The Man Who Came from Nowhere

As she entered timidly, he said, "Just in time. Let me refill your coffee and breakfast is ready. Find anything interesting?"

"I love your garden and can't wait to see the shed when you are finished. It is so unique."

"Thanks. The garden was last year's project. This is the first year anything has been planted there. I hope that I can find time to finish the shed before fall and the rains start. I have a lot of things I need to store in there rather than here and there."

She listened as she scanned the table he set for breakfast. If he cooked for them regularly, she knew that she would love very bite but would gain weight. That made her smile. "Then we will make sure that you have time to finish it. Now, do you always cook this much? Are you trying to make me fat?"

He laughed. "Not a chance. I make a lot and put it in the freezer. I will have three or four breakfasts from this. Just eat what you are comfortable with."

She joined his laughter and they ate like they were famished. When then finished and sat back, Deni gently asked, "Um...Sunday, I need to go to Fort Worth to a trade show. I need to talk to a company about some parts for some equipment that we have. Um...would you like to go with me?" As soon as she finished, she saw the frown.

"Under normal circumstances, I would be glad to go with you...but I think I better pass on this."

"Oh? Problems there?"

"Let's just say that I am not generally welcome in Fort Worth or Tarrant County."

"Are you in trouble? Are the police looking for you?"

"No...no." he sighed. "I have a restraining order against me for certain parts of Fort Worth and feel that it is best to just not even go anywhere near there."

Deni thought for a minute and then said, "Ex-wife and daughter." His frown told her that she had guessed right.

"Yes. A friendly judge, a couple of trumped up charges, and I am not allowed anywhere near her. It pays to have the money to buy the best justice in the land." She heard the bitterness in his voice. She waited but he said no more until he changed to ask, "Would you like to meet me in Dallas Sunday afterwards for dinner and something else?

"Absolutely! Details."

"Um... there is a great seafood restaurant near downtown..."

"I think I know the place but haven't been there. What time?"

"Say six? Would that give you enough time to get there?"

"Let's say five thirty. It won't take me long to do what I need to do. Dress?"

"Yes."

"I mean slacks, jeans, dress?"

"Oh, by all means; a dress dress. You know, show some leg and a little cleavage. That kind of dress."

She grinned, "I just knew that you were a dirty old man at heart."

He replied indignantly, "I'll have you know that I am not old...yet."

"And I'll have you know that if you don't pay attention to my legs and cleavage, I will..."

"I know, you will kick my ass." They both laughed.

Then she said, "I hate to do this but I have two meetings to go to. Let's put breakfast up and you need to take me to my truck. Will you meet me in town for dinner later?"

"What time? Where? And do I need to wear a dress?"

"Six at the Italian place and by all means, wear a dress. You know lots of leg and cleavage."

"Consider it done."

She laughed and called him an idiot but he had a gleam in his eye that she didn't catch. Fifteen minutes later, he gave her a discreet kiss as there were a number of cars parked in front of the café. She smiled anyway and said that she would see him later.

Nick went home and spent the day working on his garden shed but his mind was mostly occupied with Deni. At four, he went in to shower and dress in his surprise. As he drove up to the Italian place, he got a little self-conscious but it calmed when he saw her truck already parked in front. He took a deep breath and got out of his truck to be met by stares from a couple also entering. In his best Scottish brogue, he said, "Good evening." They just smiled back.

Deni on the other hand roared with laughter as he entered the room where she was seated. "I love it! Love it. I would never guess you to have a set of kilts. And the legs are pretty nice too."

"Yeah but the cleavage is mostly missing."

"Where did you get these. They look great on you."

"I got them in Scotland a couple of years ago and love to wear them. I just don't do it very often. You opened that door very nicely."

"You have my permission to wear them any time."

"Thank you."

They shared a wonderful Italian meal and a nice bottle of Valpolicella. Their talk was light and teasing as usual but the tone had lessened in intensity as their comfort level with each other increased. When they finished, Deni put on a conspiratorial face and asked, "Are you ready for the rest of the evening?"

"Of course. What does it consist of and am I over or underdressed for the occasion?"

She grinned, "You are perfectly dressed for the occasion but you have to trust me on the rest."

He returned her grin with one of his own. "I sense that I am in deep trouble."

"Would I do that to you?" He nodded soberly. "Well, maybe a little but it shouldn't be too painful. Let's go."

Still not know what was coming, Nick nonetheless rose and walked her to the parking lot where he asked, "One truck of two tonight?"

"Park yours in the lot next door. It will be safe there. I am driving tonight."

"Now I know that I am in trouble in the hands of a beautiful woman with no way to escape."

"Do you want to escape?" She teased.

"Not now but the evening is young."

"Shut up and move your truck. Tonight, you belong to me."

He moved his truck before climbing into the passenger seat of the waiting vehicle. "I am in your hands; treat me gently."

"Ok, that too. Buckle up, we have about an hour drive. Tonight, you can choose the music."

'Um...where is the owner's manual? I was told that I can't operate technical things without reading the manual first."

"Asshole."

"You called?"

He decided to listen to the music already playing which turned out to be light classical crossover music. That pleased him immensely. They chatted and teased as usual but she refused to offer up any information about their destination or the evening's activity. Therefore, he was totally surprised when she pulled into the parking lot of the high school in the neighboring county seat.

"Come on lover; it is time to go to work."

"Work? You expect me to go out in front of God and the whole world dressed like this and work?"

"Yes. That sounds about right to me."

"The punishment for this will be severe."

"I can't wait. Get out and escort your lady like the gentleman that you are."

"Where is this lady of which you speak?"

"Asshole."

He held her arm as they walked into the front door and into the auditorium where they were greeted warmly by an older man. "Deni, thank you for doing this on such short notice. I take it that you are Nick. I am Tom Phillips, the principal here. Deni said that you are very well qualified to help us tonight. One of our judges and his wife had a car accident yesterday and left us kind of short-handed. Thank you so much for participating. Oh, and if I had known that you were a kilt man, I would have worn mine too. Come on in and get settled. We will start the judging in about thirty minutes." Then he was gone.

Nick looked at Deni who had a huge grin on her face. "Ok, Miss Wonderful, exactly what have you conned me into doing tonight?"

"I haven't conned you into anything; you came willingly because you lust after my body."

"After this, that might change to a desire to paddle one part of your body."

"Not tonight; maybe some other time. It is simple. This is a four-county competition of robotic students. There are five schools represented and each school has from one to four teams. The smaller schools only have one or two teams but the bigger schools have a team from each grade level. You are to judge the validity and creativity of their solution and then rate them with a score from one to five."

"And exactly what are you going to be doing while I am doing this?"

"I am sort of the sponsor for this. I get to hang around and make notes of what you and the other judges say and what your score is. Then I get to present the winners their trophies."

Nick was processing the potential for this and although he refused to show his enthusiasm, he was excited about the prospect for the evening. "Ok, what exactly is the problem they had to solve?"

"They each have a one pound block sitting three feet away from a table horizontally. Their task is to move the block to the table and set it on top using three different mechanical devices but without an external power source or direct human involvement. They can wind up a winch or something like that but that is all. The winch has to do the work on its own as do the other devices they chose to use."

"There are graduate engineering students who probably couldn't do that. This will be interesting."

Tom Phillips returned and added, "Each team is in a different room along this hallway. Feel free to take a preliminary look to get familiar with what might happen. And thank you again, Nick. It is hard to find a knowledgeable person on short notice."

"Ok, Miss Conspirator, lead the way and let me get a feel for what I am going to be doing."

Deni smiled proudly as she could feel his interest peaking. She felt proud that she had found a key to his mind if not to his soul...yet. She led him on a discovery tour down the hall. Each team was busily testing and adjusting their devices. Nick quickly could see the differences between grade levels and the sophistication of the various projects. Some were very exotic while others were very simple and pragmatic. All of them showed him that these students were on the right track to a successful career.

Three hours later, Nick and the other two judges had met and agreed on the results which they handed to Deni. Several of the projects worked as they were designed but most had a small or major failure along the way. But Nick was totally impressed with what he saw and was proud to be part of the evening.

The students and their parents gathered in the auditorium eagerly waiting for the results. The judges were seated on the stage next to the trophies. Then Deni stood up and went to the microphone. "Greetings everyone. I think that I can safely say that this is the most successful competition we have had to date. This is the fifth year we have sponsored this event and I couldn't be prouder of the results. Before we announce the results, I would like to introduce you to the judges and let them say a few words. Mike Jenkins from the University. What is your impression of tonight?"

The other man stood up and walked to the microphone and said, "I am impressed. Any of you students would be welcome in our school and in my classes right now. Some of the projects worked and many did not but that is how you learn. As we say in engineering, each failure is the opportunity to grow. So, go home proud of yourselves tonight."

Deni then said, "Sally Meyers is the head of Women in Science and Engineering Foundation from Austin. Sally?"

"First off, I can't tell you how pleased I am to see the number of young women participating tonight. Engineering has traditionally been a man's world but it has been opening more and more to women and they are making a difference. So, to all of you, keep up your good work and congratulations."

"Our final judge is new. To the best on my knowledge, he has never been involved with a program like this before. I also sort of tricked him into participating. He had no idea what he was getting into until we got here. He is a mechanical engineer who specializes in hydraulics. His name is Nick...but he refuses to tell me his last name. So, Nick, the microphone is yours; keep it short." She grinned as he stood up.

Nick looked at Deni with a grin and said, "I want to know about this 'sort of tricked me.' You forced me to wear this dress, then you kidnapped me, and drove me for hours to get here, and then told me to be nice to all of these people. I think you just conned me." The audience laughed heartily. "First, I want to ask Principal Phillips if it is too late for me to enroll in this school and participate in this program. If this had been available to me in high school, I would probably not have passed any other class because I would only be interested in making things that work." That earned another laugh. "Finally, I want to say something to all of the participants. Regardless of who wins the trophies, every single one of you is a winner not just tonight but for the rest of your lives. I say this because you have experienced the most important lesson you will ever learn. That is how to address and work out a problem. The answers don't always work the way you want but you made progress and that is how mankind has grown for thousands of years. You are now part of our future history regardless of what career you eventually choose. Thank you letting me be a small part of this." That earned him a final hearty round of applause.

He was quiet in the car for the first fifteen minutes until Deni asked, "Are you mad at me for doing this to you?"

He came out of his reverie and replied, "How can I be mad at you for letting me be part of one of the best nights I have experienced since I graduated from college."

She beamed as she heard his words. Then she shyly added, "I was kind of embarrassed having to introduce you as 'Nick who won't tell me his last name.' Do you suppose that we can solve that problem soon?"

Nick went inside himself for a moment before he said, "Actually, this has been kind of fun but you are right. There are a couple of things in the wind that I need to let happen. Can you be patient for two more weeks? If so, plan on coming to my house for dinner two weeks from tonight. I will tell you everything then whatever happens."

"Nick, I will be patient with you as long as you need. Pretty obviously, I am very, very fond of you and I don't want to do anything that hurts you in any way. Two weeks is a small price to ask and I will be there."

"Good. Now about tomorrow; I have been thinking."

"Does that mean that I am in trouble?" She laughed to shake off her nervousness.

"I hope not. The thing is, I mean, were you serious the other night about getting the town growing again?"

"On that, I was dead serious. We haven't talked much about that since the other night. Do you have an idea?"

"Maybe." He took a deep breath and then began. "There is a guy I have heard about named Leroy Johnson. I am pretty sure that he will have a booth at the show you are going to. He ran a service department at a company I did business with once and he was an absolute genius at fixing farm equipment and other mechanical things. He left that company and set up his own shop focusing on ag equipment. I hear that he is doing ok but that he needs more room to grow. We talked about a marriage between a town and its businesses and he would be a good match for the town since it is largely agricultural. If there was a place that fits his needs, he would be what I also talked about; a smaller guy with growth potential. If you are interested, look him up when you are there. No need to mention my name; he doesn't know me."

"I sense that there is more to the story but I will take your word for it and I will definitely look him up."

They drove for another ten minutes before Nick said, "Is this the way back to town? It doesn't look familiar."

"That's because this is the way to my house. Last night I stayed at your place; tonight, you stay at mine. We will get your truck and breakfast in the morning."

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"I positively sure that it is a great idea. I have four bedrooms and four beds but we are going to sleep together in only one of them. I also promise to not take advantage of you."

"I am more worried about me taking advantage of you."

"Honey, that cannot possibly happen!"

"Oh?"

"I can be patient about some things but for others, I have a short fuse." Nick sat quietly until she reached over and took his hand. "Nick, I am teasing you a little but the truth is that what I want most is another kiss goodnight except horizontally and then sleep in your arms like we were dancing last night. Anything beyond that can wait."

"I can assure you that if we get horizontal and kiss, we most certainly will sleep in each other's arms. Anything else will be negotiable."

"I can live with that just fine. We are almost here."

Nick looked out and still didn't recognize anything as she pulled through a gate. The road appeared to be endless and he could see no sign of lights or life. She drove knowing full well where every rut, rock, and bump in the road was for five minutes before she turned left and he saw a sprawling farm house with the porch light on sitting in front of them. All he could say was, "Wow!"

Deni spoke in serious tones, "My great grandparents started this farm and ranch and built the first log cabin here. This has been home to five generations and each one has expanded or rebuilt the house since then. I hope you like it. This is the only place I have ever called home except for my dorm room in college."

"It is magnificent. I hope that I get to see the rest of the property someday."

"You will but it won't be tomorrow. We need to get up and get your truck and breakfast so I can leave for Fort Worth. I already have the dress I am going to wear tomorrow night picked out. I will change at my brother's house."

"He lives in Fort Worth?" There was a slight sound of worry in his voice.

"He actually lives in Dallas but also has a house in Fort Worth. It is up for sale but the market is kind of puny right now. I will change at his Dallas house."

"That's interesting." But Deni could tell that there was relief in his voice.

"Here we are." Suddenly, neither of them had much to say; the potential of the night weighed heavily on both of them. As she opened the door, she asked, "Why don't we have a glass of wine first."

"I think that would be a great idea."

She led him into a sitting room off of the main living room where she poured them each a large glass of wine. They sat next to each other on the love seat and didn't know what to say next. Finally, she just blurted out, "Dammit Nick, I am just as scared as you are. My marriage left a bad taste in my mouth about men until you came along. It has been almost five years since the last time I was with a man and it was very unmemorable. Can you be patient with me?"

"As long as you can be patient with me. My divorce was final three years ago but it was probably two or three years before that when I was last with a woman because she was basically between boyfriends at the time and thought that I would be a good mercy fuck. To say that I want to be with you is an understatement but my fear of failure is just as high. I didn't satisfy the woman I married; I am not sure if I can satisfy one that I am as attracted to as you."

She stared at him for a minute before replying, "That settles that. Whenever we decide to make love, it will be because we want to without any baggage for either of us. It won't be tonight but between now and then, we are going to work to make both of our ghosts go away. How is that?"

His answer was to lean over a kiss her gently on her lips. She almost swooned when their lips met. Then she replied, "Put your wine down. Ready or not, it is kissing time. The kissing ghosts are going to be history very soon."

She led him down the hall and into the master bedroom. "Leave your underwear on but strip and get in bed. I am going in the bathroom and put on a nightgown." She picked up her nightgown and walked towards the bathroom before saying over her shoulder, "And hurry. You already have my motor running."