#17 The Quay

As the week progressed, the days and hours seemed to drag along.  The more Molly was anxious for the weekend to arrive, the slower things moved along.  It was difficult for her to think that she had ever anticipated the arrival of a weekend this much.

Friday evening arrived and there was no word from Kevin.  Not even a phone call.  Molly wanted to call Kevin, but she didn't want to seem pushing either.  As night drew near and the clouds darkened the winter sky she worried that something had happened.  Finally, ignoring all her sensibilities, she called Kevin only to find there was no answer.  What was going on?

By midnight Molly was exhausted and worried that the little bit of whiskey she had to calm her nerves had kicked in and she fell asleep in the over-sized chair in her sitting room.  It was early morning before she awoke and still had not heard from Kevin.  And now the morning sky had filled with dark clouds warning of a storm.  Molly stretched her body, stiff from sleeping in the chair, reluctant to move for few minutes.  She could hear the sound of the rain showers starting on the windows, slowly at first and then the downpour began.

She leaned over and sleepily and switched on the light on the table beside the chair.  The sound of the rain on the windows was almost musical, but there was something else, a tapping that had started.  She stirred out of her sleepy state and realized there was a tapping at her door.  What on earth was going on?

With the blanket throw from the chair wrapped around her she slowly opened the door to find a very drenched Kevin standing before her.

"What happened?", she asked as she pulled Kevin into the cottage moving the blanket throw from around to herself to around Kevin pushing him toward the left over fire with the glowing embers from the night before.

"Traffic, flat tire, dead phone, you name it."  Kevin responded as he put his hands near the fire to warm a bit.

Molly put more peat logs on the fire to get a better fire going.  They would need it with a storm like this to keep the cottage nice and warm.  Kevin was literally shivering.  Molly started the hot water in the shower and pulled Kevin away from the slowly gaining fire to the shower room with orders to warm up in the hot water.  While Kevin was warming up in the shower, Molly started a pot of tea and some breakfast scones for the two of them to eat.  She had not even taking into consideration how she looked until she looked at her reflection in the window.  She was horrified for Kevin to see her like this.

It was too late to do anything now.  Kevin was in the shower room where all her needs were.  She would have to excuse herself once he was out.  And with that thought, she heard Kevin enter the room.

When she turned she gasped as Kevin had only a towel wrapped around him.  She had totally forgotten about all his wet clothes.

"Where is your bag for the weekend, Kevin?",  Molly queried.

"In the car, about a mile up the road.  I wasn't thinking it would be raining so hard so quickly." Kevin groaned as he moved back toward the warm fire.  He seemed a bit uncomfortable with only the towel wrapped around him in front of Molly.  Excusing herself quickly she retreated to her room for a quick look in the mirror.  Shocked at the way she looked she grabbed her brush and quickly ran it through her hair, then grabbed a dry blanket for Kevin to wrap himself in.

"This is the best I can do at the moment," Molly explained as she handed Kevin the blanket.  I'll throw your clothes in the dryer, but they are so wet it will take a good while for them.  "Let me get you some hot tea.  I know how chilling these winter storms can be."

As the two of them sat in front of the fire sipping their tea, they had to laugh at their predicament.  Even under these circumstances, they felt relatively comfortable with each other.

"Hardly the way I expect to present myself to you today, Molly," Kevin explained.

"I'm just glad you made it safely.  I was terribly worried,"  Molly responded.  "It looks like the worst of the storm is over and the sun might make it out yet today.  If anything, even without a sunny day, it will be clear enough for us to do a little exploring.  Now give me your car keys and tell me where the car is, so I can go get your bag."

"I'll go with you," Kevin shouted.

"Not dressed like that you won't," Molly laughed.

With Kevin's directions Molly easily found Kevin's car, transferred his bag to her car and headed back to the cottage.  The day was improving and so was their circumstance.