Passing some tacos to Vincent, Jennifer herself started to chow down, as she asked, “Do you want some hot sauce Vinny?”
Because Vincent was not familiar with such a condiment, he answered, “I am not certain. What do you recommend?”
Jennifer shook her head in wonderment, as she asked, “What are you saying? You never had hot sauce before? Are you kidding?”
Innocently, Vincent admitted, “We have very few additives to our food down in the tunnels.”
Jennifer debated a moment, and then offered her advice about the sauces, “Well I think if I were you, I would start out with the mild. Just to see if you like it, then maybe move on to the medium, before diving into the Fire!”
Jennifer then raised a brow and boasted, “I however, will be having the Fire! I like everything to the extreme. Cath tells me that is my problem. I don’t know the meaning of moderation.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, as Catherine sat with Agnes’ family around the kitchen table, she noticed the time. Excusing herself, explaining she wanted to call Jennifer, to let her know she was going to have to stay at least until late Friday night.
They all bade her a "Goodnight" and expressed how they were enjoying having her as an addition to the clan, and said they were gonna do charades later on, and if she wanted to join in to feel free.
Thinking that sounded fun, but admitted to being pretty tired, and had some paperwork to catch up on too, and not to count on her for the game. She then told everyone goodnight, and gave Agnes a hug for making her feel so welcome.
Catherine entered the guest room, and laid down on the bed, and thought of how being with this big loving family, made her miss Vincent even more, and she knew this delay in interviewing Mr. Benson, would be upsetting to Vincent, and hoped to get word to him through Jennifer.
First, Catherine tried her at home. As the telephone rang, and rang, Catherine sighed, "No answer! OH how I wish Jen would get an answering machine! I could at least leave her a message."
Then, Catherine remembered Jennifer saying she would be in and out of her apartment taking measurements! Maybe she could catch her at her own apartment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, as Jennifer and Vincent sat at the little patio table on the balcony, the telephone began to ring! And so Jennifer wondered what to do! And so she lamented, “Should I answer it, or just let it ring Vinny?”
Jennifer then answered her own question, saying, “I think I will let it ring. Catherine has an answering machine.”
And so as the answering machine clicked on, Vincent looked downward as he heard Catherine’s recorded voice from her answering machine, saying, “I am unable to answer the phone right now. If you are a client, please leave your name; reason for calling, the time, and your case number at the sound of the beep, and I will get back with you as soon as possible. Anyone else…family or friend, I will call you as soon as I can.” BEEEP!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Catherine in Ohio, hearing her own recording, left a message for Jennifer, saying “Hello, are you there Jenny? Oh darn, I guess not, I so hoped you would be there...”
As Jennifer took another bite of her taco, she looked at Vincent in surprise, as they heard Catherine’s voice leaving a message on her own machine!
And so Jennifer shrieked, “Oh my God, its Catherine calling!”
Upon hearing it was Catherine too, Vincent stood, and anxiously said, “Yes it is Jennifer!”
Meantime, Catherine continued saying, “Well just in case you can’t resist eavesdropping Jen, and you turn on my machine to check out my messages, I will leave a message for you, hoping you will hear it! I won’t be home until late tomorrow night…And I know Vincent will worry about me. So, I need you to contact Peter, because he is supposed to be home tonight sometime….”
And so as Jennifer dove for the phone, she answered, “Cath, I am here…we are here…Vinny and me I mean!”
To which Catherine excitedly said, “Hi Jen! Vincent is there with you?”
Excitedly, Jennifer answered as she looked at a most anxious Vincent, who was looking on from the vantage-point of the Balcony's threshold. “Yep sure is! We are eating Tacos!”
Hopefully, Catherine told Jennifer, “I would love to talk to him, he may be shy to step inside, so take him the remote phone from my bedroom Jen!”
Happily, Jennifer said, “Sure hang on.”
As Jennifer went to fetch the phone, she explained to Vincent, “Catherine wants to talk to you Vinny, here’s the remote, and I will step back inside so you can have some privacy!”
As Jennifer grabbed her taco, she handed Vincent the phone. Uneasily, Vincent looked at it, and then hesitantly said, “Thank you Jennifer.”
Vincent’s huge hand awkwardly handled the receiver, and as he put the telephone to his ear, he listened for a moment, before he softly spoke, and said, “Catherine?”
As Catherine heard Vincent’s voice, she envisioned him there on their balcony without her, and realized how much she missed him.
And so tearfully, she replied, “Vincent, how are you?”
Vincent himself felt emotional, as he said, “I never imagined I could feel so empty and so lonely… I miss you Catherine.”
And so it was then, Catherine started to carefully explain, “Me too Vincent, um, there has been a developement...Mr. Benson is in the hospital, and I won’t be able to get his deposition from him until tomorrow sometime. I am so sorry to say, but I will be here longer than I thought.”
To which Vincent anxiously asked, “How much longer?”
Thinking an extra day at the most, Catherine assuredly said, “I will be home for certain on Saturday no matter what Vincent. I won’t disappoint the children again.”
Catherine then added, “But I don’t want you to worry about me, I am staying with Mr. Benson’s attorney, Agnes, and she has the nicest family...she had 9 children altogether, but sadly lost her last baby Robert at birth. But Agnes went on to raise 8 children along with her husband! Can you imagine?”
Envisioning such a family, Vincent said, “Eight children? Remarkable...Catherine...somehow I could sense your contentment there.”
Catherine then surprisingly asked, “You could? I suppose I should not be surprised. You seem to know everything about me.”
Vincent tenderly said, “Not everything Catherine…not nearly enough.”
Catherine found herself blushing, knowing Vincent, in his naiveté did not mean anything sexual by his comment, but his words sure sent her mind wandering, and she thought about how wonderful it felt, holding Vincent so lovingly, and so sweetly last night.
Vincent then said, “I am out on…our balcony…looking up at the inconstant moon, wishing I could turn back time…when we were last together here.”
To which Catherine softly admitted, “I was just thinking about last night too.”
In reply, Vincent softly revealed, “Thinking on our time together, will get us through this separation.”
Sighing aloud, he said, “I am thinking I have let too much time pass, without telling you know how much I need you, and….”
Silent for a moment, as Vincent weighed his words, before he added, “...and want everything for us.”
With tears gathering in his eyes, and emotion in his voice, Vincent continued, “I need you Catherine...”
Catherine silently listened to the words from her sweet love, and between her tears, she whispered, “I know, and I know how difficult this separation is on you.”
Lovingly, Catherine continued, “I won't be gone too much longer.”
Catherine dried her eyes as she added, “Meanwhile, we can still look forward to our time together.”
Of which Vincent amorously promised, “Yes Catherine…I am no longer ashamed to openly long for it.”
To be continued
Chapter Seven
| Dreams of Gold! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Six |
