Chapter Five

The restaurant was dimly lit and quaint. The tables were small, secluded and adorned with candles and fine china. An enormous fireplace on one wall with several hickory logs burning in it cast a warm ambiance over the room. The shadows from the flames danced around the crystal glass filled with a dark nutty merlot from which Warner now sipped. He glanced anxiously at the door, then at his Tag Heuer wrist watch, and then again at the door. 9:15PM.

The restaurant, known as Seafood on the Bay, held a particular significance for Warner. Being on the outskirts of town, and very private, it was the place that whenever he had a furlough, he would meet Linda for a romantic dinner. For several years now they had been stealing moments knowing that it was strictly forbidden by the nature of their careers. Warner knew the consequences if their relationship were it to come to light at the agency, but there was something about Linda of which he could not deprive himself. She captivated him in a way that no other woman ever had before, and it was life’s cruel twist of irony that their situation forbade their love.

She was late. He began running through scenarios in his head of events that could have delayed her arrival. The restaurant was attached to an inn which overlooked the bay. The room they always got (room 22) in particular overlooked a small yard in which local yacht owners parked their vessels. He had already gotten the room and prepared it with a dozen roses, a bottle of chilled Crystal and a small fire in the old-fashioned fireplace. Save the fireplace, the entire wall overlooking the bay was made of glass which opened with an ornate glass door to a small outdoor patio.

After the attack, the Agency had given him a week furlough to regroup before he was to be redeployed to the space station. He immediately made reservations and slipped Linda a note casually before leaving for the day Friday. Although he hadn’t been able to touch base with her before leaving for the restaurant, she had never stood him up in 4 years.

Just then, the Maitre d’ came over carrying a video message card on a small tray. He had a worried look on his face.

“Mr. Warner, we have just received this videogram for you,” he said offering the small disk on the tray.

Warner took the disk and thanked the Maitre d’.

He placed the disk on the table and pressed the blinking ‘activate video message’ button. A small holographic image of Linda came to life.

“Warner, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this like this. I won’t be able to make it there this weekend. I just have too much to do here at the Agency organizing the logistics for your deployment. Please forgive me. I haven’t stopped thinking about our last rendezvous,” and with this her image blew him a kiss and disappeared.

Warner felt disappointment wash over him. He downed his wine and slipped the disk into the inside pocket of his suit. He motioned for the server who came over immediately.

“I guess I won’t be dining after all,” he said to the waiter.

“Is everything OK sir?” The server inquired quickly, but casually enough so as not to appear overly-inquisitive.

“Yes, everything is fine. Could you bring me a double Maker’s reserve on the rocks?”

“Double Maker’s reserve, very good sir,” the waiter said and made off in the direction of the bar.

Warner hunched over in his seat.

He looked forward to the moments he spent with Linda, few as they were over the years, like nothing else in his life. The first year he spent working under her at the agency was pure hell. He had never been so attracted to anyone in all of his life, and to feel this way about his boss was not acceptable. He tried to ignore his feelings for her initially, but this only led to more frustration and friction in their relationship at work.

The waiter returned with his drink.

He took a long sip and felt the liquid bite at his tongue.

He could not get the image of Linda out of his head. The last time they had come here, she looked so divine. She wore a small black dress – classy but very sexy, which hugged her curves, dancing dangerously close to the lace at the top of her black stockings. Her long blond hair, which she only wore down during their liaisons, cascaded down her face, past her jaw, and spilled perfectly down her neck, laying gently across her breasts.

They had spent the weekend in their room ordering food and eating it in bed.

Warner swirled the ice around in his glass and stared into the bottom picturing her.

One day after working under Linda for about a year, she had pulled him aside to ask him why she had begun to feel tension on his behalf at work.

“Warner, I’m sensing some discomfort coming from you.” Her tone was sharp and admonishing and behind her glasses her gaze was cold.

Warner fidgeted in his seat and shifted his eyes trying to hide from that piercing gaze.

Sensing his feelings, her tone softened.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Linda. Everything is fine. I’ve just … been under a lot of stress lately, with the job and everything.”

Linda leaned in and forced him to look into her eyes.

“Warner, you know that if you ever need someone to talk to… or anything, I’m here for you. I’m your boss, but I’m also your friend. I know how lonely this job can be sometimes.”

It was more than he could take looking into her eyes which were so inviting.

“Linda,” he paused unsure of what would come out. He wanted to tell her everything, and run away all at the same time. “I’ve got to tell you something, but I’m not sure how you’re going to take this. It’s about you, and me…”

Linda put her hand over his lips gently and scribbled an address down on a scrap of paper.

“We’ll talk,” was all she said as she handed him the address and walked away.

He read the paper: 115 Pier Avenue – room 22 – 8:00PM.

Warner took another long sip of his bourbon finishing it. He felt the warmth as it slid down his throat and settled in his stomach. It soothed the bite, but did not cure the pain.

The server returned with a bill in his hand.

“If I could get you to send up something later to room 22, I would prefer to dine there tonight in private,” he said softly.

“Very good, sir. Will you still be having the prime rib?”

“Yes that will be fine.”

After paying the tab, Warner got up from the table and walked slowly across the restaurant to the wide wooden staircase in the corner leading upstairs to the rooms.

He reached the second floor and made his way down the corridor to the end of the hall. His feet felt heavy.

He wasn’t sure what would come of his relationship with Linda. He couldn’t imagine leaving the Agency to pursue a relationship with her, but thinking about living the rest of his life without her was also not an option.

He reached the end of the hall and went into his pocket to fish out the key. As he went to insert the key in the lock he found the door was ajar. Not much, but it was definitely not locked.

He struggled to remember whether or not he had pulled it to when he had left for dinner. He distinctly remembered hearing the door click as he pulled it closed. Instantly, alert consumed him. He instinctively pulled up the leg of his pants and freed the pistol he kept in a small ankle holster. His heart began to beat fast in his ear as he felt his blood pressure rise.

Could someone at the Agency have found out that he was going to be here tonight? Had he been followed? He paused before pushing the door open to run through the possibilities in his head.

He quietly pressed his ear to the door listening for any signs of movement. He could faintly hear the breeze rustling the long curtains and the crackling of the wood in the fireplace, but heard nothing else.

He glanced nervously back down the hallway from the dining room where he had just left. He saw nothing amiss.

Pointing his pistol to the floor he pushed the door open slightly and peered in.

The fire was now just a pile of burning embers which lent a strange orange glow to the room. He looked around it frantically and saw nothing.

He slipped inside the door, swung it back behind him quietly, and crouched behind the coat rack studying the room.

He noticed a silhouette on the balcony which was mostly hidden by the fireplace.

He crossed the room and hid poised to shoot behind a book case.

The figure approached the glass door slowly, which was partially opened.

A ringing in his ears began as the blood pounded in his temple. His palms began to sweat as he calculated the distance between him and the door.

The figure quietly opened the glass door and peered inside the room cautiously.

He froze motionless wondering if the figure had detected his presence.

As the door swung open the figure slipped inside the door, but did not take cover.

Instead, it stood fast in the doorway looking right in his direction.

He slowly raised his pistol and began breathing slowly taking aim.

Just as he was about to shoot, the figure reached up to its waist and pulled on a string that was cinched there.

The black silk robe, which stopped just short of the knee, fell open and slid down off the shoulders and to the floor revealing a naked female form.

“I’m sorry I missed dinner” Linda said in almost a whisper as her silhouette stood outlined by the moonlight pouring in from the window and the orange glow from the fireplace.

Warner lowered his pistol and exhaled deeply.

“Jesus, Linda, I almost shot you,” he said relieved.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said stretching out her hand beckoning him to her.