Megan watched him carefully.“Can I ask, if she hadn't shown up, would you have gone through with marrying me?”
“Honestly, more than likely not,” he said.“What is next for me is going to be hard, backbreaking and soul-bending.A beautiful spirit like you doesn't deserve that kind of life.”
“I was willing to build beside you, Thom, massaging out the kinks, all the while providing love and support,” Megan said.
“I know, and in return, my conversations would center on trains and jazz and jazz and trains,” he said.“Those aren't your passions, but mine.I realized in the past three days, I want to discuss those things with someone who speaks my language.”
“I was willing to learn.”
“I know, my sweet, but you have to ask if I would have given as much back in return.A marriage requires balance, and we would have been out of balance,” he said, “Go ahead and prepare to head over with Jiminy.I'll be by later to check on you.”
“Thom,” she said, “thanks for being who I thought you were and not taking advantage.”
“And I won't let anyone else take advantage of you either.I have to run.I'm late for work and I have a Big Wig in my kitchen to impress,” he said, nodding to Megan.“Jiminy, I'll check in with you later.”
Mae Weston, upon hearing herself referenced, stepped out on the back deck.It overlooked an area the size of a football field and a half.A sizeable amount of work would be required to build a stage and sound system, plus the rental of portable toilets.The cost to get the festival off the ground would be substantial to do the build-out.Even if the company purchased the land and built an outdoor amphitheater, the location felt a bit Woodstocky.She snapped a few photos, turning to find the man staring at her.
“It's a bit too remote and has a Woodstock kind of vibe,” Mae said.“The build-out for the stage and sound system can run upwards of mid to upper seven figures, not to mention the leasing of the portable bathrooms, security, and the like.You come out better holding it your local convention center.”
“Factored those things in,” he said, closing the back door and securing it with a key.
“If the City of Alton currently has a jazz festival, yours will be in direct competition which is no go at Corporate.”she told him.“Even if you were to work with the city on possibly a Sunday jazz in the park theme in the fall, it would be feasible, but it removes the train aspect.”
“Speaking of trains, I need to go to the station.I will also show you around the city, we can talk some more, and you can tell me about you, how you have that amazing diesel engine you drove in, and its name,” Thom said, leading her over to his Jeep.“Do you need to get your purse or anything?”
“Everything I need is on me,” she said, climbing into the Jeep and noticing the three yellow rubber ducks on the dashboard.Once Thom entered the driver's side, she pointed at the ducks.
“The first one, some dude at a gas station walked up and handed it to me,” Thom said.“The drive out plates were on the vehicle, so he knew my ride was right off the lot.Honestly, I was about to fight him, because I thought the duck was some kind of weird sexual suggestion.He was about to get these hands.”
Mae chuckled, “The other two?”
“My brother LeBeau sent one, and the other one is from my sister Kimbrae, who helped me with the financing options,” he said.
“Financing options?”
“She's my accountant,” he replied.“Our first jobs, we would bring home our checks and give them to her.She'd take the checks to the bank and deposit them in our accounts, then bring back a weekly allowance.We learned fiscal responsibility, contributed the household and had money to buy our first vehicles and in time, our first homes.”
“Like the one on your property?”
“Neither of these are my first home,” he told her.“I got the depot for the cost of the taxes and the city wanted to be done with it, since it was becoming a gathering place for the vagabonds and vagrants and, of course crime.I did them a favor buying the property.”
“Well, you have a few chips in the karma can with them,” she said as they arrived at the train station.“You live close to the station.”
“With good weather, I ride my bike into work; other days, I take my work pickup,” he said, parking as he saw the kid on the skateboard.His mouth tensed at seeing the boy.He sighed deeply as he exited the vehicle and walked around to open the door for the lady.They climbed the stairs of the train station together, Thom holding up his hand to the boy.
“Randy, why aren't you in school?”
“Oh, look out there now train man, I see you seeking a new adventure,” Randy said, stopping to look at Mae.
“She is from the Corporate Offices here to look at ways to stop skateboarders from using the platforms to cause havoc at train stations,” he lied.“It might even help you get out of the seventh grade.”
“I don't know, Train Man; that report you helped me with only earned me a B,” Randy said, eyeballing Mae.
“A, a B is a lot better than the zero you would have earned if I didn't.Be off with you before I call truancy,” Thom said, walking away.
Thom entered the station and people called out to him.Some waved to him, offering a morning greeting.The ticket taker leaned to the side when Mae walked past, pointing at the black woman.Thom only smiled.
“You must get that a lot, being as stunning as you are,” he complimented, unlocking his office door to let her inside.
