2019-06-05 - More Than A Chance Meeting

He has a hood on his jacket, doesn't usually use an umbrella, but brought one tonight. They found a place, agreed on it. She knew he'd never make effort to hit up a chain place, and though it employed locals and all, Cracker Barrell was still a chain to him. So there they were, he brought an umbrella for her, thoguh she may have brought her own. They were seated eventually, he took no interest in the stuff he looked at as kitschy. He didn't need a plant pot just because someone painted it John Deere green or something. As they sit down, and can converse without being in the company of strangers, Jack can finally talk more that is, his comfort zone is not in large crowds or compact stores for sure. "About what I'd expected, but, to be fair, it'll come down to the food." His determination on Cracker Barrell and if he should have come sooner. "Stuff looks good, I mean, things I haven't had in years." Home cooked food? If ie cooked for himself, it was probably on the simpler side.

The umbrella had been a pleasant surprise. Andi hadn't brought one, she usually had her slicker but she'd forgotten that in her patrol car. When she gets inside with him, she'd put it on the coat rack, the umbrella that is, and her coat with it. She's wearing a pair of khaki pants and a soft red sweater that was loose enough for her to have her holster in back. If she chose. She didn't choose that this time. As soon as they are seated she reaches for one of the menu's left by the hostess and she opens it, not looking down at it yet, but across at him. "I like the big set of checkers and the cloth board they had for sale. I think the checkers were bigger than drink coasters." A fun game she enjoyed apparently. "Everything does look good," not that she'd checked the menu, but the passing tables and the pictures of food on the walls. Tilting her head she smiles wryly. "I guess we both made a discovery. It's no fun when you're not actually cooking for someone else."

With his own menu, it opened, on the table and he's looked own. Straight to entree for him, just to see what it was they offered. Her voice brings his eyes up to look across the table at her, "Well, see, they could be useful then, as drink coasters." Practical, or practiclaly stubborn. "You pick up a checker set like that, I'd give you a run on it, just to make sure you didn't waste any money." Or to play a game even, he was okay with that, even if he said he wasn't much of a game player. "That so, not much cooking lately," he says curiously, slightly rhetorically as he looks down at the menu. "I haven't really fired up the grill much either. Too much space to use to cook up a burger at a time." A slight shrug, "I mean, I've turned the butane heater in the garage up, fired some up while working out there on occasion. Just, not the same as cooking on charcoal or wood."

"Would you?" That surprises Andi, she knew he wasn't really the game type. Even before. Especially now. "Then how about after dinner we can go back to your place and get our game on? Show me your current projects if you'd like." Finally she looks down at her menu, through the entrees and the specials then on through the lighter side of things before she finally settles on something and closes her menu. "You used to always like cooking out, I always liked eating your cooking out." Though there she is bringing up the past again and stops herself. "We will have to do that sometime, If you would like?"

"Sure," he says, back to his short answers it seems as he's settling on food, but he looks up. Determined to make that effort it seems, "The coupe is good, the truck is running and a great ride to work, starting to think of a new car, not settled yet. I've been looking around to see if a local yard might have a Falcon." Not really a sports car, but a classy ford in a manner. A pause, he turns the menu to indicate he's got an idea what he wants. "What's that, cook out? Yea, that'd be good, on a warm day. One of these weekends, it'll clear up." A pause, that could be the same old again, "You know, go to one of the parks, use a grill there. Like picnic style or something?" A big step, he wasn't a fan of hiking or parks so much since that thing in his childhood even.

The response has her lowering her eyes up until the waitress comes. Pasting on a bright smile that looks as fake as it feels, she starts with her own order. "Sprite Zero for my beverage and the Prime Rib French Dip sandwich platter with au jus for my entree. Whatever vegetables that normally come with it." Waffle fries and coleslaw it seems. Curious now as to what he would decide and how close it would be to hers, she doesn't ask, but listens. Even going so far as to comment about his car. "I think an Edsel would be a good car to redo. I heard there's a muscle car and old car show in the Woodward Dream Cruise." The waitress takes her menu and looks to him for his, but not before Andi agrees with him. "The park, I'd like that." Glad he was still getting them out of the rut of the 'usual things'.

He knew here, he can read that smile, it could of lead right back to some old situation, but the server is here. After her, he gives his own, "A coke, the french dip, steak fries and corn." On the cob usually, he atkes it that way here. Not quite the same, she might sense enough he changed to the sandwich after hearing her order it, cause it sounded good. He waits a moment for the waitress to walk away, gathering his senses at least. "Or at one of our places. If something's upsetting you, can just say it you know." Before he might have made more comment on the smile fake or not, might of gotten accusatory and no telling how heated words would have become, this is more calm and collecting, an offer if she wanted, no demand.

The fake smile was more directed towards the waitress but Andi gives him a considering look at the invitation. "Sometimes you're just short with words, I guess. But you've always been that way. Sometimes I'm the same way. I just want you to know with me? You can just be you. We know each others deepest, darkest secrets." This time when her lips tilt its more a genuine smile. "I just feel fortunate you're here with me now at all." Somehow pleased he may have changed his order to match hers in a way. "I can purchase the food and meet you at the park on the next clear day?"

Thinking of anything he missed out as she does offer a smile again, Jack throws in, "I meant, sure come over tonight. I could show you the cars I'm looking at doing next after a game or something." In the air, but that offer was on the table, she hinted at it, he was agreeing. "I try to just be me, I'm not much for talking. Not going to lie, but not the sharer I should always be." Where they started and how he opened up is their story, less focus on deeper stuff at first. Now, all that was marred in that deep stuff, it was the gap to bridge. "I don't know what to make of it all. Its my trust and guard." He names it, taking a little moment of vulnerability to be open. "If I asked you, would you wear that one flower dress that goes to about your knees?" SHe would probably know the one he liked from before, she might not have it anymore, who knows. The question was less if she did have it but, would she do something like that if he asked her, a curiousity in his eyes that's not usually there.

"Then I will come over tonight and bring the checkers I'll buy on the way out. And we can talk about cars and projects." Or watch a movie or a show. That's left unsaid but Andi was always pretty easily read. "I like this you." The words are out before she can think about it. His question has her hesitating. Good timing though as the drinks are delivered and she reaches for her Sprite to take a sip. Finally, the waitress assures them the food is almost ready and she heads for the kitchen. The smile returns as she reassures. "I know just the dress. I remember it and I would still wear it, yes, if you asked me to. If I have it still, or could find it. Unless it's packed with some of my things in my parents garage." Where most of her things had gone when she moved out.

"We'll figure it out later," he returns, reading her return enough to go with a lets just see how it goes, not plan it. An agreement by Jack it seems could be just a movie even, or game and a movie. "Yeah, not to shabby?" Did he smile a little, unsure maybe as the drinks are delivered. He takes his jar and goes strawless, enjoying the ice against teeth and lips perhaps. "Yeah, that's the one." A slight shrug, "Just, for a picnic, that looks good on you. Something like it even." He does look down a little, they're below the table, but he liked her legs in that thing, probably said as much. Or more, no telling what fun times they did have when she wore it. "I'd ask to see you in that again, my only regret." Straight faced, but a joke by Jack, they both had more of some sort, but a tease his regret is her all prettied up it seems.

The pants she was wearing weren't very tight and either was her sweater. I So used to hiding her figure for work, Andi never considered he liked seeing her in form fitting clothing. It did make her stop and think. She also forgoes her straw and sips from the jar. It's convenient then that the food arrives and she doesn't answer right away as everything is squared away and placed in front of the correct people. "Thank you," she tells the waitress and places her napkin in her lap as she lifts her fork towards the coleslaw. A smile greets him though, "Well that is the easiest regret I can settle. Mine is not watching each and every smile you gave and memorizing it."

With his food there and the waitress leaving, he gives her thanks as well and eyes his selection. His intent is corn first, Jack was of the mindset, can't let it cool. Nothing new there, he'll salt and pepper it, meeting her gaze before he lifts it for a bite. "One of those picture moments," he offers, cause it will last longer. Then he grabs the stick to hold that corn up. "Its the little things like that isn't it. Don't know what you're gonna miss when you're thinking of yourself in the moment." His take, he was self centered at the time most likely. "Its good to see you smiling more. It looks good on you, but its just the thought of you being happy. You deserve that." He'll lift the stick on handed, his other hand reaches over to brush her hand closest even, before she starts using both to eat her food.

"Picture moments?" Andi laughs lightly. "Did you just tell me in your way to take a picture because it would last longer?" Reaching into her small bag she'd brought she brings out her long, girl wallet and opens it to show him looking out from beneath the hood of a vehicle, a smile on his face, maybe a time he'd forgotten to put his guard up first. She shows it then puts it back up. "Gorgeous, but nothing like live and in person." A few bites of coleslaw later and she continues the conversation. "Reminds me of that Cinderella song. Don't Know What You've Got 'til it's Gone." She can't help but to smile when he compliments her. "Being here with you does make me happy." Then she feels that brush of his fingers and she turns her hand a little to touch him back.

A slow nod, he does lift that free hand a moment to tap his nose. The nose knows. "Ah good, you got one already." He says looking down and seeing it, "I think I was squinting, at the sun, but it looks like a good smile." No sun around in that picture, she got a good one. His corn goes quick enough, he eats between words readily enough. Such that he can put the stick down, the rest is finger food now. A little ketchup on his plate/platter and he's good. "No rush, but if we get anything right, now, let it be to not do something wrong." As he catches her smile and feels her hand, his figners naturally brush, perhaps more so than before even. "I have missed you. A here you are, I'm worried we'll sort of get caught up in a big wave, but it'll crash. Just a lot flooding back, but, I want to be here, with you woman."

"It had to be the sun," Andi agrees easily. "But that's part of the reason I kept it too, to prove that the sun shines here in Gray Harbor also." Teasing as much as he was, she knew there was no sun in the photo though, it was inside his shop. Her coleslaw goes and now she's to finger foods also. She reaches for a fry and sips it in her au jus before taking a bite of it. It's good, but she gets ketchup on a plate. "I just want to live in the now with you, to get through each day without making you unhappy and maybe eventually build up trust again. I missed you too, I can't even begin to say how much. I want to be here too, spending this time with you."

"True, need the evidence," nods Jack with a little hint of grin at his lips, between her laughing before and smiling now. Its there, just shwoing. "Not like stalking at all." He teases, then amends, "If I am being stalked, good to know its you at least." He'll try a fry in the au jus as well, taking her lead, even pending it a little so it splits to suck up some of the jus part. "We're doing this in the now stuff, you got it Goof, here, tonight. Whatever comes. Our time." He enjoys it and mixes up fries between ketchup and au jus. "So, you've been practicing checkers and think you can beat me tonight?" He doesn't mind the serious convesation but turns a little to just enjoy the moment with her, maybe challenge a little on this game, even if it never takes place.

There's no rush for Andi to remove her hand from his calloused hand, finding happiness in that small gesture from him. He was a hard worker and his hands showed it and she admired that about him. The meal goes on, seeming neither in a hurry to finish, but everything has to come to an end. "We will see who wins tonight," she tells him with a half smile. True to her word, she had left the past in the past and was working on the present with him. The smiles are a testament to that. Then, both are finished, the plates cleared away, dessert declined by both and conversation leads to later that night. "I will meet you there at your place with the checkers. It'll be fun." And for sure, Andi does purchase the oversize set on the way out, along with a couple of other things that catch her eye. Saying goodbye to him out at the cars, she goes on home while he goes his way.