              Ellie had no idea of what to do, as the man was much bigger than she was. She was about to use some force, when she noticed that the man had three more friends that left the bar and began walking alongside the inebriated man. He continued to drag her toward the door. The bartender finally came from the back with her food order. He shouted to Ellie and the men.

              "Hey, Raymond! The lady has food over here. Bring her back here!" He shouted.

              The drunk man, Raymond, turned around. He still had Ellie's wrist gripped tightly.

              "The lady . . . is coming home with me," he managed to get out, through slurs.

              The bartender shrugged his shoulders and went back to work. Ellie couldn't believe how unhelpful he turned out to be. Raymond and his three friends almost had her to the door now. She began to get angry, letting her initial fear fade away. She was about to do something and that's when the front door opened. Alan Grant walked inside. He was full of dust, from head to toe, and he looked exhausted. He looked up as he walked inside, as he nearly collided with Ellie.

              "Oh, excuse me," he said.

              She gave him a distressful look, as Raymond continued to drag Ellie past her teacher. It didn't take long for Alan to figure out the situation.

              "Hey, uh, Raymond."

              He had recognized the man from before. Raymond turned around and looked at him.

              "What do you want? I have to . . . get home," he slurred.

              "Why don't you let go of the lady, Raymond."

              Raymond took a long and good look at the man standing before him, and then he glanced back at the woman he was holding against her will. In a sudden flash in his mind, he remembered where he had seen these two people before.

              "Hey! You're that damn guy who attacked me on the highway!"

              Alan was noticeably angry about the accusation, but decided not to get into a shouting match with a drunk.

              "You were the one with the crowbar. Now just let her go and we'll go on our way."

              "She's with me," Raymond said, feeling he had the advantage since his friends were near him.

              Alan smiled.

              "Clearly, Raymond, she's not with you."

              Raymond looked at her. He looked at his three friends, who had moved in all around Alan by now. Ellie began to get worried about her would-be savior. The bartender yelled from across the room.

              "Dr. Grant. I don't want any fights in my establishment. Take this little disagreement outside."

              Alan looked at the bartender.

              "Jerry, they started it."

              He knew the bartender's name.

              "And we're going to finish it," Raymond spat.

              The drunk man let Ellie go and took a swing at the scientist. Alan instinctively dodged his body backwards, but it wasn't really necessary. Raymond missed by a mile and fell to the wooden floor. Alan took Ellie's hand and began to pull her toward the front door. When he turned to face the front door, one of Raymond's friends blocked his way, while another of the three took a swing at him. This particular punch connected with Alan's jaw, forcing him to stagger sideways. He grabbed his jaw, becoming very angry.

              "All right! All of you! Out!" Jerry yelled, "Before I call the bouncer! He'll do horrible things to your faces, so I suggest you leave right now!"

              Alan took the queue. He reached the front door, with Ellie, and ran from the building. Raymond's friends stayed behind to help the fallen drunk get back on his feet.

              Ellie was very relieved to be outside. She sighed and was very quiet for a few seconds. As they got farther from the door, Alan looked at her.

              "You okay?" He asked.

              "Yeah."

              "Are you sure?"

              "Yeah," she repeated, and then she smiled. "Come here often?"

              Alan gestured toward the front door.

              "Oh, this place? Oh, yeah, I'm embarrassed to admit that I come here quite often. How'd you know?"

              "You knew the bartender's name and he knew yours."

              Alan nodded.

              "Yes. That is true," he said, and then he added, "You are very perceptive."

              "Thank you, Dr. Grant," she said.

              "You can call me Alan."

              Ellie smiled. Even with all the dust and dirt, he remained a very good looking man.

              "Thank you . . . Alan. For the compliment and the save in there."

              "You're very welcome," he said, rubbing his jaw, "I think."

              She began to walk toward her car and he followed. She figured he was parked over there, as well. She glanced at him, as she walked.

              "How's the jaw?"

              "It'll be fine."

              "It looked like he hit you very hard."

              Alan laughed.

              "Imagine what that guy could do if he were sober."

              Ellie nodded. She was very comfortable talking to Alan, but the more she thought about, the more awkward she began to feel. She was having a personal conversation with one of her instructors. That wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact she was certain she had feelings for him.

              "Well, I'm glad we didn't have to find out," she said.

              Alan smiled again. She was really liking the way that he smiled. She was going to play it cool, though. She didn't want him to know that she had butterflies in her stomach. She kept walking until she reached her car. She knew he drove a truck and she noticed there wasn't one anywhere near her car.

              "Where's your truck?"

              "Oh, that's kind of a funny story, actually," he said.

              "It is, huh?"

              "I ran out of gas, about a quarter mile from here."

              "That is funny."

              "I knew you would see it that way," he said, and then he added, "I decided to walk over here. You know, to have a beer and think about it."

              She laughed.

              "Where were you?" She asked.

              He smiled at her. She was very beautiful. He had already known that much, but now, just looking at her so close, he really was mesmerized by her beauty. And she smelled incredible, as her perfume lingered in the air.

              "I was doing some land surveying nearby. I'm thinking of moving the dig site a few miles."

              "You were surveying this late at night?"

              He nodded.

              "Wow. That just surprises me," Ellie said.

              "Why is that?"

              "I don't know."

              "What a good and firm answer. Well done," he teased, smiling. Ellie smiled back and he continued, "And what are you doing out after dark, young lady?"

              "I was hungry. Thought I'd get a bite to eat. I had no idea this place was the home of vermin."

              "Vermin," he repeated softly, as if thinking about the comment.

              Ellie felt slightly embarrassed, as she realized she had just possibly insulted him.

              "I don't mean you. I mean those intoxicated people inside," she said, gesturing toward the bar.

              "I know. I was just giving you a hard time."

              Ellie shook her head. She had no idea why she didn't figure that out. The way he was looking at her, was throwing her off guard. He interrupted her thoughts.

              "I'm going to head to the gas station. It's just another half mile up the road," he said, as he began to walk away from her car.

              She decided to act on her feelings . . . just a little bit.

              "I could give you a ride to the gas station," she offered.

              Alan thought about it for a moment.

              "Sure, if you don't mind."

              "If I minded, why would I ask?"

              "Good point."

              "Then it's settled. Get in," she said, as she unlocked the car doors.

              Alan waited for her to get inside first, and then he opened the door and began to get into the passenger seat. She was driving a gray Ford Taurus, complete with leather seats and a lot of extras.

              "Are you sure you want me to get into this nice car? I'm a bit dusty," he said, rubbing the leather seat.

              "It's just a lease. Besides, a little dirt has never hurt anything. At least as far as I know."

              Alan looked at her as she started the car and flipped on the headlights.

              "Okay, then," he said, getting into the car.

              She laughed and waited for him to get situated, and then she put the car in reverse. The car backed up, and then she put it in drive. A few seconds went by.

              "Thanks again," Alan finally said.

              "It's no trouble."

              They were quiet again for a few moments, as Ellie maneuvered through the bar parking lot.

              "Could you just drive me to the dig site? I'll get my truck later," he said.

              "Are you sure? Because it's no trouble."

              "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm tired and would rather just figure out what to do about it in the morning."

              "If that's what you want," she said, as she kept an eye out for people.

              Alan was staring at her, watching her study the parking lot.

              "It's kind of nice, seeing you in a relaxed state," he observed with a smile.

              "What do you mean?"

              "You're not analyzing every word that I say," he answered.

              Ellie thought about that statement for a moment. She had given him somewhat of a hard time on several occasions, that was true. But, compared to lectures and debates at the dig site, she was feeling like she was focusing even more attention on everything he was saying right now. She decided not to share that particular thought, though.

              "Are you telling me it would be better if I agreed with you, on the job?"

              "No. I was just commenting on how happy I was that we're not debating for a change."

              "Oh," she said softly.

              The car pulled out of the bar parking lot and onto the main road. It wasn't much of a main road. Just a two-lane highway with no traffic signals, and a few scattered lamp posts. The road was even dirt in some places still.

              "So, what made you choose Montana, anyhow?" Alan asked.

              "Well, I'm very close to becoming a Paleobotantist, as I'm sure you're aware of. I thought it would be wise to come out to a dig site and help uncover things of a prehistoric nature. I've always wanted to be out in the field. Classrooms bore me, I'm afraid."

              "Oh, so you're the adventuresome type?"

              "Yeah, maybe. A little. How long have you been here, in the Badlands?"

              "Several years, but not all in the same place. I've moved the dig site twice, since I arrived. I assembled a second team of volunteers to stay on at the previous site. The volunteers are always a lot more excited about the prospect of finding something that the scientists missed, so it works out very well for everyone."

              "I see. And now you're thinking of moving it again?" She asked, as she kept her eyes mostly on the road, glancing at him from time to time.

              "Yeah. There are some wonderful rock structures, East of the dig site. After a few more surveys, I'll be able to make a more qualified decision."

              "So, the decision comes solely from you then?"

              "I guess so, yes," he said, smiling.

              "I didn't realize that you were so much in charge. You're so . . . so . . . "

              "So . . . what?" Alan asked, really paying attention now.

              "You're so calm and pleasant. You don't walk around like you have so much authority."

              "Well, thank you. I thought you were going to be mean," he said, laughing.

              Ellie laughed uncomfortably. She was beginning to get that same awkward feeling again.

              "Why would I be mean? I think you're a great teacher and a great scientist."

              "Now that should get you an A for sure," he teased.

              Ellie laughed.

              "That's what I was going for."

              The car turned left, onto a dirt road and continued about a mile. As they approached the trailers, Ellie stopped the car and turned the headlights off. Alan opened the door and got out. She saw him lean down by the window, so she rolled it down.

              "Well, thanks for the ride."

              "You're welcome. I'll see you in the morning," she said.

              Alan tapped a hand on the edge of the door.

              "No, I'm heading out to survey again tomorrow, so I won't be around."

              "Oh, okay."

              "That reminds me. By any chance, do you know if Rob gave a folder to Dr. Harper?"

              "Actually, no, he didn't. He said he couldn't find it," Ellie answered.

              "I need to get that folder to him. Could you wait here just a second, so I can see if I can find it?"

              Ellie was taken aback a little bit, but she answered right away.

              "Sure."

              "Good. Thanks. I'll go and find it," he said.

              He turned around and jogged toward the trailer door. He was gone from view for about five minutes. Ellie was getting impatient, as she kept glancing at her watch. She was very attracted to him, and what she really wanted to do was go in there, find him, grab him, and kiss him. She had never felt that strongly about being so aggressive with a man, but he aroused something totally different inside of her. She decided on waiting in the car a few minutes longer, as opposed to running in there and attacking the poor unsuspecting man.

              She only lasted another two minutes, before she opened the car door and got out. She closed the door, as softly as she could, and then headed for the front door of his trailer. It was very dark outside and there were only the sounds of insects all around. Nothing else. She reached the door and put her hand on the door handle, thinking about whether or not she should go inside.

              "Oh, what the hell," she whispered to herself.

              She opened the door and went inside. It was dark inside the trailer, except for a light coming from somewhere in the rear. Alan's trailer was very large, as it was used to store some of the bigger discoveries that were uncovered in the field. There was also a connecting trailer, where the findings were cleaned and cataloged.

              She began to walk in the direction the light was coming from. She made it to the source and peaked into that room. He was in there, sorting through a few things. Her presence obviously startled him, but he handled it well.

              "Sorry about that. I got in here, and couldn't find the damned thing," he said, lightly laughing, as he continued to thumb through some papers and folders.

              "It's okay. I was just wondering what happened to you," she said.

              Ellie was really feeling out of place. She decided to get herself out of the situation, but just as she was going to say good-bye, Alan found what he was looking for.

              "Here it is!" He half yelled.

              Ellie smiled and nodded, as he approached her with a folder. Now that he was in the light, she could see some blood coming from his mouth. Without thinking, she put a hand to his mouth.

              "You're bleeding."

              He reached for her hand.

              "It's nothing. It goes along quite nicely with the rest of the dust and dirt."

              He took her hand from his face and held onto it, looking into her eyes. He couldn't seem to take his eyes away. Just as he was about to act on his feelings, he switched emotional gears, and placed the folder in her other hand.

              "Here you go. Could you give this to Dr. Harper in the morning? He'll be needing it. He actually needed it today, so he may be a little crabby tomorrow."

              Ellie looked away from his eyes for a second.

              "Sure," she answered.

              "Thank you," Alan said softly.

              All of Ellie's feelings, that she had almost let be known, retracted. She turned to leave. She walked through the rest of the trailer and reached the front area. As she was about to walk out, she heard Alan's voice behind her.

              "Can I ask you a question?"

              She turned around, trying not to show how happy she was, that he took the time to say something more to her.

              "Anything," she answered, hoping that he would ask something personal.

              "Are you . . . " Obviously the question was a tough one for him to get out in the open. "Are you, seeing anyone?"

              Ellie almost lost her composure, but she managed to stay calm.

              "No. You?"

              Alan shook his head no. He was about to say something else, when Ellie put the folder down on a nearby chair and walked up to him. He looked away for a second, and then he finally focused on her again.

              "I'm terrible at telling people how I feel. And I feel like I'm being very inappropriate right now," he said softly.

              "I don't think you're being inappropriate," Ellie said, trying to ease his instabilities regarding the situation.

              It worked. He smiled.

              "You don't, huh?" He said softly.

              Ellie got closer to him and gently reached for one of his hands. In return, he took a step closer to her.

              "No, I don't," she whispered.

              That was the last thing she said. Alan pulled her toward him and kissed her. It was very passionate for a first kiss, and it surprised him just how badly he had wanted to kiss her.

              Ellie wrapped an arm around his neck, caressing his hair, as they continued with the kiss, moving their heads from side to side. They were still holding hands, as the kiss went on and on. Ellie's knees actually began to feel weak, just like in all of the fairy tale storybooks. She leaned her whole body into his, as they finally came up for air.

              Alan looked at her carefully, as he held onto her. He felt like he was taking advantage of her. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

              "You should probably go, Ellie."

              Ellie was feeling completely different about the situation. She wanted it to go further.

              "I don't want to go."

              "But you should."

              "Do you want me to, Alan?"

              He thought about it, as his initial answer was no.

              "Yeah."

              Ellie didn't want to give up on what might happen just yet.

              "Are you sure?"

              "No."

              Ellie felt a rush of emotion stir up inside of her. The look on her face didn't mask that feeling very well, either.

              "Well, good. Because I think that I would like to get to know you better."

              She still had his hand. She moved closer to him, for the second time, and began to kiss him again. She wanted to completely give herself to him, but she could tell he was still not quite right with it. By the way he kissed her back, though, she could feel that he was toying with the idea of surrendering to the feelings, too. Just when she thought it was going to happen, he stopped the kiss, and backed away from her.

              "It's obvious that we have gotten caught up in the moment."

              Ellie knew he was right, to a certain extent.

              "Maybe you're right. But I've wanted to do that since I met you."

              Alan was thrown off guard by that comment. The first time he saw her beautiful face, he had thought the exact same thing. It was very reassuring to know that she had felt that same way, but he still believed that he was somehow taking advantage of his status. He decided to throw caution to the wind and speak his mind, regarding his prized student.

              "Well, since we're being honest, I've done nothing but think of you for the past few weeks."

              "You see? There you have it. We both have had similar thoughts. It's clearly not a spontaneous thing happening here," she said, smiling. 

              "Let's try this," Alan began, as he glanced at his dirty clothes, "I'm going to take a shower. If you're still here when I get out, then we'll know it's more than just spontaneity. Okay?"

              Ellie thought about it for a second.

              "Sounds good."

              Alan nodded and headed for another part of the trailer.

              "I'll be right back."

              Ellie heard the shower come on. She gingerly walked around the trailer, looking at Alan's belongings. Walking into the back area again, she found his hat and smiled. He wore that thing a lot. It must have been lucky for him. She smiled as she thought about how that hat might have saved him from getting punched, had he been wearing it. She looked around some more, finding different things, here and there. There was a row of old text books lining one shelf, accompanied by some notebooks and folders. She glanced through them, being careful not to disturb them. Sitting on a nearby end table was an old television with a TV Guide dated from two months ago. She guessed he wasn't much of a television watcher. There were two comfy looking chairs in this room, along with a couch. Next to the couch was a dusty looking radio. All in all, the area she was in looked very homelike. He had successfully divided the front, which was the work half of the trailer, from this rear section. She continued to look around.

              One thing in particular caught her attention. It was a photograph of a very beautiful woman, sitting in a field of very green grass. The picture was absolutely beautiful. She picked it up and took the picture from the frame. There was something written on the back of the picture. It said Kathryn 1986. She put the picture back in the frame, instantly knowing that it was his deceased wife. She felt a little guilty suddenly. Like she shouldn't be looking forward to what was surely about to happen when he turned that shower off.

              She put the picture frame down. Just then, the shower went off. She walked toward that area of the trailer and watched the bathroom door open. He was standing there, wearing just a pair of shorts and holding a towel. She had never seen him in shorts, and she had certainly never seen him shirtless. It was a very pleasant sight. She smiled at him.

              "I'm still here," she whispered.

              "I see that."

              He walked up to her. He threw the towel to the floor and embraced her tightly, kissing her deeply, once again. Then he gently unbuttoned her blouse, and began kissing her exposed shoulders. Ellie felt like she might faint from happiness, as she moved her hands over his chest. He was in very good shape, which made her all the more anxious to get to the bedroom. He stopped kissing her shoulders just long enough to kiss her lips again. As they wrapped themselves around each other, he slowly edged their willing bodies toward the bedroom. She was standing in the doorway of his bedroom, waiting for his next move. He closed the bedroom door and gently placed her on the bed. They leaned into the bed and spent the rest of the night together.

 

Chapter 7: Relocating

 

June 19, 1991 - Wednesday

 

              Ellie awoke with a pre-existing smile on her face from the night before. The window in the bedroom was opened about half way, allowing a gentle breeze to flow through the small bedroom. Her soft blonde hair was moving lightly in the breeze, as she turned over. She had expected to see Alan there, and when he wasn't there, she sighed with disappointment. She glanced at the alarm clock. It said 6:18am. She slowly sat up in the bed, with the sheet over her body and searched for her clothes. She was still smiling, as she found all the necessary things to make her look proper. It was around that time, when the smell of a delicious breakfast hit her senses. She had never gotten the opportunity to eat last night and now she was absolutely starving. She quickly put on her clothes and headed out of the bedroom. As she was making her way to the kitchen, she decided to quietly stop at the bathroom to use the facilities and freshen up a little bit. When she was finished, she headed to the kitchen area and found what she was looking for.

              Alan was sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, eating some bacon and drinking some orange juice. He's handsome, great in bed, and he cooks. When he saw Ellie approach the table, he quickly wiped his face with a napkin and stood up.

              "Good morning, sunshine," he said, smiling.

              Ellie laughed.

              "Sunshine?"

              "Yeah. When I see you, it instantly feels like a warm ray of direct sunshine is coming down upon me."

              Ellie smiled and then she yawned involuntarily.

              "That's about the corniest thing a man has ever said to me."

              Alan smirked.

              "Well, sorry. I guess I'm still feeling a little light headed after that blow to the head last night."

              Ellie walked over to him and hugged him. When she let go, she kissed him again. It was very nice to wake up to this, first thing in the morning, and Ellie believed that she could easily get used to it.

              "It might have been corny, but it's also one of the most romantic things a man has ever said to me."

              Before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him again, shutting him up. They stayed in that position for quite some time, and then Ellie settled in to eat breakfast.

              "This could be complicated," she said, looking around the small kitchen.

              "It could be, I agree," he said, sipping his orange juice.

              "I'm a coffee drinker. I don't see any coffee around here," she said, smiling.

              Alan laughed at her little joke.

              "Well, there's a coffee maker in the cabinet. I don't usually do coffee, but every once in a while it sounds good."

              Ellie nodded, got up, and went to the cabinet he was pointing to. She tinkered with the coffee maker for a minute and managed to get it working. She sat back down.

              "Seriously, though. I'll work this however you want. You want this to be a secret, I can do that."

              "I really don't know what I want."

              "Well, I would think our . . . involvement . . . would look less than favorable to your colleagues."

              "I thought of that, but I'm not sure I even care what they think."

              She had the urge to kiss him again and so she did just that. She stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted one on him. They held each other, kissing and smiling. Alan looked at his watch.

              "When were you planning on leaving?" She asked.

              "7:00am," he said as he looked away from his watch.

              "What time is it?"

              "6:38."

              Ellie stared into his eyes, knowing full well what she wanted.

              "We've got some time on our hands, then," she whispered as she reached over and kissed his neck repeatedly.

              He stood up quickly, looked around for a minute, and then settled his gaze on her. He put a hand under her arm and gently pulled. She was on her feet in seconds. They headed toward the bedroom, with Ellie nuzzling his ear.

 

June 26, 1991 - Wednesday

 

              The apartment door opened with a creek and Ellie let him inside. Alan walked into the small apartment and took in the surroundings.

              "Very nice," he said.

              "Thanks. I haven't taken too much time decorating and whatnot, but it's suitable."

              "Yes, it is."

              "Besides, I'm barely ever here anymore," she added.

              For the last week, Ellie had been staying with Alan and had only stepped into the apartment for clothes and things that first day. Alan was still looking around when she had added that comment. He looked at her and smiled.

              "Sorry about that. I guess I've been keeping you busy."

              Ellie was slightly embarrassed, but then she got over it.

              "Well, you can keep me busy any day of the week," she said, smiling.

              He moved closer to her and reached for her hand.

              "This really is a very nice place. Maybe I should move in here?"

              "That could be arranged," she said, bringing his hand to her mouth and kissing it.

              Alan thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to be away from the dig site, but he knew his presence at the field was needed. Sometimes at very strange hours.

              "I better stick to sleeping at the dig site," he said.

              "Want some . . . permanent company?"

              He didn't even have to think about the answer to that question.

              "Absolutely."

              Ellie smiled even more than she had already been, if that was possible.

              "I'll see if I can get Allison to take this apartment. Or at least share it with me. If I offer to still pay for half of everything, she should agree with not too much of a problem. She's on a half a dozen waiting lists around town for an apartment, so she's definitely looking."

              "The Grant suite . . . is yours, my lady," he teased.

              "Oh, thanks," she said, and then she added, "Can I redecorate?"

              He laughed, but didn't answer.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

              Later in the day, Ellie had forced herself to separate from Alan, so that she could get some work done. She was back at the dig site, and she and Allison resumed their searching from the previous day. After an exhaustive search in the heat, turning up absolutely nothing, they began to walk back to the camp. While looking around at the ground carefully, Ellie decided it was the perfect time to ask Allison about the apartment.

              "Are you still looking for a place to stay?"

              "Yeah, I am, but how did you know?"

              "Grapevine," Ellie answered, joking.

              Allison laughed.

              "So, do you have a suggestion?"

              "I sure do. What about my apartment? I've been staying on site here for the last couple of weeks, so I don't really use it much. I don't see myself using much any time soon, either."

              "Why is that? Weren't you the one against staying here? Living in a tent."

              "That's true, but I've changed my mind."

              "I'm not one to question the good faith of a friend. So I'm just going to say thanks. That would be great, Ellie."

              "And I'll still pay for half of everything, if you need me to, since I might find myself staying there every once in a while."

              "That would help me out tremendously. But you're not exactly made of money."

              "Well, if you didn't move in there, I'd be paying all of the expenses. With you there, I'll only be paying for half. So it's a good deal for both of us really."

              "Sounds perfect."

              "Just say the word and I'll help you move in."

              "How's this weekend sound?"

              "Sounds fine to me," Ellie said.

              "Okay, I'm going to be away on Saturday, but Sunday would be perfect," Allison said, trying to remember her schedule of free time.

              "Sunday it is, then. I'll meet you over at the apartment Sunday afternoon. You remember where it is, right?"

              "Yeah. Once I've been to a place once, I can remember the way. I'm lucky like that," Allison said.

              "I wish I could say the same thing," Ellie said, smiling, "I'm pretty much forgetful about a lot of things."

              "I won't hold it against you," Allison teased.

              Ellie laughed.

              "Thanks. See ya on Sunday, and maybe around here in the next couple of days," she said.

              Allison nodded and walked toward the East area of the dig site, where some of the tents were located. Ellie stood in place for quite a while, thinking about all the time she could spend with Alan. Now that she only had to worry about half of the apartment expenses, she didn't feel as guilty for spending so many nights with him. She was sure that her mother would never understand the situation, though. She would have to tell her about the progress in her life sooner or later. She opted for later. Much later.

 

Chapter 8: Someone To Lean On

 

June 28, 1991 - Friday

 

              Rob was hovering around the camp, waiting for Alan to come back from the field. He had managed to convince himself that he needed to talk Alan into giving Ellie a chance. He was sure he could persuade him into placing Kathryn's memory behind him. He would just have to be very clever and cautious with his word choice.

              As he was running a few sample sentences through his head, he spotted Alan walking into a clearing, toward him. He decided to wait right where he was, but then couldn't just stand there any longer. He caught up to Alan.

              "You've got to let her go," he spit out when he was close enough for Alan to hear him.

              It wasn't quite the clever and cautious remark that he was trying for, but it was too late to fix it now.

              "Who?" Alan asked, as he was caught completely off guard.

              "Kathryn," Rob said, as if he should have already known that.

              "What are you talking about?" Alan questioned, slightly irritated.

              "Think about it, Alan. Kathryn was a great woman and the perfect match for you. She really was. But she's gone now."

              "I know, Rob," Alan said, angrily.

              Rob didn't back down. Alan was one of his closest friends, so he needed to tell him what was on his mind.

              "And she's not coming back."

              Alan didn't respond that time. Rob could tell he was thinking.

              "I knew Kathryn, too, you know. And I think she would want you to be happy. She's up there somewhere," Rob said pointing to the sky, "and she's probably sad to see you all alone, with no one to care for."

              "I know what you're getting at."

              "Do you?"

              "Yes, Rob."

              "Well, why don't you go out with her then? She's perfect for you and it's obvious to me that she likes you."

              "It's obvious?"

              "Yes, Alan. Painfully obvious. Who knows why she didn't fall for me, but Ellie is definitely stuck on you, my friend."

              "I'll admit that she's great," Alan said, smiling.

              "You see? She's great. Give her a chance to be in your life."

              "I already have."

              Rob was speechless . . . but only for a moment.

              "What? How? When? Where the hell was I?"

              Alan laughed, but then he began to get serious.

              "Ellie and I have been getting closer. But it's hard for me to continue my life without feeling guilty about Kathryn. I loved her so much."

              Alan needed a friend right now, and not the smart-ass type. Rob became totally serious.

              "Alan, she loved you, too. She would want you to be happy."

              "You're repeating yourself now, mate," Alan said, lightening up the mood a bit.

              "I'll keep on repeating myself until it gets pounded into your head," Rob said. He pointed at Alan, "Let Kathryn go and start over. You deserve to be happy."

              "Okay, it's finally sinking in a little bit," Alan admitted.

              "Good," Rob said, and then he looked toward some of the tents nearby, "I'm going for a beer. Wanna join me?"

              "No, I think I'll turn in for the night, Rob."

              "You're loss."

              Alan laughed and headed into the trailer. Ellie was inside, waiting without anyone realizing she was there. She had been parking her car in a different place, so that people didn't get suspicious. She knew that Alan didn't care about who knew, as they had already talked about it, but she wasn't ready to have his life put under a microscope by the instructors, students, and volunteers.

              "I'm going to have to disagree on the whole my loss thing," he said to himself as he went inside.

 

June 29, 1991 - Saturday

 

              It wasn't even light outside yet, but Alan was already quietly loading his pickup truck. He and Ellie were throwing things into the back for their little spur of the moment camping trip. Alan had suggested it the night before, after getting back from talking to Rob. Ellie had said yes almost immediately and so they were adding last minute items that might be useful on the trip.

              Alan exited the trailer with an armful of blankets and threw them in the back. They landed on top of the cooler that he had secretly plugged in before Ellie had even woken up. When the timing was right, he would be prepared with a little romance. He smiled to himself as he approached the driver's door.

              "Did you find Rob?" Ellie asked.

              "No, he's late . . . again. I'm going to have to start writing him up or something. Anyway, I found Dr. Harper, so I let him know I was going to be away."

              "Oh, good. That way no one will worry."

              "I don't think anyone would really miss me."

              "I don't think you know your own crew then."

              "Okay, are we ready?" Alan asked, changing the subject.

              "Got everything?" Ellie asked, as he slid into the driver's seat.

              "Yep. You. Me. That's all we really needed anyway, you know," he said, smiling.

              Ellie laughed and moved closer to him. He started the truck and they began to drive towards another world away from prehistory.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

              Rob couldn't find Alan anywhere. He had looked in all the trailers, most of the teepee's, and he had even tried the nearest bar. He came across Harper on his trip back to the dig site.

              "Dr. Harper, how do you do, sir."

              "I'm well, young Tandy. How are you this delightful morning?"

              Rob had always liked to talk proper with the much older Harper. It was entertaining for him, for some reason.

              "Well, I was wondering if you would have the coordinates of a certain Dr. Grant."

              "Why yes, I do, young man."

              "Well, would you care to dispense your knowledge with the remainder of the world, doctor?"

              Harper laughed slightly.

              "Sure. He's on leave. He took the weekend off."

              "He did what?"

              "He told me he was in need of some down time."

              "He told . . . pardon me for saying . . . you?"

              "I was the only one around this morning," Harper said, implying that Rob was late again.

              "Well . . . I . . . was . . . are you sure he said that?

              "Yes, I'm quite sure."

              "He hasn't taken a weekend off in over two years."

              "Well, everyone has a breaking point, I suppose."

              "Did he go alone?"

              "I believe the beautiful Ms. Sattler was accompanying him."

              "Ahhh. That explains a lot. Thanks for your time, old chap."

              "Good day, Mr. Tandy."

              Rob walked away from Harper and was very pleased with himself. Obviously, that little talk he had with Alan helped greatly.

              "Just add Rob, the matchmaker to my extensive list of titles," he whispered to himself, smiling.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

              The view was beyond beautiful. Ellie stood at the base of the fresh water creek, taking deep breaths of air. She looked behind her to see how far Alan had gotten with the tent. He had it set-up already, which amazed her for some reason. She walked toward him, playfully smiling as she approached him.

              "Very impressive. You did that a lot quicker than I would have guessed."

              He had his back to her, adjusting one of the poles.

              "I'm one of those great mountain men you read about in novels," he said, turning to look at her.

              "Oh, the last of your breed, I'm sure," she said, teasing him.

              He let go of the tent and gently took her arm, pulling her toward him. He didn't say a word. He simply kissed her. They stood there in the woods for a few minutes, just being romantic. He looked out toward the creek.

              "There's a nice little cozy diner on the other side of the creek, where I thought we might eat breakfast."

              "Sounds delightful," she said, staring into his blue eyes.

              "There's a bridge about a quarter mile downstream that we could use to cross over."

              She nodded. He proceeded.

              "Or we can just cross here," he added, gesturing toward the creek.

              She looked where he was gesturing. It didn't look very deep, which was promising. And there was an abundant amount of rocks, that made a makeshift path across to the other side.

              "Right here is fine with me," she said looking at the creek.

              "I was joking," he said.

              She focused on him again.

              "It could be adventurous," she offered.

              He smiled.

              "Not to mention, possibly a little wet."

              "What, are you some sort of baby?"

              "No," he answered quickly, and then he added, "Besides, I'll have you to fall on in case I slip and/or slide."

              She laughed and began to walk toward the creek. She was wearing khaki shorts and a white short sleeved shirt, so she was prepared. Alan had on a white short sleeved button down shirt and a pair of dark grey pants. He wasn't quite prepared for the excursion over the creek, but he followed her. They arrived at the beginning of the makeshift path and Ellie looked back at him.

              "Here goes nothing," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

              She stepped onto the closest large stone and balanced on it. Alan was right behind her with his hands out, ready to catch her in case she began to fall backwards. She didn't. She continued flawlessly over a half dozen rocks, before she turned around to see if he was coming. He hadn't moved from the side of the creek.

              "Coming?"

              "Yeah."

              "What are you waiting for?"

              "Nothing."

              She laughed, and then watched as he stepped onto that same first stone that she had used.

              "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She teased.

              He was focusing on the rocks below. When she spoke to him, he looked up and slightly lost his balance. His right foot slipped a little, causing him to sway to the right. Then he swayed to the left and caught his balance. After he was certain that he was stable, he looked up at her again.

              "Piece of cake," he said, smiling.

              She nodded and waited for him to catch up to her. She giggled as he continued to slightly stumble as he crossed the various sized rocks. He managed to make it there without much trouble. She reached out her hand and he took it.

              "How is it that you're so good at this?" He asked.

              "I'm from Georgia. We've got a lot of little creeks like this."

              "Oh, I see."

              Ellie looked around. They were about half way across.

              "Ready to keep going?"

              "Yeah, okay," he said reluctantly.

              She laughed at him.

              "Didn't they have creeks in Australia?"

              "Yeah, but that was a long time ago."

              She shook her head and began to figure the best way to get across. She still had his hand.

              "Come on," she said, pulling him forward.

              He followed behind her, as the choice was taken away from him. They had made it almost all the way across, when Ellie stepped onto a slippery stone and lost her footing, slipping backwards. Alan caught her and put his hands around her waist, as he himself struggled to stay still.

              "Whoa. Sorry about that," she said, glancing up at him.

              "It was my pleasure," he said, smiling.

              She straightened back out, causing both of them to lean to the left a little. Alan lost his balance again, forcing him to let go of Ellie. He swung his arms out in an attempt to balance and ended up turning around on several rocks before he finally balanced. He was laughing pretty hard and so was Ellie. She reached out for him and they were able to balance each other. They were only about four rocks or so from the edge and Alan noticed that there was a large tree on that side, growing out and over the creek. He grabbed one of the branches and used it for balance. Ellie let him go past her and when he was in front of her, she grabbed onto his shirt and held onto it until he got them to the shore line.

              "Phew, made it," he sighed.

              "Yep. And we managed to stay fairly dry, too," Ellie added.

              "Now I'm really hungry."

              "Yeah, me, too."

              They made their way from the creek and found the little diner. It was a very nice little place and Ellie found the food to be excellent. On the walk back, they had decided to use the bridge to go across the creek this time. As they were crossing the bridge, Ellie took in the beautiful surroundings again.

              "So, do you have anything planned?"

              "Not really. I have to admit that I don't usually take time off to enjoy the beauty of this state. I'm a workaholic."

              "I would have never guessed that one," Ellie joked.

              "It is pretty sad, isn't it?"

              "No, I was just teasing you. I don't find anything wrong with working all of the time if that's what you want to do."

              "Thanks, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to do."

              They reached their side of the creek and began to walk toward their small camp. They didn't talk for a little while.

              "I wonder what Rob is doing right now?" Alan wondered aloud, breaking the silence.

              "Probably wondering where you are."

              Alan laughed and reached for her hand, as they walked through the wooded trail.

              "You're probably absolutely right."

              Ellie was very happy at the moment. She was walking through the quiet and still woods, on a beautiful little scenic trail, with a very nice and good-looking man. Alan was everything she had always wanted in a man and he even shared her same interest for prehistory. As they continued to walk, holding hands, she began to imagine having a family with this man. She didn't bring any of this up to Alan though. Men didn't usually like to talk about those sorts of things.

              They spent the rest of the daylight hours walking, fishing, and making small talk. Neither of them really brought up anything important. They simply enjoyed the peaceful day . . . together.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

              Night was slowly approaching. Ellie watched as he started a fire. The sun was just about down now and it was getting just a little cold outside. She continued to watch him fiddle with the fire until there was a significant flame. He glanced her way, as he was kneeling next to the fire. She smiled at him.

"A fire was just the perfect thing we needed," she said, as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. She had changed into pants, but she was still wearing that short sleeved shirt, so she was a little chilled.

              "That's me. Always thinking ahead," he said pointing to his forehead.

              Still smiling, she walked over to the fire and sat down on a log that Alan had put there. He sat on a log across from her, watching her look all around.

              "Something wrong?" He asked, hoping the answer would be no.

              "No. I was just thinking about how cozy this is."

              Alan suddenly stood up, snapping his fingers.

              "Be right back. I forgot something. It's in the truck."

              Ellie watched him hurry off into the darkness. She heard him open a door or something, and then moments later it closed. She guessed it was the toolbox in the truck bed. A few minutes after that, Alan reappeared with something in his hand. As he got closer to the light of the fire, she could see what he was carrying. A bottle of champagne, two glasses and a single rose. He handed the rose to her and then sat down and began to open the champagne bottle.

              "You can be so romantic," she said, clearly touched by his thoughtfulness.

              A loud "pop" filled the air as the champagne gently overflowed. He poured two glasses about half full each, and then handed her one. She took it and noticed he was laughing.

              "What's so funny?"

              "As I was coming back from the truck, I was thinking about . . . how romantic and corny I've become."

              "Well, I for one approve of this sappy side of you."

              Alan smiled and took a sip of champagne.

              "Thank you," he said.

              "But . . . you know . . . it's really not necessary."

              "Well, I think it is."

              Ellie laughed.

              "You know, we're doing this whole dating thing backwards," she observed.

              Alan joined in her laughter. He didn't mind how the relationship was progressing. It was different than most of his others, but it felt right. He was developing very strong feelings toward this woman and was beginning to think of themselves as a couple. It was then that it dawned on him that he didn't know all that much about Ellie Sattler.

              "For the sake of continuing our backward start, let's get to know each other a little better now," he suggested.

              "That would be nice," she said. And then she paused, "You go first."

              He placed the champagne glass on the ground and looked at her.

              "What do you want to know?"

              Ellie didn't hesitate with the first question.

              "How old are you?"

              "33. You?"

              "Don't you already have that information somewhere in a filing cabinet?"

              "Yeah, but I never looked."

              "Well, I'm 24."

              "Wow, that's impressive that you're so far into the program already."

              "Thanks."

              "So, any brothers or sisters?" Alan asked.

              "Nope. You?"

              "No. I have a cousin that was like a brother to me growing up, but no real siblings."

              "What's his name?"

              "Ricky. Well, now he goes by Richard. He lives in Chicago."

              "So, how long did you live in Australia?"

              "About half my life. I moved here, on my own, when I was 18 years old. I wanted to be a paleontologist and I wanted to go to school in the states."

              "You came here all alone, with no family support?"

              "I was supported by my parents. They funded the entire thing. I owe a lot to them."

              "They sound like wonderful people."

              "They are," Alan said, thinking about them for a moment. "What are your parents like?"

              "Well, I only know one of my parents. My mother. Patricia. My father passed away when I was 3 years old."

              "I'm sorry to hear that, Ellie."

              "Oh, it's okay. I hardly remember him," she said, and after a moment of silence, "Well, that's not totally true. I remember certain images of him. I even remember some of the things that he said to me."

              "Really?"

              "Yeah. Like I remember him sitting on this old black armchair all the time. I know he worked during the day, but whenever I think of him, I think of him sitting in that old black armchair watching television. And cigars. He smoked cigars. I can almost see him smoking right now."

              "It's good that you have memories of him."

              "Yes, it is," Ellie said, but then she trailed off into her own thoughts again.

              Alan got up and grabbed a few blankets that were nearby. As he was up, she began talking again.

              "I have this one specific thought of my father. We lived on a dead end street and there was a patch of woods nearby. Our house was the third from the end and so I was always trying to devise new ways of getting into the woods. I was a tomboy I guess. Anyway, I remember one afternoon in particular. I began to walk toward the woods and he gently grabbed my arm from behind. I didn't even know he was watching or even home yet. He whispered to me. He said . . . 'Don't go in those woods. Monsters live in those woods.' I remember freaking out because that was the first I had ever heard that we had monsters on our block. I ran into the house screaming."

              The memory made her smile at first, but then caused a few tears to well up in her eyes. Alan was next to her by now with the blanket. He put it around her and then sat next to her. She wiped her tears away and rested her head on his shoulder.

              "But you know something? I never went into those woods. That man knew what he was doing."

              "Sounds like he was a very intelligent guy."

              "Yeah," she said, wiping the rest of the tears away. "So, what about you? Ever lose anyone close to you?"

              As soon as the question came out, Ellie regretted it. Of course there was someone close to him that he had lost. His wife. She felt embarrassed that she opened her mouth before thinking, but she couldn't take it back now. She removed her head from his shoulder and gave him a little space.

              "Well, you know about Kathryn, right?"

              "Of course. I just wasn't thinking. I'm sorry about that, Alan."

              "It's okay. It would probably do me good to talk about her."

              "You don't have to if you don't want to."

              "I know, but I think I want to."

              Ellie stayed silent. She got closer to him again and wrapped an arm around his waist.

              "She was a remarkable woman. I met her while I was in school. She was the daughter of one of the instructors."

              "Oh, I see."

              "It's a good thing that the instructor liked me," he said, laughing.

              "So was it love at first sight?" Ellie asked, as she was really curious about this other woman.

              "Not really. She walked into the classroom while her father and I were having a disagreement about a term paper of mine. She cussed me out actually."

              "Wow. What a start," Ellie said, smiling.

              "Yeah," he said, obviously remembering what she had said to him in his mind, "We hit it off later though. She was always around helping her father with things, so I saw her a lot. She must have just gotten used to me I guess."

              "So how long were you married?"

              "Five years. She passed away in 1988. Cancer."

              "I'm so sorry."

              "I've finally started to adjust now. It's taken three years for me to even think about moving on," he said, as he looked directly at Ellie, "And I think I'm finally at that turnaround point. Right now."

              Ellie leaned in and kissed him. He returned the kiss and placed a hand on her face. When the kiss was finished, they settled on embracing one another for several minutes. Alan got into the question mode again.

              "So, have there been any significant others in your life?"

              Ellie thought about it.

              "Yeah. I would have to say two. There was my junior high crush, Joey. And then there was a guy named Henry."

              "Henry?"

              "You're not making fun of his name, are you?"

              "No," Alan slyly answered.

              "Good. Cause Henry is a very large man, very defensive of his nerdy name. He was actually kind of a bully really, but he was always very nice to me."

              "And you dated this neanderthal?"

              Ellie laughed quite hard.

              "Yes. He was a very sweet person . . . when he wasn't beating up people," she added.

              "So when did you know this . . . Henry?"

              "We dated about four years ago. It only lasted about six months."

              "What? Did he go to jail or something?"

              Ellie playfully hit Alan in the arm.

              "No!"

              Alan flinched a little bit and then began to laugh. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

              "Then where did he go?"

              "Law school."

              Alan burst out laughing, causing Ellie to hit him again.

              "I'm sorry. Sorry," he said, trying to stop laughing, "So, is he a lawyer now?"

              "I think he is, yes."

              "Good for Henry."

              A strong wind gusted through the campsite, causing the fire to dance. Ellie shivered under the blanket.

              "Wanna turn in for the night?" Alan asked, still holding her.

              "Sounds good. It's getting rather cold out here."

              Alan stood up and began to extinguish the fire, while Ellie made her way to the tent. In just a few minutes, he had joined her inside the tent. He waiting until she got the various blankets situated the way she wanted, and then he laid down next to her.

              She was still shivering, but she had always been like that. Whenever she would get cold, it was very difficult to get warmed up again. She smiled to herself, though, knowing that there was a very available man just to her right, that would surely help her keep warm.

              "Are you cold?" She asked.

              "A little. You look like you're freezing."

              "Yeah, I am. I can't stop shivering."

              "Well, let me see if I can alleviate that," he said, smiling.

              He reached around her back, embracing her. She had already begun to feel better, as his very warm arms wrapped around her shivering body.

              "How is it that you're so snug and warm?" She whispered.

              "I have no idea."

              Ellie snickered. She wanted to lie in a different position, so she sat up, gently pushing him away. Then she pushed him to his back and leaned her head on his shoulder. He moved slightly, wrapping an arm around her again. She slowly moved her hand back and forth over his shirt . . . over his chest.

              "This is perfect," she whispered, closing her eyes, "Thank you for bringing me out here."

              "It was my pleasure," he whispered back.

              She lifted her head and turned enough so that she could kiss him.

              "Good night," she said between kisses.

              "Night."

              Alan was more calm, content and comfortable at this very moment, than he had been in years. Literally years. He closed his eyes, holding onto this wonderful woman by his side. He stayed silent as she readjusted herself and went back to leaning on his shoulder. They fell asleep in each other's arms as the wind whipped around outside.

 

© 2002 Yvonne Bartha