*”Come on… What’s the hold-up?... Just leave already…”*
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Thirty minutes of staring at nothing but the darkened porch. A discreet night light hidden just out of view, cast a dull glow across the old wooden veranda and attracting all manner of airborne critters. The bedroom light flicked on and a figure moved within. After three weeks of meticulous planning, this had to be the one time routine decided to take a back seat.
”Man, what are you waiting for?” He whispered under his breath. The rear mirror showed no signs of activity as well as out the front windshield. Everything was running close to perfection, with the one exception of his key missing component. He slammed a fist at the glove compartment as the shutter slid open and pulled out a black, leather diary. The next moment, it was opened up at a sketched two-page spread of a map. On the left, a column of times and dates. Light arrow markings ran parallel to the pencilled roads as he slid a finger from one point to another.
”Your route home… A possible stop, but not today… Meet-up at Sarah’s…”
He recalled his afternoon’s activities and smiled. Keeping a low profile had become second-nature after the vast amount of practice. Days upon days of researching and collating. The observational findings written in front of him proving an invaluable aid. Each possible angle seemed to be covered. A small box with a line through it represented a location she may or may not visit. That in turn, posed the danger of throwing off the timing of the entire operation. A box with a cross within it, highlighted a place with high probabilities of her spending time there. Though being a Friday, her window of time to return home and prep herself to go out was always between the hours of eight and nine o’clock. These July summer days were so long and drawn out that the blanket of night would come a little later than preferred. Hence the most appropriate time was now.
Today's follow had gone like clockwork. No groceries to collect, no homework assignments to pick up or drop off, just a linear critical path from A to B. She was in extra high spirits for some apparent reason. The way her hair swayed in time to her rhythmic walk. The low-cut skirt she wore, under the false assumption she would not draw any attention to herself. More likely though, she knew exactly what she was doing and playing an innocent game of cat and mouse with the boys was an accepted part of the day’s inconsequential hilarity. Youth and naivety always go hand in hand. How could she ever appreciate the effort and persistence required to carry out such structured and calculated work, he thought with pride.
The light turned off, dousing the house into darkness once more. "About damn time." He gripped the steering wheel, frozen in place yet poised at the ready. His senses tuned to high alert. The incessant fantasizing was about to become a stark reality and he could barely contain his excitement. The next few minutes felt like hours as time appeared to have stopped altogether. What was the problem now? A quick recap flashed across his mind’s eye. The necessary equipment was double-checked before he loaded it into the boot. Five items in total. He nodded his head as he recounted his actions again, all the time focused on the house.
The front door opened as the blurred silhouette of a slim girl contrasted against the blackness behind her. She stepped out onto the tiled pathway and closed the door without making a sound. A tingle of overwhelming anticipation invaded his belly. He could feel the spread of damp sweat ooze from his brow. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as the realization hit him. The wait was over. The conclusive moment of his laboured and methodical personal project was now laid at his feet. Everything culminated toward the merits of the persuasive final act.
She skipped onto the sidewalk and made her way up the road. A flat five-minute march to the end. Every single time he had watched from afar. He waited until she had cleared four houses to her right before switching on the ignition and flipping the headlights. Another glance at the rear view mirror to verify the emptiness of the street. A dozen arduous stakeouts validated within a split second. He moved off and watched her slender form enlarge as he drew nearer. The rehearsed script was primed and the performance about to commence. The black Chevrolet rolled up beside her as she peered to her left.
”Excuse me, miss. You wouldn’t happen to know where Beaumont Boulevard is, would you?”
She bent forward, revealing her pert cleavage whilst squinting at the driver. He was half clad in a cloak of darkness under the car roof. The only visibility being a black sleeved arm resting atop the wheel. She took a tentative step forward.
”Yeah, sure. That's easy. You head up to the end of this road, take a left. And once you reach…”
”Hey, aren’t you Wendy from Pressmore High?” He interrupted, in clear jubilation.
She craned her neck a little further to catch a better glimpse of the driver. ”Who wants to know?”
”It’s Mike.” He called back. ”Roger’s football teammate. I know he must have mentioned me to you. We hang out all the time. Hell, the cafeteria? Lunchtime and all? You must have seen us with the other guys.”
She paused for a moment, biting her lip whilst looking up at the night sky. ”Erm… I think so. Actually, yes. Of course. You're the one with the blonde, slicked back hair, right?” A muffled click came from inside and the dome light illuminated the interior. The driver leaned over, pointing a long finger at his greased, styled streaks. His face had soft, smooth features. A petite nose and wide, narrow lips. Yet the vague outline of his body showed a hidden masculine strength concealed beneath. ”That’s me. The one and only.”
His clownish charm caused her to cover her mouth and giggle. ”Yes, I do know you.” She chortled. ”Wendy McLagan. Nice to finally meet you in person.”
He looked away for a second, still grinning. ”Pleasure’s all mine. In fact, we had practice just gone yesterday afternoon. Roger’s got a real soft spot for you, I tell you. He goes all wimpy and gushy when speaking about “the so-called love of his life.”
”And so he should.” She remarked with a dry pout. ”Otherwise I know just how to handle him.”
He paused for a moment, then turned back toward her. ”In fact, he mentioned that you guys might be hooking up tonight. Is that where you’re going?”
”Yes. Friday night’s are set aside for just the two of us. We hardly get to see each other throughout the week.”
The enthusiastic churn in his stomach drove him almost to the point of madness but he remained calm and composed. The grand finale was within his sights and a modicum of patience was all that was needed. ”Well, if you want, I could give you a lift up there. It’s just two blocks down if I’m right. It’s no trouble at all.”
He could see the careful deliberations going on in her head as she was not somebody you would have any problems reading. The facial expressions and thought processes worked as one. He awaited her response, pressing his knuckles into the side of his seat. Out of sight. ”You know, what? Don’t worry about it. I like the walk and it’s actually a beautiful night. But thanks for the kind offer.”
He felt the urge to vomit and his mouth dried up in an instant. The night was slipping from his grasp. He concentrated to hold the affable smile upon his face. ”You sure, Wendy? It’s really no bother at all.” She shook her head with a lingering blink of her eyes.
He had failed. The disappointing consequences would be dealt with afterwards. First and foremost, to get the hell out of there. ”Well, it was real nice meeting you.” He reaffirmed. ”Just keep in mind, it is late and you got a lot of crazies running around out here. Be safe and I’ll catch you tomorrow.” He began moving off before she scampered up to the car door.
”Hey, wait! Actually, maybe you’re right. It is a little late and I guess you’re going that way anyway. Sure, on second thoughts I’ll take you up on that.” A surge of adrenaline-induced euphoria and elation burst through. He wondered for a fleeting moment what miraculous combination of words had he uttered to gift him such an unexpected reprieve. Beside himself, he still masked it well.
”Sure.” He said, gesturing at the passenger side door. ”Hop on in.” She skirted around the bonnet and got inside. A strong waft of citric lemons emanated from the plastic freshener clamped onto the air vents. The car was near spotless.
”Thanks so much. Sorry I didn’t recognise you earlier. You know. Being night and all.” She remarked as he pulled off, switching the dome light off.
”That’s no sweat. I’m happy to oblige.” He replied, now able to relax a little, bringing down his performance a notch or two. ”How long you two been dating for?”
”Coming up to a year.” She said, sinking back into her seat. ”Time flies when you’re in a relationship. Your days and evenings are always so booked up. Nothing wrong with that, mind. It’s something I wouldn’t change for the world.”
”Of course. I totally understand.” He muttered. If memory served him well, one solitary car had passed them by as they conversed on the road. The chances of the driver or passengers paying any unwanted attention to the both of them was almost zero, by his reckoning. This night was just getting started.
They came to a near halt at the end of the street, next to the large stop sign. ”Just make a left here and it’s maybe a couple minutes. Tops.”
*The Chevrolet then proceeded forward up the long winding road ahead, toward the local forest trail.*