Lone Pines

Chapter 9-A DAte

Ch 9

The next day…

Since my brother had taken my car to the shop I had to borrow his baby aka the blue 1969 chevelle. “Are you kidding me,” I said outloud looking at the gas gauge. Of course it would be empty. Guess it’s a good thing I left early so I can go to the gas station. Driving down the cobblestone street toward the gas station I really took a look around at my home town. It really is beautiful. There are white picket fences everywhere, kids playing in yards, and the crime rate is nearly non-existent. Everyone cuts their grass once a week; keeping the yards immaculate. Flowers adorned every large concrete porch creating a domestic rainbow as one drove down the street.

Pulling into the quick stop, I stopped next to the pump closest to the bulding. Watching my money roll into my brother’s gas guzzler car I sighed looking around. As I heard the pump click off I heard my name being called. Turning toward the building, I see Officer Garcia exiting the building. He was wearing that darn uniform. You know how women love a man in uniform. Damn! I think to my self as he strolled toward me.

“Hey, how are you Jennifer?” he asked with a big smile on his face.

“I’m fine Officer Garcia, how are you?” I asked politely.

“Please call me Dante,” he said huskily.

“Dante is that Italian?” I asked.

“Spanish actually, it means enduring. And my mom was a big fan of Dante’s Inferno,” he said with just a hint of sadness in his dark eyes.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said placing my hand on his arm trying to provide a little comfort to this man that I didn’t even really know.

“Thanks. Anyway that’s not why I came over to you. How about that coffee? Do you have time now?” he asked. Looking at my phone to check the time I said, “I have 45 minutes until my shift at the library.”

“Great,” he said happily. After he paid for my gasoline, which he insisted I let him do. I met him at the local café, which luckily was only a couple of blocks from the library. AS I pulled in he was there to open my door.

“Thank you,” I said as I blushed.

“Anytime,” he said as he walked with some distance between us.

As we sat down with our coffees, he said, “So tell me about you.”

“Hm, well I just graduated--,” I started.

He looked taken aback as he asked, “From highschool?!”

“Well, yeah. Why?” I asked. Wondering why he was freaking out about that. All the sudden he looked really nervous.

“Um h—how old are you?” he asked.

“18,” I said suddenly understanding that he was worried he was on a date with a minor. His whole body seemed to slump a little from relaxing.

“Oh okay,” he said with his smile back on his face. After his intial heartattack of freaking about me being of age we actually talked quite a bit. I told him a lot about me. All about my brother and the guys and how they all love me like a sister. He told me about his family and the fact that his mom died three years ago of cervical cancer. As he was talking about this his eyes misted a little and I couldn’t keep from reaching my hand across the table to cover his. As I caressed his hand I said, “She must’ve been a hell of a woman.” He nodded.

“She would’ve liked you,” he said as he looked into my eyes with such softness shining from his eyes it broke my heart. He cleared his throat.