Mojo's Mountain (standard:romance, 1007 words)
Author: 525	Added: Sep 16 2000	Views/Reads: 4475/3	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A short scene. New love blooms in the telling of old.

.....................So I asked Leslie if she wanted to go walk the dog
with me. She asked where I walked him and I said "over by that hill, 
not to far from the house." Of course she said yes, she loved hanging 
out with my dog. 

So we gathered up the dog walking paraphernalia and got everything in
the truck for the short drive. We didn't say anything on the ride, it 
was a beautiful day and Les was just looking out the window apparently 
in deep thought. She looked beautiful too, she always did, but it 
really seemed to hit me the way we were quiet and the way she was 
staring into the hillside. She caught me looking at her and smiled, 
there was no way I could have kept from smiling back at her and I could 
feel a little extra blood flowing into my cheeks. 

We got out of the truck and I put Mojo on his leash and he immediately
ran to the end of it. I told Les that this is where my relationship 
with Julie officially ended, we had come here to talk and walk the dog 
too. She looked at me and didn't say anything, Les could usually tell 
whether she needed to jump in the conversation or just listen, and this 
was no exception. So we did what we came here to do, I told the story, 
she listened, we walked. 

Julie and I had walked just as Les and I were now. We had our walk at
night though and we knew we were there to talk. She had left about 
three months before, saying she was unhappy, I didn't think that was 
good reason but I didn't have much choice as I watched her gather some 
things in a garbage bag and walk out the door. It had been strictly 
business after that. 

Then, about three months later, out of the blue she started talking
about going out together, which was a huge shock to me. I said ok and 
we did once but we kept the conversation easy, but I didn't want to 
continue unless we did talk about the big issues and that was what we 
were here to do tonight. 

She looked troubled, I'm sure I did too, it had been a hard time for me.
She was wearing a jacket that was a little big and the sleeves came 
down over her hands I usually thought that looked cool on girls and 
tonight was no exception. We walked for a while not saying anything, I 
wanted to give her a chance to start, I didn't feel like saying 
anything right then anyway. After a while I realized nothing was going 
to get said if I didn't start talking. If we were going to get back 
together I had a long list of questions that needed to be answered but 
I still wasn't really even sure if that's what we were talking about. 

So I said "before we get into this, let me make sure I'm clear on what
we're doing, we are talking about getting back together, right? She 
said "yes, counseling has made me realize that our relationship is not 
the root cause of my unhappiness and I want to work on us, and work on 
me, and.......... I love you." I wanted very much for that to happen, 
to believe her, but I needed some answers to some not so easy questions 
first. So I kind of danced around explaining about how since she had 
left I had thought about how my next relationship would have to be and 
how I would hold her to those same standards, pretty much anyway. I 
would be willing to accept a plan to work towards those conditions 
because we had a history and because I loved her. 

I said, "there are some things I have to know" she looked at me, we
walked. So I dove in head first, "have you had sex with anyone else?" 
She stopped and turned towards me, her hands went to her face, still 
covered in the coat sleeves, she took a step backwards and started 
crying. I said, "well I'm done then"; I turned and continued walking. I 
think I went into shock, literally, physically, like when a guy gets 
his arm cut off in an industrial accident and his body just shuts down 
so he doesn't die from the pain. It was like a self-induced coma my 
soul used for self-preservation. 

Mojo trotted on ahead, his world hadn't changed much. Eat, sleep,
walk... mostly sleep. 

I was just walking back to the truck, by myself really, Julie stayed a
couple of steps behind me, but it wouldn't have mattered if she would 
have been in my face trying to get my attention, I still would have 
been alone. 

When we got there she asked, "do you want me to walk back?" I shook my
head. It always struck me as odd; she was concerned about me being 
uncomfortable in the same car with her for two minutes, yet she had 
just made the rest of my life uncomfortable. 

I heard myself let out a deep breath and realized I hadn't really
thought about that night that much since it had happened. I mean I had 
thought about the general situation and some other specifics almost 
constantly, but that night must have been kinda blocked out. In telling 
the story to Les today I probably saved it from the forgotten archives 
of mental suppression. 

That thought pulled me back to the present, I looked at Les and saw the
trail of a single small tear from the corner of her eye down to her jaw 
line where it was still hanging on. I felt a tingling chill run up my 
back and out my shoulders finally settling as goosebumps on my arms.  I 
hugged her and I realized I loved her. I wasn't sure exactly what that 
meant but I knew it was true, so I told her. 


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