The Wheels on the Bus

He extended his arm which she happily took, then said, "Shall we?"

He opened the door for her then surprised her—pleasantly—when he took her hand once they were inside.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"A little," she said.

The truth was she hadn't had a thing to eat that morning because she'd been too nervous to even try.

"Their sandwiches are fantastic," Garrett told her as they walked into the cafe.

Everything on the menu looked delicious, and Jessica ended up ordering the half sandwich & soup combo. For the sandwich she chose the ham & melted brie with fresh thyme and toasted walnuts in a toasted Macrina Bakery demi-baguette. They also made their soup from scratch, and it was as delicious as anything she'd ever eaten.

Garrett ordered the Turkey Apricot Sandwich with melted provolone, applewood bacon, mixed lettuce, and an apricot dijon sauce. He offered Jessica a bite, and she swooned over the taste.

"Oh, my gosh! That is so good!" she told him.

Both of them also had a cup of coffee with their meal, and while the food was very good, just being with Garrett was by far the best part of the experience.

Jessica couldn't believe she asked this question, but ask it she did.

"So, do you come here often?"

Garrett smiled but didn't laugh.

"Not too often. But because it's free, and because I enjoy art, I stop by a time or two a year."

"What kind of art do you enjoy?" she asked, hoping that was a better question.

"I'm no connoisseur," he told her. "I just enjoy looking."

"Oh, good. I was worried you might be an expert and make me feel..."

She didn't finish her thought, so Garrett asked, "Make you feel...how?"

"I don't know, really," she replied.

Jessica smiled then said, "You make me feel a lot of things, Garrett."

"Such as?" he asked, that smile of his causing a very pleasant reaction.

"Um, well, let's see. For starters, you make me feel...happy."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes, it is," she said.

"Anything else?" he asked, still smiling happily.

"Well, you make me...you make me...nervous."

"Nervous? How so?"

"Because...because I'm not sure what to make of all this."

"All this?" he asked.

"Okay, maybe it would be better to say just being around you makes me 'nervous'."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"Good?" she said with a slightly raised shoulder and a kind of 'wince' in her face.

"Wow. I see I've clearly underwhelmed you," he said in a teasing kind of way.

"No. Not at all," Jessica said. "It's just that this is so different from any other relation..."

"Relation-ship?" Garrett asked.

"I suppose it's too early to call it...that," Jessica replied.

Garrett took a sip of coffee then asked, "Is it okay that I'm kind of hoping it'll become a relationship?"

Jessica immediately looked away, set down the half-sandwich she'd been holding, then looked up at him and said, "I don't see any problem with that."

"I'm glad," he told her. "I'm glad because I find myself unable to stop thinking about you."

"What? Me?" she said as she looked back up at him, not sure she heard him correctly.

"Uh, yeah. Of course I mean you, Jessica. You're the most interesting woman I've ever met, and I gotta tell you, you're also very attractive."

She tried to smile as she responded.

"You see. That's what makes me feel nervous."

He surprised her again when he reached across the table and took her hand and said, "I'm hoping you won't feel that way after we get to know each other a little better."

Jessica never put an elbow on a table, and rarely ever let her arm rest on one, but she'd done just that while sitting there. Subconsciously, at least, she must have been hoping he might do what he just did if she made a hand available to him. Consciously, she didn't think it would actually happen, but when his hand touched hers, a surge of adrenaline coursed through her body.

"I...I think that's a pretty safe bet," she told him with a genuine smile.

They made small talk as they ate, then continued talking as they topped off their coffee cups. Jessica didn't want to talk about herself, but Garrett kept insisting whenever she told him she wasn't very interesting.

"Au contraire," he told her once. "I think you are not only very interesting but even fascinating."

Before she could thank him he added, "And beautiful."

She did thank him, but had to say something in response to his very sweet words.

"You know how old I am, so I find it...odd...very nice but still odd...that you would say something like that to me."

"Then you need to sit where I'm sitting and look at yourself, Jessica, because I can assure you that are a very beautiful woman."

"For forty, right?" she said, not trying to debase herself, but to make sure she understood him correctly.

"No, for any age," he said with a slight nod of his head to emphasize he was telling the truth.

"I guess it would be a little easier to accept if you weren't so...gorgeous."

"So nervous and insecure, eh?" he teased.

"No. I'm not...insecure," she said rather defensively.

The way he was looking at her told her he was seeing right through her, and that made her admit the truth.

"Okay, maybe a little bit. When I'm around you."

"Well, don't be, okay?" he said.

Before she could reply, he slid his chair around right next to hers then waited for her to look at him. When she did, her softly brushed her back, then told her, "I can't ever remember feeling like this about anyone before. Ever."

She wanted to look at him but couldn't. He was so unbelievably good looking it made doing so impossible, so she looked down and away then said very quietly, "Yes. Nervous and insecure."

He waited for her to look his way again, and after several seconds she did so. When she did, he was still staring at her.

"What? Garrett, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her heart racing in her chest.

"Because I really, really want to kiss you," he told her quietly.

"You...I...why would you..."

While she still trying to talk, he leaned over and softly pressed his lips against hers until she stopped trying. It took her a second, but after her eyes opening wide in surprise they closed and she kissed him back.

"I thought maybe my 'bacon breath' was too much," he said with a smile as he pulled back.

"I...I like bacon breath," she heard herself say, having no idea why she'd said it.

"Oh, good. I thought you might be one of those kooky vegan types. They're everywhere in Seattle, you know."

"They are?" Jessica asked, Garrett's face just inches in front of hers.

"Oh, yeah. It's like a disease around here. A disease that's spreading."

"It is?" she asked still trying to recover from the kiss.

"Uh-huh. I mean, why would God put pigs and cows on earth if we weren't supposed to eat them, right?" he said with a smile.

"Oh. Yes. Good point," she said, giving no thought to God, animals, or whether or not eating them was a good, bad, or neutral kind of thing.

"I like a girl who'll eat a turkey sandwich," he told her with a smile as he picked hers up.

Garrett picked her sandwich up, put one hand underneath it, then offered her a bite.

Jessica looked at him then at the sandwich, smiled, and took a small bite.

"We gotta put a little meat on those bones," he told her.

"Hardly," she replied as she covered her mouth while chewing. "I feel like I'm huge."

He set the food down, carefully wiped his hands then started squeezing her arm in a couple of places.

"Um, Garrett? What are you doing? she asked, unable to keep from smiling, after swallowing the tiny bite she'd taken.

"Just checking."

"And what is it you're checking?"

"Well, you don't feel huge to me," he told her.

Jessica stared laughing as he said a little louder, "In fact, you feel pretty darned good."

"You goof!" she said as she laughed happily.

"Okay, but admit it. You're not as nervous now, are you?"

Jessica stopped laughing, looked right at him, then said, "No. I'm not."

"Good. I don't want you to be nervous," he said just before he kissed her again.

Jessica kissed him back again then said, "If you plan on kissing me again, shouldn't I at least know your last name?"

"It's Weiland," he said, pronouncing it WHY-land.

"Okay. Thank you, Garrett Weiland," she said.

"So...may I kiss you again?" he asked immediately causing her to laugh.

"I suppose that'd be okay," she told him, knowing she was dying for another kiss, and hoping it would be an even nicer kiss than before.

Garrett reached over and put a hand on her cheek then turned her face toward him and again kissed her softly. Jessica wanted to put her arm around him and really kiss him back, but they were in public, and years of socialization wouldn't let her, so she settled for another very nice, tongueless kiss.

As he slowly pulled away Garrett said, "Did I mention how beautiful you are yet?"

"I...I can't really remember," she said partly because she was so frazzled she wasn't sure, and partly because she'd love to hear him say it again.

"Well, you are," he told her. "You are so, so beautiful."

He looked into her eyes then told her, "Your smile lights up the day; the twinkle in your eyes the night."

Jessica's heart was pounding as Garrett continued speaking.

He turned his chair fully toward her, and Jessica put her hands in her lap and kind of turned toward him. He reached out and took them, then looked into her eyes and spoke from the heart.

"Were I blind, I could still see your beauty, because it comes from your soul, and can only be seen with the heart."

Many, if not most, women, might have snickered or snorted or even laughed. But not Jessica Thomas. Her eyes were transfixed and locked on his as he spoke.

"If you doubt your beauty then look deeply into my eyes. When you do, you'll see your reflection and understand the way I see you."

Blood was crashing into her brain as her heart worked overtime to keep up with the demands her body was sending it. Even so, Jessica was very aware that this was exactly the kind of thing she'd wanted, needed, and craved for so long. She also knew this wasn't an act on Garrett's part. She could sense that this was who he was; that the things he was saying weren't an act but borne of feelings coming from the far reaches of his soul.

"The depth of your beauty is like the ocean, and no matter how deep I dive, I will never find its end."

Jessica had no idea who else was around them. To her, in her mind, there were only two people on earth. Her and this amazing, romantic, younger man saying the kinds of things she'd only dreamed of hearing her entire life.

She had no idea how much time elapsed from the last word he said until she spoke.

"When you said you were a hopeless romantic, I had no way of knowing whether those were just words or the truth."

"And now?" he asked her with a gentle smile.

"And now I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are indeed a very romantic man, Garrett," she said barely able to talk. "You have no idea how much I love hearing you talk to me that way."

"And I love that you find it enjoyable rather than mocking me for it," he replied just as quietly.

"What? Who would ever mock you for being so sweet and romantic?" she asked, unable to imagine any woman doing that.

"Too many, I'm afraid," he told her. "But having found a woman as wonderful and beautiful as you who doesn't mind letting me myself, I may not be able to let you go."

"If...if you keep talking to me that way, I...I won't ever want you to let me go," she said just above a whisper.

Garrett gently squeezed her hands then said, "We should probably finish eating so we can go look around."

"I...I'm not hungry anymore," Jessica told him truthfully.

Garrett smiled then she said, "Not for food, anyway."

He went to take his hands away, but Jessica wouldn't let him.

"My last name is Thomas," she told him.

"Okay. Then it's very nice to know you, Jessica Thomas."

He went to pull away again, but Jessica said, "Now that you know my last name, too, don't you want to kiss me again?"

"I've wanted to kiss you since our eyes met on the bus that very first time," he told her.

Rather than pull away a third time, Garrett sat there and waited for her to finish.

"I used to dream of someone like you, to hold me close and see me through. To love my eyes and my smile, when I'm a afraid to stay with me a while. But now that I'm here together with you, I have no idea what to do. This wonderful feeling I have for you, is..."

"You could kiss me," Garrett said with a smile.

Jessica leaned forward and did just that. This time she put her hand on his face, and as they kissed, she gently offered him the tip of her tongue which he accepted before doing the same. It was just the briefest of touches, but one that sent warm chills down through her body.

This time she let go of his hands, and when he smiled at her she smiled back. This was but one of many smiles, but it was different from any that had come before because it was filled with meaning; meaning from shared words, shared kisses, and shared visions.

Jessica sat quietly watching Garrett eat, smiling the entire time. Many guys would have asked what she was looking at, but he knew. Jessica was now looking at him the way he'd been looking at her. There was no need to ask as their eyes said everything that could have been said.

When he finished, he stood up, offered her a hand, then helped her up. Standing face to face they continued smiling before Garrett said, "Is it okay to say we have a relationship now?"

"Yes," she said with a happy smile as she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

Jessica took his hand as soon as she lowered her arms then grabbed her purse and let Garrett lead. They started off in the Frye salon which featured over a hundred and fifty paintings.

Jessica had never been very interested in art, but because she was with Garrett, every painting become a thing of beauty as they held hands and looked, telling each other how it made them feel. She'd never been with any man of any age who was so unafraid to express his feelings. And yet Garrett was anything but soft or feminine. He was all male yet so secure in himself that he could share exactly what he was feeling in ways that had already bonded Jessica to him so tightly it frightened her.

It frightened her because she feared falling in love with him then getting her heart broken when he moved on. She was already in deep, and there was no turning back now. All she could do was hold on for the ride and hope it would never end.

Over four hours passed before Garrett said, "I uh, I need to use the restroom."

"Oh. Sure," Jessica said, aware she'd needed to do the same for some time. She'd just kept holding it not wanting this amazing, enjoyable time to end or even be interrupted.

Both of them used the facilities then met up just outside.

She smiled at him and Garrett said, "I'd forgotten how beautiful you are."

No one else was around, so he put his arms around her for the first time and kissed her in a way that made Jessica feel like she might die if he stopped.

"I...I can't believe the way you make me feel," she whispered as he held her close.

"Are you still nervous?" he asked her.

"No," she told him. "I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been."

"Shame on you. You just stole my line," he told her as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

"I...I feel like I've known you all my life," she told him.

Garrett smiled and said, "Okay, that's twice."

Jessica smiled back then said, "I really was nervous. About meeting you, about going out with you, about...everything."

"I think I was more afraid than nervous," Garrett told her.

"Why? Why would you be afraid?" Jessica asked.

"Because I had this feeling you wouldn't take me seriously because of my age," he told her quite frankly.

"It's funny, but in my mind, I'm still your age, Garrett. I look in the mirror and know I'm not, but mentally that's how I feel."

He started to say something about her age, but Jessica needed to finish her thought.

"When I look at you, I'm very aware of how old you are, and that makes me all too aware of how old I am. But when I listen to you speak or see the way you look at me, I...none of that matters."

She looked down then added, "Not to me, anyway."

Garrett gently lifted her chin then smiled at her.

"It doesn't matter to me, either, Jessica."

"So...so does it really not bother you to be seen, you know, holding hands with a woman my age?" she asked, her eyes searching for the truth.

Garrett smiled at her then said, "I was going to recite a poem about age being just a number, but I think I'll try being a little less serious for a moment."

"Okay," Jessica said, her arms still around his neck.

With all the seriousness he could muster up, Garrett said, "Age is something that doesn't matter—unless you're cheese."

He smiled and she laughed before he said, "Yeah. Cheese. Then age is really important."

Jessica laughed then, unlike Garrett's pretend serious, got very serious as she looked at him. She stood there just looking into his eyes, and a flood of emotions washed over her.

"Where have you been all my life?" she asked as tears filled her eyes.

"I think I should keep it light or you might start crying," he said very quietly.

"I'm not crying," she told him. "I'm happy."

"Yeah. Me, too," he told her before playfully kissing her nose.

"What were you going to say?" she asked.

"Oh, um...I was gonna say something about me being in diapers for a good part of your life, but..."

Jessica laughed and hit him playfully.

"Stop!" she said.

"It's true."

"Yes, I know. That's why you need to stop," she told him again.

And then he said something that nearly blew her mind.

"If I fall in love with you and you dump me, I may never recover," he said trying to sound playful. But Jessica could tell that, this time, he was being serious, and his words were so profound they rocked her to her very core.

"I won't," she told him. "I won't ever do that."

Garrett kissed her again just as a custodian appeared. He needed to get by, and they were blocking his way.

"Sorry," Garrett said as he took Jessica's hand and moved them out of the way.

"No, you're fine," the much-older man said. "At my age, it's just nice to see two people so in love. A lot of folks could learn a thing or two from you."

And with that, he excused himself and went around them.

"He thought we were in love," Jessica said as they slowly walked hand-in-hand back to the exhibition where they'd left off.

"He seems like a very smart man to me," Garrett told her.

Jessica held his hand and reached over and held his arm, too, as she said, "Yes. Brilliant even."

By dinnertime, neither of them wanted this first date to end, but Jessica wanted him to feel free to leave if he needed to.

"No, I don't have anything to do, but more importantly, there's nothing else I'd rather be doing than spend time with you. So I have no desire to leave, unless you're tired of hanging out with me."

"Uh-uh. Not at all," she told him. "There's nothing I'd rather be doing, either."

Her new boyfriend turned to face her then said, "My uh, my roommate is home visiting his family for the weekend. We could go back to my place and order some takeout and maybe watch a movie."

"I'd like that," Jessica told him with a warm smile.

Twenty minutes later, via the bus, they were at his small, two-bedroom apartment in the University District.

"It's kind of a mess, so I'm forewarning you," Garrett told her as they arrived at his door.

"I don't mind," Jessica assured him as he opened the door and let her in.

It was obvious the mess came from his roommate. The common area was clean and so was his bedroom based on a quick peek as he 'showed her around.' The other bedroom, however, was a disaster.