| An Oridnary Life Part Two-- Nice Running Into You ~~~~~ LATE AUGUST “What in the world was I thinking?” The young woman asked her reflection in the mirror. “I’m almost thirty years old. I’ll probably be the oldest one on campus.” “Mommy, who are you talking to?” Stephanie Roderick, better known as Stevie, finished putting her earrings on. “Maggie, when you get as old as Mommy, you’ll start talking to yourself, too.” The little girl gave her mother a puzzled look, but decided that mommies said strange things sometimes. She flopped on the bed and watched her mother finish getting ready. “Are you really going to go to school today?” “Yes, I’m really going to school today, except we call it college.” “College.” Maggie tried the word out. “That sounds important.” “Don’t remind me. Now go get your backpack, you don’t want to be late for your first day of kindergarten, do you?” Maggie bounced off the bed in a flurry of motion and scurried for her bedroom. The prospect of school was still new and exciting to the little girl. Shopping for school supplies had been an enlightening experience. They had undergone an exhaustive search for just the right backpack and first day of school outfit. Last night, Maggie packed and repacked the crayons, glue, pencils, and other school paraphernalia until Stevie was sure Maggie would wear them before she ever used them. “Mom, I’m ready,” Maggie called from downstairs. Well, it’s now or never Stevie decided. Suck it up. You’re not the first person to wade into new waters. Grabbing her own backpack, she headed down the stairs into a new life. ~~~~~ Stevie walked out of the building into the bright sunshine. After being trapped in a stuffy classroom all day, it was heaven to be out in the fresh air. She put on her sunglasses to shield her eyes against the glare. It was almost two o’clock; time to pick up Maggie from school. Her daughter had taken the first day of kindergarten better than she had; a quick kiss and hug was all she could spare before Maggie joined a group of kids investigating their new surroundings. Stevie promised herself she wouldn’t cry today and Maggie’s easy acceptance helped her not to release the floodgates. She’d promised Maggie dinner at McDonald’s to celebrate the first day of school. Why did I do that? I hate McDonald’s! Funny, I can remember when eating there was a treat. Now I’d rather eat anywhere else. It seemed that every kid thought Mickey D’s was a gourmet’s delight. Next time she’d suggest another establishment for their evening meal. She laughed and headed to the nether regions of the University’s parking lots. ~~~~~ Oblivious to the beauty of the late summer afternoon, Methos had his nose buried in an ancient text as he crossed the university quad. His thoughts were focused on translating the dead language and not on his surroundings. Within minutes, he had plowed into a passing coed. The sound of books crashing to the ground broke him out of his reverie. “Um, uh, damn! Pardon me, miss,” he said before tearing his attention from his book. A warm laugh met his lukewarm, but sincere apology. “Good book, eh?” Blue eyes smiled into his hazel ones. For one brief instant, a look of attraction passed between them, but was quickly pushed aside. Methos watched as the young woman knelt to gather her scattered belongings. Methos shoved his book into his backpack and stooped to help her roundup the last of her things. Mission accomplished, the young woman extended her hand to him. “Thanks for your help, kind sir.” Returning her smile, Methos took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. “Well, it’s the least I can do, considering it was my fault,” he assured her, instinctively assuming the mild mannered grad student persona. The coed pushed a stray, blonde curl behind her ear and settled the backpack onto her shoulder. Her eyes lingered on his face for a few moments. Methos felt her gaze on him and grinned at her candid appraisal of him. His smile widened as he watched her cheeks began to turn pink and she lowered her eyes when he returned her appraising stare with one of his own. His smile turned quickly into laughter. Trying his best to recover his fading composure, he thrust his hand out to her. “By the way, my name is Adam. Adam Pierson.” Taking his hand, the young woman introduced herself. “Well, Adam, I’m Stephanie Roderick. My friends call me Stevie.” “Nice to meet you, Stevie.” Glancing at her watch, Stevie flashed him a grin. “See ya around, Adam,” she called as she hurried off in the opposite direction. Standing in the middle of the quad, he was definitely intrigued by this Stevie woman. Good going. You didn’t bother to get a number, he thought gloomily, but if she is a student here, that just means a quick trip to the Registrar’s office. Teaching here at the university had its perks. He turned in the direction of the administration building when he noticed something peeking from underneath a nearby bush. A sly smile crept across his lips as he picked up the leather planner its owner had forgotten. “Bingo, old boy!” He tucked the planner in his backpack and sauntered across the campus to Duncan’s office. Duncan sat at his desk putting the finishing touches on the next day’s lecture when Methos sprawled lazily on his office sofa. “And to what do I owe this great pleasure?” Giving him a lopsided grin, Methos replied, “My truck is at Joe’s and since you’re buying me a beer I knew you’d love to give me a lift.” Duncan shook his head at his friend. Beer and the acquisition of beer had to be the first and last thing on the old man’s mind. Ah, well at least the ancient immortal was consistent. “Give me five minutes, then we can head out,” he told him as he began gathering up his work, expecting a sarcastic reply that never came. Instead his companion leafed through the abandoned planner, searching for information about its owner. “Since when did you become organized?” Duncan teased, knowing how the older man detested planners and cell phones. “You have no idea what a little organization will do for a soul,” Methos smirked. Sensing his friend was hiding something and wasn’t about to share it with him, Duncan slipped on his coat and grabbed his satchel. “Let’s go have that drink.” ~~~~~ Joe was in the backroom doing inventory when the two men slipped in the rear door. “Hey, Joe, whadda ya know?” Methos exclaimed with a hearty laugh. Joe rolled his eyes. “You’d think after five thousand years, you’d come up with something a bit more original.” Duncan grinned, “Watch it, Joe. He’s been pithy all afternoon.” Methos ignored them and went in search of a cold brew. Joe raised an eyebrow. “Who was that and what did you do with Methos?” Mac shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows with him, unless he wants to talk there’s no prying it out of him.” Mac moved some heavy cases around for Joe, and then they went in search of their friend. It was hard to tell who was more shocked by the sight that greeted them. There sprawled in a chair was Methos with a beer. Not an unusual sight by any means, but the fact he was still on his first beer after thirty minutes and had a distracted grin on his face amazed Joe and Mac. Joe pulled up a chair next to Methos. Lost in thought, the old guy was absently running his hand up and down the mug. “Something bothering you?” Joe was a little concerned at his friend’s unusual behavior. “Methos?” Snapping out of his silence, Methos drained his beer. “Thanks for the ride, Mac.” With that, Methos picked up his coat and backpack and headed for his Range Rover, parked in back of the bar. Joe and Mac looked at the nearly full beer mug and back at each other. Neither one of them had ever seen the old man leave a beer unfinished; it was just against his nature. “There’s definitely something rotten in Denmark,” remarked Duncan. Something was up... something big. As soon as he was out of Duncan’s range, Methos pulled the Rover to the shoulder and found the address he was looking for. This was looking like an interesting evening. Pushing in a CD he began to sing along to the music. Smiling to himself, he steered down the road to his destination. ~~~~~ It’s been a long day, Stevie thought as she slid onto the sofa but then again the last two years had been filled with long days. Sighing she pushed those thoughts back. It still hurt though not as much or as often, thankfully. “Mommy, can I start on my homework now?” The sound of Maggie’s voice always brought joy to her heart, even during the darkest of days. “Sure. You start on it, while I go start dinner and I’ll help you,” she told her daughter as she ruffled the blonde curls. “Where’s the glue, Mommy? I need to cut and glue some pictures out of a magazine.” Stevie remembered a messy accident involving a bottle of glue and the cat. “Uh, no. Maggie, you can cut out the pictures and we’ll do the gluing together, ok?” “I can do it all by myself.” “I’m sure you can, but we’ll have more fun doing it together.” Maggie shrugged her shoulders and rummaged through the magazines on the oak coffee table. “Can I have these?” Stevie shook her head. “No, those are the new ones. I’ll grab a couple of old ones out of the closet.” Once Maggie was settled down with scissors and magazines, Stevie went into the kitchen to get dinner cooking. ~~~~~ Methos turned off the main road onto a gravel drive. His bravado was beginning to falter. Damn it! What if she’s married? He shook his head. No, I didn’t notice a ring. I’ve come this far; I might as well finish what I started. Staring straight ahead, he strengthened his resolve. Within moments he had reached the end of the drive. Grabbing the reason for his trip, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. Looking around, he admired the house. He believed the architecture was called American Farmhouse. It was surrounded on three sides by a verandah. Someone had planted the flowerbeds with a colorful assortment of flowers. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he climbed the porch steps and raised his hand and knocked. The door opened and a smaller version of the woman who had dominated his thoughts for the last couple hours greeted him. “Hi!” He knelt down to her level. “Is Stevie home?” The little girl bobbed her head up and down. “Do you want me to get her for you?” Methos was utterly charmed. “Yes. I would like that very much.” Turning on her heels, she skipped across the living room and into the kitchen. “Mommy, some guy wants to talk to you.” Methos heard the little girl tell her mother. Stevie didn’t realize how distracted she was until her daughter informed her that there was a man in her living room. Shoot. Pulling open one of the kitchen drawers, she lifted the hammer from its resting place. “Stay in here, Maggie,” she warned the little girl as she cautiously entered the other room, hammer at the ready. The man stood with his back to her, looking out the window. Silently, she crept up behind him. “Can I help you?” she asked him. Startled, Methos spun around, instinctively ready for a fight. Immediately recognizing him from that afternoon, Stevie relaxed. “Adam?” Methos brought himself under control, realizing there was no danger. “What are you doing here?” Methos grinned sheepishly. “Uh, you dropped this.” He handed her the wayward planner. “I wondered what I had done with this. I turned this house upside down looking for it. Thanks, Adam.” Stevie sat the hammer down on a coffee table. “I guess I don’t need this.” “I certainly hope not,” Methos smiled. “I didn't mean to scare you.” “Don’t worry about it,” Stevie assured him. “Maggie should’ve known better than to let you in, though.” “Can I come out now?” the little girl called out from the kitchen. Stevie and Adam laughed. “Speaking of the devil.” The little girl ran out and stood in front of Adam. Looking up at him she inquired, “I’m Maggie. Who are you?” Kneeling down again, he grinned, “Well, Maggie, my name is Adam.” The little girl looked him up and down for a minute, then smiled, “You’re cute!” Stevie almost choked at her daughter’s appraisal. “Maggie!” A long time cynic, Methos was wary of almost everyone he met, except children. They were always honest and didn’t try to impress anyone. Over the course of five thousand years had helped raised many children. He loved how they viewed the world. “Well, I’m flattered that you think so,” he replied rising to his feet. “I guess I should go,” he stated as headed toward the door. “Adam, you could stay for dinner. I mean you did come all this way.” Methos turned and faced her, “I would love to, Stevie.” Walking over to him, she offered, “Here, let me take your coat.” She wondered why he was wearing such a warm coat at the end of August, but she didn’t let the thought bother her for long. Shrugging out of it, he handed it to her. Soon they were all seated around the table enjoying a home cooked meal. Methos delighted in the company of his hostesses. At the end of the meal Stevie herded Maggie off to bed much to the little girl’s dismay. “But, Mommy, I’m not tired,” she whined. “You have school in the morning, sweetie,” she consoled her. “Say goodnight to Adam.” The girl reluctantly said goodnight to him and followed her mother up the stairs. “I’ll be right down, Adam,” Stevie told her guest. Methos took the opportunity to explore his surroundings. Looking around the living room he noticed a CD rack, he strolled over and perused the selection. He quickly discerned that Stevie had very diverse listening habits. Almost every style and generation of rock and roll was represented. From Clapton to Aerosmith to Air Supply to AC/DC to Rod Stewart to Creed to Matchbox 20. He sighed when he spied a few Queen titles nestled among the others. At least she appreciated good rock and roll unlike MacLeod, who turned up his nose at the older immortal’s musical interest. This was definitely looking good! He slipped the best of Mellencamp CD out of its case and into the CD player. Walking across the room he stopped to look at the photographs that lined the mantle. Pictures of Maggie dominated, but a few pictures showed Maggie and Stevie, along with a man. Each subject in the photos was smiling widely. Picking it up Methos observed the photo closely. Stevie came down the stairs. Methos turned and looked at her. “I’m afraid I was being nosy.” She smiled a sad smile. “Those were happy times,” she sighed wistfully, as she took the picture in her hands. “Very happy times.” No stranger to sadness, he waited patiently to see if she elaborated. Stevie sank down onto the sofa. Methos sat beside her. Before she spoke she looked over at him and heaved a weary sigh. “That man was my husband, Ross. He was killed a little over two years ago.” A tear rolled slowly down her cheek. Methos’ long fingers tenderly brushed it away. “I’m sorry.” “Me, too.” “Look, we don’t have to talk about this,” he said. “No, it’s alright, really. My time with Ross was wonderful. He was my best friend. He was my whole world.” Methos completely understood her words. His time with Alexa was still fresh in his mind. “Losing someone is hard. It rips your heart out of your chest and makes you wonder how you’ll ever breathe again.” Stevie glanced over at the man seated next to her. The sadness reflected in his eyes assured her he knew exactly how she felt. She continued her story. “Ross was an engineer for a chemical company here in Seacouver. The plant he worked at exploded. He was killed.” Closing her eyes, she quietly added, “The saddest part was he knew something like this was going to happen and no one would listen to him. Until it was too late.” Methos vaguely remembered seeing something about this on the news. Stevie sat lost in thoughts and emotions. Methos slipped his arm around her wanting to ease the pain these memories had evoked. Without realizing it, she leaned into his embrace. “The hardest part of the whole damned thing was trying to explain to Maggie that her daddy was never coming home. Never. It almost killed me, but I guess kids are stronger than we give them credit for.” Methos listened to her words. Stevie had been through terrible things and yet she had survived against the odds. She was a strong woman. “You’re survivor, Stevie.” Stevie laughed at his compliment, “You know, it sucks to be a survivor sometimes.” “Truer words have never been spoken.” “Well, I’m a barrel of laughs tonight,” she teased. “Enough about me. Tell me about Adam Pierson.” He glanced down at his watch, shocked to realize it was almost midnight. “That, my dear, will have to wait for another night. It’s late and I have an early class to teach in the morning. Whoever thought eight o’clock classes were a good thing should be shot.” “Then I guess I’ll see you Saturday at 7:00,” she responded boldly. Did I just say that? Leaning down he placed a kiss full of promises on her lips. “I guess you will,” he said as he grabbed his coat and closed the door behind him. Hearing his truck start up, she allowed herself to breath again after his kiss. She rested her forehead against the doorframe. Her heart sang for the first time in two years. How was she supposed to wait four long days until Saturday night? She turned the deadbolt and slid the chain into place. Grinning, she headed up the stairs. What to wear? What to wear? Methos couldn’t suppress the smile that lit up his entire face. Good grief, he thought, you’d think I was a bloody, freaking teenager! Remembering Stevie’s beautiful face he chuckled. There were worse things to be he thought to himself as headed off into the night. ~~~~~ It had been a long time since she’d been on a date and the thought of spending an evening alone with Adam was more than she could take. However, the days and nights leading up to Saturday drug by slower than she ever imagined possible. Nothing she did could distract her from thinking about Adam and by Friday night it was impossible to concentrate on anything else. “Mommy!” Maggie called for the third time. For some reason her mother wasn’t paying attention to her. “Mommy!” Stevie looked away from the computer screen. “What, Maggie?” The little girl sighed dramatically. Grownups were hard to figure out. “Can I watch a movie?” “Sure.” Stevie glanced at the clock in the corner of her screen. “Just for a little while though. It’s almost your bedtime.” “But, Mommy, it’s Friday night, and I don’t have school tomorrow. I’ll be good, I promise.” She did her best to bargain for more time. “Whether or not you’re good has nothing to do with it, sweetie,” Stevie replied. “You have a bedtime for a reason.” “Aw, Mommy,” Maggie whined. “You’re wasting time instead of watching your movie,” Stevie pointed out. “Now pick out a movie to watch or go to bed.” Without saying another word, Maggie stomped off to the shelves that held her movie choices. Soon the sounds of the little girl’s favorite video floated out of the TV. Stevie smiled to herself when she found herself singing along with Maggie and the video. How many times had they watched this particular video? Grateful for the distraction, Stevie turned back to the computer screen. The cursor blinked steadily waiting for her to type. The blank document mocked her with its emptiness. Breathing a deep sigh, she pulled her textbook over and skimmed through it and began typing up her paper for her English class. After typing five pages, she finally paused to stretch. “Maggie, time for bed.” When she didn’t hear her daughter reply, she swivelled the chair around to see her sound asleep on the sofa. The grandfather clock in the corner of living room chimed ten o’clock. “Wow! I must have really zoned out.” Deciding it would be easier to carry Maggie up to her bedroom than trying to wake her up, Stevie gathered up the little girl in her arms. Carefully, she made her way up the stairs. Thank goodness, it was a short trip to her bedroom. It amazed her how quickly her little girl was growing up. It seemed like only yesterday she was sleeping in a crib and now she was going to school. “Oh great, I sound just like my mother,” Stevie mumbled to herself. “Who’da thought that’d ever happen?” Doing her best to balance her daughter with one hand and pull down the covers with her other, Stevie finally got Maggie settled into her bed. She straightened the covers over her and kissed her cheek. Maggie shifted on the bed and murmured something about her Barbie dolls. Stevie turned off the lights and walked back out into the hall. She flipped on the hall light and headed back down the stairs. She’d gotten more done on her paper than she had planned. It wasn’t due for another three weeks, but she knew if she didn’t get done now, she’d blow it off until the night before it was due. Procrastination, unfortunately, was one of her worst traits. Yawning, she twisted the deadbolt and slid the chain into place. She hit a few keys on the way by her computer to save her document and powered down the computer. There was nothing on television, and she didn’t feel like sitting through the news. She thought about calling her friend, Julie, to talk about her upcoming date, but she hadn’t told her friend about it yet. Jules would ask a thousand questions that she didn’t feel like answering. In fact, when she’d called to see if Maggie could spend the night with them, she’d told Jules that she needed to meet some classmates to do some research. She wasn’t looking for a serious relationship at the moment, and she didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, including her own. Maybe she and Adam would have a few dates, but she wasn’t expecting the world. If it turned into something more that was fine and if it didn’t that was fine too. She made it to her bedroom and got ready for bed. After she slipped on her nightgown, she grabbed the book she’d been reading and crawled between the covers. She fluffed her pillows and arranged them behind her so that she was comfortably probed up against the wrought iron headboard. After several unsuccessful attempts at reading the same page, Stevie shoved her book aside. She let her head rest against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. For the first time all week, she found herself wondering if she’d been too bold in asking Adam out for a date. Although he seemed nice enough, he was still a stranger. This was just the kind of thing she saw on the evening news: an unsuspecting young woman abducted–or worse–by a seemingly harmless stranger. Just what she needed! “You’re just being paranoid,” she admonished herself. “He’s a perfectly nice guy.” So was Ted Bundy, a small voice in her head reminded her, “Oh, shut up!” Stevie nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt something land solidly on the foot of her bed. “Damn it, Scout! You scared the crap out of me, you rotten cat.” The black and white feline purred loudly as his owner scratched his chin. He circled three times and then burrowed next to Stevie. She laughed as he wedged himself in solidly beside her. When he refused to be moved, Stevie gave up and turned off the lamp on the bedside table. Since there was little else to do but worry about her date the next night, she decided that going to sleep sounded like as good idea as any. ~~~~~ Stevie stood in her now cluttered bedroom. Most of her afternoon had been spent trying on and then discarding a closet full of outfits. Nothing she had seemed right to wear. Adam had called her earlier in the week and told her the date would be casual; she wished she’d thought to ask him what he considered casual. It was too late to run to the mall to buy something new, so she was stuck with whatever she could find in her closet. She rummaged through the piles of clothes swamping her bed and halfheartedly selected a short sleeved hunter green chenille sweater and a pair of khakis. After she was dressed, she grabbed a pair of boots and went downstairs to finish getting ready. Now that it was approaching seven o’clock, she felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter. She wondered if Adam was nervous about tonight. Hopefully this wasn’t some giant mistake. She really did need to start thinking before she opened her mouth. Every time she heard a noise, she jumped up from her seat to look out the bay window. A mixture of excitement and dread had begun to settle upon her. She wished he’d just hurry up and arrive so they could get this over with. Finally the sound of tires crunching on the gravel driveway signaled Adam’s arrival. ~~~~~ Methos’ hand was raised to knock when the door swung open. He had spent half of the last week wondering how he could get out of this date and the other half planning their night out. It had been a long time since he had gone out on a real date. The ones that Mac and Joe had set up for him didn’t count. His whirlwind romance with Alexa had been a rush to see the world and its treasures. The specter of her illness had robbed them of the luxury of having a conventional courtship. Nevertheless, trading his time with Alexa had never occurred to him. “Adam,” Stevie greeted. “Come on in.” Methos returned her smile and walked into the house. “I brought these for you.” He handed her a bouquet of wild flowers. “I wasn’t sure what sort of flowers you liked.” “Oh, they’re beautiful,” Stevie daintily sniffed the flowers. “I’ll go put them in some water. Can I get you something to drink? Some iced tea or a beer maybe?” “A beer would be great.” Methos followed her into the kitchen. He helped himself to the beer when she gestured to the fridge. “By the way, you look great.” “Thanks,” Stevie arranged the wild flowers in a cobalt blue vase. “So do you.” “I hope you’re hungry.” Without thinking, Methos twisted the cap off the beer bottle and sent it whizzing over the top of the tall appliance. “There’s a great steakhouse south of the city.” “I haven’t eaten all day.” Stevie failed to mention that her date with him had been the reason for her lack of appetite. “I’m starved.” “Good,” Methos finished off his beer. “Shall we go?” “Let me just grab a jacket,” she replied. “It’s supposed to be a little chilly tonight.” As Stevie locked the front door, Methos hurried ahead of her to open the car door. Stevie laughed when he threw his jacket, along with a backpack and a rather large CD case, from the front passenger seat into the back. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “I live in my car it seems,” he explained. “Sorry about that.” “That’s nothing. By the end of the week, my car looks like a dumpster for a fast food chain.” Stevie climbed into the sport utility and fastened her seatbelt. Methos turned the key in the ignition and shifted into drive. Both of them were still feeling a little awkward, so the ride was filled with silence. Without trying to draw the other’s attention, they stole quick glances at each other. Finally feeling brave, they spoke up at the same time. The silliness of the situation caused the two of them to burst into laughter. “First dates are a little awkward,” Methos chuckled. “Oh, yes,” Stevie agreed. “They have a way of turning perfectly normal adults into babbling idiots.” “Well, let’s just pretend we’re two friends out to have dinner.” “Sounds like a plan to me.” She shifted around in her seat. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on a date.” “Unfortunately for me, I’ve been waylaid by well meaning friends who think I need to be more social,” Methos relayed. “Blind dates should be outlawed, in my humble opinion.” Stevie groaned, “Those are the worst. My friend, Jules, threatened me with a couple and I told her that I’d rather have my eye put out with a hot poker.” “Just be glad you don’t have to put up with a brooding Scot.” Methos laughed when Stevie threw him a puzzled look. “Long story.” “Ah, friends try to be helpful, but sometimes they’re just a pain in the butt.” “Exactly!” Methos agreed. “Hey, why don’t you pick out a CD to listen to?” Stevie twisted around in her seat to reach the discarded CD case. It took both hands to pull into her lap. Apparently, he liked music as much as she did. She tugged the zipper along its track and began to look through the assortment of music. His taste in music was about as varied as hers she noticed as she flipped through them. About halfway through she detected something weird about the arrangement of the CDs. They were all in alphabetical order by artist. She giggled as she pulled a Led Zeppelin disc out of its sleeve. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing.” She couldn’t stop snickering. “Really.” “You don’t like my musical tastes?” “It’s not that’s not it.” Stevie went onto explain. “Your CDs are in alphabetical order.” “Yeah,” Methos said. “Makes it easier to find them when you’re driving down the road.” “Very practical.” She put the CDs back. She inserted the disc into the slot. “Zeppelin has to be the best band in rock and roll.” “They’re right behind Queen and the Beatles,” Methos agreed. “And The Who,” she added. “I’ve got serious Jones for all things British.” Her faced turned several shades redder when she realized what she’d said. “I mean, uh, umm –“ Methos laughed. “I consider that a good thing.” Stevie reached jokingly for the window button on the armrest. “Is it getting warm in here or what?” Reread Part One Return To Chapter Index Continued in Part Three-- Getting To Know You |