A Walk In The Wilderness Read Online Free Page A

“Listen, Caitlin.  I’ve got all night, and there’s nowhere you can go to hide.  Satisfy my curiosity, won’t you?  I just want you to talk to me, a bit.  Tell me about yourself.”
          She forced herself to look up at him.  He was waiting patiently, with eyes that sparkled forcefully.  “I heard a great deal from your friend last night, but there was precious little from you.”  He urged.
        Caitlin shrugged.  “They were her tickets.  I was just along for the ride, actually.  It was fitting that she get to do the talking.”
          He looked her straight in the eyes and just considered her carefully.  “Well, tonight is a very different thing.  Is it all right with you if I stay here and talk to you?  Or would you prefer that I go?”
          Caitlin looked at him, shocked, and blushed furiously.  “Well, I suppose it’s all right.  I don’t generally have any customers in the middle of the night.”
          “But is it all right with you?” he asked pointedly.
         She couldn’t quite look at him.  “Yes.” she agreed.  She felt a bit like a bug specimen being pinned to an exhibit board, until he smiled again. 
      “Good.”  He said quietly.  “Start by telling me what you’re going to do when you get out of college.”
         Caitlin shrugged.  “Look for a job.” She said lightly.  “Uncle has been very good to me, but it’s time for me to move on and get out of their hair.”
       He nodded.  “What of the rest of your family?  Where do you hail from?”
      She gave him a look that conveyed mistrust.  “I have no one.  I was an only child and my parents both died some years ago.”
         “I’m sorry, Caitlin.”  He said quietly.  “Perhaps you could find it in your heart and schedule to have lunch tomorrow with a lonely guy from Ontario.”
         She looked at him in almost sheer terror.  She felt the blood drain from her face and then rush back forcefully into a blush. 
          Skyler watched the emotions with quiet interest.   Finally, she looked up at him with incredulous, green eyes and then looked quickly away again.
      He put his index finger under her chin and lifted it, forcing her to turn her panic-stricken eyes back to his.  “Or dinner, if it’s early enough.  I really won’t bite you.  And I am a gentleman, I assure you.  I am not married, engaged or otherwise promised, and you will be perfectly safe.”
         She tried to smile, and lowered her eyes.  “All right.  Dinner would be better.” She managed to say .
         Skyler let the corners of his mouth turn up.  “Will wonders never cease?” he chuckled.  “Very good.  I suppose you take a long nap when you get home from school, don’t you?”
         “Well, actually, that’s my only sleep time because I work graveyard.”  She admitted.
          “Will four o’clock work for you?”
          “That would be lovely.”
         “After dinner, perhaps I could convince you to accompany me to the concert again.”  He suggested hopefully.
          “Well, yes.  I could, actually.  I don’t work tomorrow.”  
          “I’ll pick you up at your door, then.  What’s your room number?”
     “One sixty-two.”  She said immediately.  Then she wondered if she’d been wise, giving it to him.
      But he went on without reacting, and he got her to tell him all kinds of things about herself.  He kept her talking until half past three.  By that time, her blushes were fewer and farther between and she was talking with him quite freely. 
    “I suppose that I should get upstairs and try to get some sleep.”  He said, stretching wearily.  “I’ll see you at four.  And, thanks for letting me get to know you a bit.”  He added with a teasing smile.  “Goodnight, lovely Caitlin.” 
         She watched him walk away, and bit her lip