Chapter 11
"All that laughing made me hungry," Nicole said as she devoured a small bruschetta-topped piece of toasted French bread.
I smiled as I watched her, enjoying the taste and letting me know it. I sampled the crab cake and pronounced it excellent as well. There was enough food to take the edge off our hunger without being too much. When the food was gone we sat back and sipped the remainder of our wine. I was wishing this evening would never end, but I knew it was drawing to a close.
"Time to go home?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. But I had a wonderful time, Will. I really did."
"Then I'm happy. We can talk about next weekend some evening during the week."
"Skype me on Wednesday," she suggested. "Sometime between eight and nine. I'll be on line."
"I'll look forward to it. It won't be as good as being there in person, but it's far better than e-mail."
She laughed. "You're right ... far better."
I walked her up to the front door, wondering if I dared try to kiss her goodnight. She beat me to it. It wasn't a long passionate kiss, but it was something more than a peck on the cheek. There was something added that made it the perfect ending to the perfect date.
I drove home feeling about as good as it was possible to feel. Full of optimism about our first date and her willingness to have another. As nervous as the evening had begun for me, I felt completely spent when I got home. I had used up all my energy in trying to impress Nicole. I guess, looking back on it, I had succeeded. When I lay back in bed, I was asleep within a minute.
We took Jimmy to see a play on the following Saturday afternoon. It was a kid's mystery play, apparently loosely based on a Hardy Boys novel. Jimmy loved it and both Nicole and I were kept interested as well, even though we guessed who the bad guy was. The place was full of youngsters, most of them between Jimmy's age and maybe twelve. The noise they made when something exciting happened was quite amazing. The actors really got the kids into the story and led them along all the way.
When we walked out of the theater, Jimmy turned to me.
"Can we do that again next Saturday?"
"Well, that's up to your mom, but I'm not sure it won't be the same play next week. We might have to wait a bit for a new play. But, if you liked it today, then I'd be happy to take you again."
"Yay! That was so cool when they caught the bad guy at the end. I thought he was supposed to be their friend?"
"Well, that's where he fooled the boys, didn't he. It took them a while to figure it out, but they did, didn't they?"
"Yeah. Those guys are really smart. I'd like to be a detective some day."
I looked at Nicole and I could see that certain sparkle in her eyes that I'd become used to seeing when she was very happy.
And that was the beginning of our dating. I was falling for Nicole and I didn't make any secret of it. She was, as she said she would be, cautious. That didn't mean that we didn't kiss and that the kisses became more prolonged and passionate, but we weren't going past that for now. Just being with her was a high for me, but I wondered how long it would be before Nicole was completely confident in me.
***
It was late October, nearing Halloween, and I had volunteered to take Jimmy out for Trick or Treat. Nicole had been a little distant and uncomfortable around me for the past couple of days and I wanted to find out why. I wish now I hadn't.
"I've got some news, Will," she began as we sat at the kitchen table after Jimmy had calmed down from his outing and had gone to bed. "I'm going to be away for a while on a special project. I won't be able to see you for some time. I'm sorry, but I can't get out of this. It's very important."
"What kind of project and for how long?"
"I can't tell you what it's about. The first section will last three to four weeks. I'll be out of town and won't be home until I'm finished."
"Oh ... oh wow. Gone for a month. What about Jimmy?"
"Mom and Dad will look after him. I can't take him with me."
"Why can't you tell me what it's about?"
"Because I'm not allowed to. You're a newspaperman and it's your job to get the news. I can't take the chance of information leaking out."
"Now you've got me completely confused. You're not allowed to tell me what it's about?"
"That's right."
I sat back in the chair and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. She worked for a foundation that gave money away. She had to go out of town for some reason that was related to the job, but couldn't tell me why. I racked my brain trying to piece together some sort of logical explanation, but nothing was coming to me.
"So," I said in resignation, "we'll be apart for a month, then?"
She nodded, "For the first segment."
"First segment? You mean there will be others?"
"In all probability I'll be home for a week or two, then away again for another two to three weeks."
I was shaking my head. I just didn't understand.
"What's so secret about the Hepplinger Foundation?"
"I can't tell you," she said, almost looking like she wanted to but didn't dare.
"Can you tell me where you are going?"
"No."
Stymied again.
"Is this about not being able to trust me to keep a confidence because I'm a newspaperman?"
"No. I don't want you put in a dangerous spot."
"Dangerous? How dangerous?"
"Information can be dangerous, Will. You know that."
"That means you're going to be in a dangerous situation, doesn't it?"
"I don't think so. I'll have protection."
"Protection! Tell me it isn't dangerous for you, Nicole," I demanded.
"It shouldn't be," she said, not being able to look me in the eye.
"What the hell does that mean, 'It shouldn't be'?"