Blue Coyote Motel (5 page)

Maria wasn't sure whether he was kidding or not. He was so different from any man she had ever known. His eyes held an intensity she had never seen before. When he looked at her, he couldn't disguise how much he wanted her and Maria sensed this feeling. She felt threatened by him and yet strangely attracted and drawn to him. He was sexy in a very intellectual way, far different from the macho men she had known. Although she wasn't particularly an egotistical person, she had to admit that the idea of a brilliant scientist being interested in her was very seductive. Certainly, she was no stranger to male relationships, but she'd never met a man like Jeffrey. The men she had known before seemed like children compared to him. She was looking forward to the dinner and learning more about his research.

She glanced at her watch and realized she had gone way over the fifteen minutes allotted for her coffee break. She grabbed her book, told Jeffrey she'd see him tomorrow, and hurried out of the cafeteria. Fortunately, no one was in the reception area when she returned to her desk. She sat down, put her book in her desk drawer, and acted as if she'd been sitting there for quite some time.

The next morning before she went to work, she took everything out of her closet. Nothing seemed right. What do you wear when you're going to have dinner with someone who was probably going to win a Nobel Prize? She didn't have a clue and she also didn't have any money to buy anything new. She relied on the "rich lady's" clothes and decided on a simple, lavender sweater and matching skirt. It was unseasonably cool for Southern California and she knew the outfit was flattering to her, showing off her hour-glass figure.

As the day went on, she found that she was really looking forward to the dinner. At 11:30 that morning, Jeffrey called her, confirming the time. They talked for a while and she could tell that he, too, was looking forward to the dinner. She wondered if she had misjudged him since he seemed a lot more normal on the phone than he had been in person. Promptly at 5:30, Jeffrey walked into the reception area. "Ready?" he asked.

"Just one minute. I need to shut down my computer," she said. Maria got her purse from the bottom drawer of the desk, secretly pleased that the rich church lady had donated the Kate Spade bag. It looked a lot better than the Wal-Mart special she'd gotten for Christmas several years ago.

The trip to the Italian restaurant was short and when they entered, she could tell Jeffrey had been right. The restaurant looked and smelled wonderful. Maria had spent a lot of time reading cookbooks she had checked out of the library. Her family had never been able to afford to eat out at restaurants and even if they had, they never would have gone to a restaurant as fancy as this one.

As she was looking at the menu, the waiter came and asked if they would like to order from the wine list. Jeffrey asked if he might order for her, that there was one special wine he particularly liked. After the waiter brought them their wine, she sipped it and asked Jeffrey to tell her about it.

"Well, I particularly like this malbec, maybe because it brings back such good memories for me. After I graduated from college, before I began my post-graduate work, my parents gave me a graduation present, a trip to Argentina. For some reason I had always been fascinated with the country and it was an incredible experience. Malbec wine comes mainly from Argentina and every time I drink it, I feel happy, like I did in Argentina.

Maria rarely drank wine other than the sip of wine that she would get at Communion Mass. All of the men she had known in the past preferred beer, but she loved the malbec Jeffrey had suggested. The deep red wine was fabulous and she found that, with Jeffrey’s help, she could even detect the hint of plums and berries.

When she ordered, neither the waiter nor Jeffrey suspected that she had never eaten any of the things she ordered. In fact, she didn't even know what they were. Because she was too embarrassed to ask, she just took a chance and ordered. She decided on bucatini with a pork and fennel ragu and a caprese salad. Jeffrey opted for the shellfish risotto with a fresh pea soup. The aromas coming out of the kitchen held the promise that they would soon be enjoying a spectacularly good meal.

"Tell me a little about yourself," Jeffrey began. "Why did a beautiful woman like you decide to come to work for Moore Scientific Laboratories? I'm sure you had a number of other choices."

She gave him an abbreviated version of her interest in what Moore Labs was doing and asked him to tell her more about his research. Clearly, this was his love. Once he started, it was like floodgates had been opened.

Speaking slowly, he began, "I always wanted to be a scientist. Even when I was a little kid, I'd be experimenting with things. The science kits my parents gave me just got bigger and more expensive the older I got. My mother was always worried about aging, so she took all kinds of health food supplements, some okay and some pretty weird. I grew up thinking everyone ate tofu. The other kids in class had peanut butter and jelly on white bread and chips for lunch. I finally convinced Mom to give me peanut butter and jelly, but it was organic, on whole grain bread. I used to console myself by thinking at least the other kids didn't know it was organic and that it wasn't some really weird thing like we often had at home.

"My mom spent hours at the library, trying to discover the secret to the fountain of youth. When she learned about the Internet, it opened up even more possibilities. I guess it was pretty natural that I'd go into this field."

"I'm fascinated by aging as well. I've always wondered if something could be discovered so that people wouldn't have to look older. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could look like we do now for the rest of our lives? I guess everyone hopes that some drug or product like that will be discovered," Maria said.

"Can you keep a secret?" Jeffrey asked.

"Of course. I really don't know anyone well at Moore Labs and yes, I'm a very good keeper of secrets. With all my brothers and sisters, I had to learn to keep secrets," Maria laughed.

"Well," Jeffrey went on, "I think I'm on the brink of finding the fountain of youth. The research I've done on rats has been incredible. I think that with just a little more tweaking, I can keep us looking exactly like we do now." Jeffrey was oblivious to the shiver that ran through Maria at the mention of rats. Rats brought back the terror of the evening in the alley when she was twelve years old.

He was just starting to go into greater detail when the waiter brought their soup and salad. They resorted to small talk, things like where they had come from, their families, his education, and her lack of education.

As they began to eat their main course, Jeffrey's cell phone rang. "Yes, of course. I'll be right there," he said. He stood up, took several bills out of his wallet, and apologized to Maria. He continued talking as he escorted her out the door. "I have to go back to the lab. My assistant has been overseeing some things that require my immediate attention. Again, I'm sorry. I really enjoyed being with you. Could we try again?" Jeffrey asked.

"Yes, I'd like that very much," she said.

Maria found she had liked being with Jeffrey far more than she had thought she would. He was probably the most interesting man she had ever met, even if he was different. He was completely dedicated to science and to his work. He told her there were a number of things he wanted to work on; experiments that he hoped would lead to important discoveries for all of mankind. He clearly had some grandiose plans for the future and for the good of the human race.

While talking about his future plans, Maria had asked him “What do you have in mind? It seems hard to believe that one person could help the entire word. I mean, I know it’s possible, but it seems pretty unlikely.”

“Well, I’ll keep that for another time, but I do think it can be done. I just need to work out some of the details.” Jeffrey replied.

She had never met anyone like Jeffrey. The other men she had known were only interested in beer and sex. Jeffrey had shown her that he could be very normal and she thought what a burden it must be, to be so close to discovering something that everyone would want. How could she not feel flattered that he wanted to see her again? She was smart, but she had never met anyone with a mind as quick as his and it was hard to keep up with his train of thought.
This is a challenge,
she thought,
a very interesting challenge and unlike any I've ever experienced.

"Well then," Jeffrey said, "could we try for dinner again tomorrow night? Hopefully, I can take care of what I need to do at the lab tonight and tomorrow I'll be available for the entire night. If not, I'll let you know."

"Yes. I'm already looking forward to it," Maria said, smiling, and at the same time mentally wondering what other "rich lady outfit" was in her closet that would compare to what she had worn tonight. She could tell by the way he had looked at her that he had definitely approved of the lavender sweater and skirt.

Maria and Jeffrey spent a lot of time together during the next few weeks. They shared their pasts as well as their hopes for the future. Once, when Jeffrey looked at her and told her how beautiful she was, she shared her fear of losing her looks, a fear she lived with daily. In turn, Jeffrey told her about his childhood and how a lot of people thought he was crazy because he was different. He told her that he was manic-depressive, diagnosed by a psychiatrist while he was in middle school, and that his life had changed for the better when he began taking medication for it.

Jeffrey was thirty-seven years old, but his commitment to science had kept his social life to a minimum. He was enthralled by this young, strikingly beautiful woman, who seemed really interested in his scientific endeavors. He couldn't help but notice that every man who saw Maria paused and stared, unable to believe that anyone could be that beautiful. A beautiful woman was not a bad thing to have as a companion.

CHAPTER 5

Gradually, the friendship turned into something much deeper. They progressed from casual goodnight kisses to passionate lovemaking at Jeffrey's apartment.

Jeffrey was tired from working so hard and his brain felt fried. He thought a short weekend vacation might do him good and give him a much-needed break. He asked Maria to go to Santa Barbara with him for a long weekend, which she readily agreed to, having never been out of Orange County. Jeffrey decided he would splurge and they would stay at the Bacara Resort in Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara.

They each took a day of vacation and left Orange County about 10:00 on a Friday morning, hoping to avoid the moving parking lot, which often made up the 405 Freeway. Fortunately, traffic was light and they easily made it to the Santa Barbara area by noon. Just south of Santa Barbara, in the Montecito area, they turned off Highway 101, leisurely admiring the lush reds and purples of the hillsides covered with bougainvillea vines, the stately mansions, and the beautiful oceanfront homes. When they got to Santa Barbara, they spent several hours exploring downtown, the pier, and State Street. They found a wonderful wine and cheese shop where they bought several different kinds of cheese and some wine to enjoy later in the evening.

The drive to the resort, which was located high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was breathtaking. The old world Spanish style architecture of the world-class resort was charming with no detail in luxurious comfort overlooked. As promised, their room faced the ocean and had a small balcony where they enjoyed their wine and cheese before dinner. .

Jeffrey had heard good things about the Miro Restaurant in the hotel so they decided to try it, which proved to be a very good decision. Within minutes of being seated, the waiter brought their menus, water was poured, and warm bread with a red sea salt butter was offered. The wine steward asked what wine they would like to order with dinner and suggested the Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc with their salad and the Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon with their entree.

The Dungeness crab in Jeffrey’s salad had been perfectly steamed and chilled and was one of Jeffrey's favorites. Maria had never had calamari so she decided to expand her taste buds and try it. It, too, was an excellent addition to her salad and she was glad that she'd been experimental when making her selection. The wine steward poured their beautiful red cabernet as the waiter brought their strip steak and loin of lamb. Although they were stuffed from the wine and cheese they'd had in their room and from the large dinner, the waiter insisted they try the restaurant's signature dish, an orange blossom beignet, a fancy New Orleans word for a fritter. They opted to split one order and although they could only manage a couple of bites, the waiter had been right, it was fantastic.

It was a beautiful night as they leisurely left the restaurant to have an after dinner drink on the patio by the fire pit. The roar of the ocean, the warmth of the wine they had ordered, along with the lingering taste of the well prepared food were the finishing touches to a wonderful day. Jeffrey was relaxed for the first time in months. Although he had used being tired as an excuse for the trip, and there was some truth to that, his real purpose had been to propose to Maria in a romantic spot. His instincts had been right; he couldn't have picked a better time and place.

He reached into his pocket and took out a small jewelry box. Maria was looking at the ocean and never noticed his movement. When she returned her gaze to Jeffrey, he said, "Maria, we've spent a lot of time together in the past few months. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be. Will you marry me?"

Her affirmative answer was a foregone conclusion. The thought briefly crossed her mind that her mother would be really, really happy and Maria couldn't wait to tell her she had found a rich man and she was getting out of the barrio. Now she’d never hear that mantra again. She'd never have to see the rats in the alley and the faces of the young gang members who had raped her. Finally, she was getting out. "Jeffrey, let's go to the room. I have to call my mother and tell her. She will be so excited."