Covered Bridges-9.

Before….

I’d like to say that John was the guy.

That guy that if you’re transgendered and straight you’ve been looking for, the guy that I guess that all girls are looking for and while john’s a really nice guy. Sweet and smart, soulful and artistic and just a really, really decent guy.

He’s not that guy.

And now…Chapter 9

A good cry, some comfort food, another good cry and some crappy sobby movies is what it took to bleed the crippling feelings from John and me parting ways.

I long run this morning and a Java-juice along with a coffee had my brain back on running speeds and I’m in the shower singing along to Bob Seger.

“Against the wind…”
  
“We were runnin' against the wind.”
  
“We were young and strong, we were runnin’”
  
“Against the wind.”

I love his stuff it’s that older rock I grew up with, some of my dad’s stuff and it melds pretty well with the songs I like.

There’s another sex/gender advantage. Girls, we don’t catch shit as often for liking the music we do. Me I’m a 60’ through 80’s listener and I like ballads and romantic rock songs.

I towel off lightly and take my time getting myself ready for the day mostly because I’m looking online at some of the things that I want to see while I’m here in Ottawa. I might have gone and did Toronto but I’ve been to Toronto and while it’s is a nicer city that most people give it credit for I’m not sure how many of the sights have changed enough for me to really go there for a short time.

I’ve never been to Ottawa and a lot of people ignore this city sometimes when it comes to the touristy thing. I want to check it out and see some of the cool things that this place has to have and yes I want to see parliament and I want to see the war memorials and the Eternal flame too.

“Hmm…breakfast? Maybe I’ll wait and get brunch instead someplace and find a nice place to eat here in town.”

I get dressed and it’s a nice day but I’m planning on a good amount of walking so I want my sneakers so I go with a sundress that has short sleeves and a nice fit on my waist and my hips and has a pretty low cup bust line to show off my breasts…They are one of my best features beside my butt and I like to show enough of them off to draw the eye.

And because it’s cute and it’ll go with my sneakers I slip on my double thick stocking socks. They’re like thing highs but they look like sports socks and makes my sneakers and the dress a cute combo.

You don’t see these much over here but they’re worn quite a bite over in Japan. They’re more of a teenager and laid back adult kind of thing but I’m also Canadian and blonde so that worked for me pretty well.

I brought a lot of them home with me but only have a few with my in my bags right now. I get a cab hailed and get them to take me to. “Hey I haven’t had breakfast yet can you take me to the best place you know?”

He takes me to this little hole in the wall place in a downtown brick and mortar call Sally’s. I pay him the fare plus the rest of what the balance from the forty bucks was I mean I know when I’m being hauled around it’s just Ottawa cabs are pretty steep with it being eight fifty but hey it’s sort of like that in most major cities these days.

Sally’s is just what the doctor ordered too it’s that old fashioned down town diner in the brick building that you’d wander into after a night out on the town drinking with friends because she was open twenty four seven and it’s got those great big plate glass windows that let you just look out onto the street as the night would go by.

Or in my case the daytime but it’s still really my kind of place. I like sitting in the sun and being able to watch people go by. Lots of decent coffee and not the frou-frou stuff just good coffee and maybe the paper and…

Okay I know exactly what I want as I’m getting the paper and a seat in one of the booths.

The waitress is kinda charming with that twenties youth thing going on and the piercings and a few tattoos but she’s dressed in the uniform all tricked out to look like the nineteen fifties pin up style. And that totally her own deal because the other waitresses are just sporting the uniform.

She’s got this smile on her face that sort of just adds to the sunshine coming in. “What can I get you hon?”

Oh I like that touch thankfully she’s not chewing gum. No it’s not a teacher thing I just find gum’s good now and then but I’m not a fan of the whole bimbo chew. I smile at her and wave off the menu. “I’m on my last big vacation for awhile so…how’s the pie?”

Oops she’s giving me this look like she’s trying to decide if I’m flirting with her or not.

“The pie is fabulous honey, what kind would you like.”

Oh…and she said it suggestively too. While its fun I’m not looking for a girl to be with actually I’m not looking for anyone right now.

Too soon.

“Oh I would imagine it’s absolutely heaven but I think a big slice of apple pie heated up with a bit of ice cream is all I can handle right now.”

She sorta pouts and I sort of give her the blushing smile and move some hair out of my face. She gets this serious but still kind look after a second and nods. “Right hot apple with ice cream scooped or soft serve.”

“Oh…soft serve please.”

“Coffee?”

“Please just with some milk in it.”

“Alright darling coming right up.”

She walks away and there’s still the tiny look back and the very nice swivel of her hips as she goes. I’m pretty sure she knows I’m not looking but she’s more than willing to do it just because.

Just because well it’s fun to flirt especially if the other person is fun enough not to get all offended by some same sex flirting.

I get the paper from an empty booth near mine and I browse through it just sort of checking everything out and kind of spend my time with the actual news and then looking at both the entertainment section and the life and times.

And older man comes over and starts to lean in towards me. I pull out the sports section. “Sports?”

He smiles. “Thank you that’d be lovely Miss?”

“Haley…”

“Nice to meet you Haley I’m Frank.”

“Come here often?”

“Everyday so you are a new face.”

“I’m on vacation sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“I’m moving out to British Columbia for a teaching job and I figured that I’d take my time and try and see the sights along the way.”

“Driving?”

“No…I’m only an iffy driver I’ve lived too long in Japan and in Brazil and the cities was way too crowded for my liking so I became public transportation girl.”

“That’s a lot of back and forth though you must have saved up you airmiles.”

“Did and used them all pretty much going home. No I wanted to take a train trip with all the trimmings before the train becomes a thing of the past.”

He nods and moves only to get his cup of coffee and bring it over. “May I?”

“Certainly I’d love the company and maybe pull on you for some knowledge.”

“Oh?”

“Well you’re local I take it right?”

“All my adult life.”

“Then you know all the good places for me to go see.”

“I do and I know that this is being really forward but I’m retired and if you’d like I could squire you around the city and give you a tour and you wouldn’t have to pay cabs and the like.”

I look him over and he’s a nice looking older man. No not that way but sort of that way just nice. Well dressed even if he’s retired, clean shaven and hair well groomed this was one of those old school gentlemen and I can’t help but notice the wedding ring he has on.

He’s a widower.

I smile and reach out and take his hand in mine. “Deal on two conditions.”

“Okay and those are?”

“You tell me about her as we go and you take me over to your place before we go and I’ll cook you a home cooked meal.”

He smiles. “I…I could do that.”

The girl comes with my pie and I smile at her and she has that sunshine smile on her face again.

I smile back at her and she does the little blushy bit this time and I look at Frank. “Should I ask for a second fork?”

“No, no I’m stuffed from my pancakes but if you don’t mind I’d enjoy watching.”

“Watching…me eat?”

“I know it sounds odd but when you’re used to having someone on the other side of the table you miss it when she’s not there any more. It sounds loopy I know but I miss watching a woman eat. How they eat.”

I sort of get that thinking back to me going to visit all the graves before heading away from home and how all of that felt.

“Not strange at all Frank but I’m not the most mannered of gals y’know.”

“Neither was My Mary just be yourself Haley.”

I eat and really enjoy it too; it’s that applesauce apple pie. Tenderflake crust and the filling is something my Aunt Katie used to make for my dad every Christmas….applesauce and apples coated in cinnamon sugar and all mixed together with a handful of tapioca pearls to firm it all up. It’s good enough by itself especially when I haven’t had a slice of apple pie in about four years. Now have it heated up with some melty vanilla soft serve on it and I’m definitely enjoying myself and everytime I make a goof eating it or a noise from just enjoying it its make Frank look over at me and smile.

We get done and I leave a twenty on the table and Frank offers his arm and we start to go and the waitress smiles and waves a little with her fingers and mouths thank you?

He chuckles as we’re leaving.

“What’s so funny?”

“That’s Robyn and she’s my grand daughter.”

“Oh that’s why she was thanking me?”

“Probably, I come down and visit her here all the time.”

“So the old style look is...”

He laughs. “I have no idea it’s not to look like her grandmother even though she does look like Mary did at that age.”

“Lucky man then.”

“Yes, yes I was and you could be a lucky girl y’know Robyn’s a sweet girl.”

“I noticed believe me I noticed but I just got out of a relationship not too long ago and I’m not exactly looking.”

“Believe me Haley once you’ve had your one you really never look for someone else.”

“I know…I’m looking for that Jack as hard as it might be to find I really want that.”

“Good, and you’re a beautiful and sweet girl don’t settle.”

I see flowers at a news stand. I stop and get some roses. “You deliver?”

The guy looks at me. “Naw not really?”

“Down to Sally’s?”

“Oh…well that I can have arranged.” And yes this guy’s Italian and he’s speaking like that. I have to stop the eye roll…okay I’m just going to let “Vinnie” do his ting. It cost me a side trip to the ATM but its worth it and I sign the note.

“That would have been amazing pie.”

And I kiss the other side of it leaving a lipstick print there and get him to take those to her. She might not have been who I was looking for but she’s definitely flower worthy…well most girls are but I think getting flowers is just nice and getting them at work it just makes your day suck less.

Plus the bragging factor.

Frank leads me to his car this really well maintained old style Crown Victoria and he opens the door for me. He get’s in and I look at him. “So where too first?”

“Well the weather’s still nice so how about we go over and we look at The Canal?”

“Oh…! Oh that’s a great idea that never even really made my list.”

He smiles and we pull out and he’s actually already starting to point out things as we drive and I’ve got my camera out and he’ll even stop so I can shutterbug.

Y’know I love this country…kind old ladies on the train, sweet guys and girls all over and just being able to pick up with a stranger like we’re not all that strange at all.

I think Frank and Ottawa are exactly what my spirit needs right now.