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A Difficult Choice an NCIS story

Chapter 1

Why did all of this happen now when finally I have found some happiness in my life?  Paula said that she would only be in town for a few days and then she was off to Europe to start her new life with her new husband so why did she find the need to come here today of all days?  And to top it all off she can’t keep her hands off of me. She knows that our relationship is over for goodness sake she’s a married woman but that doesn’t seem to matter to her but it has caused a tremendous problem for me.  

Six months ago I met someone in the local Home Depot of all places. As a newcomer to the area she was asking one of the clerks for the best place to purchase one item that they did not carry but the clerk did not know.  Familiar with that product I told her where she could purchase it and gave her directions on how to get there.  Thanking me for the information we parted ways and I did not see her again until a month later at that particular shop to which I referred her.  Not believing in coincidences I took a chance and asked her out and she accepted.  

Turns out we have many common interests.  Both avid readers we have exchanged books and not always agreeing on each other’s take on the authors’ objectives has led to very intense discussions.  Her grandfather was a woodworker and she grew up playing in his shop and learning how to make small projects.  Upon reaching her teen years her interests expanded and she spent less time in her grandfather’s woodshop but she treasured her time with him and woodworking has a special place in her heart.  When I told her that my father taught woodworking to me she asked if I continued it and answering that I did she asked if I could show her some pieces.  I did her one better and invited her to my shop.  Not comfortable coming to my house she asked if I would bring a piece with me on our next ‘date’.  

Not having any new small pieces readily available I made something just for her.  It was a nameplate for her desk.  When I presented it to her you would have thought that I had given her a Faberge egg.  She kept thanking me over and over again for how marvelous it looked and how the wood matched her desk and how it was just the right size.  It was really a simply nameplate but I appreciated her enthusiasm for the piece.  

Now we have been seeing each other for several months and she’s finally comfortable enough to come to my home.  Turns out her hesitancy was due to one of her friends accepting an invitation to some guy’s house and the guy attempted to rape her friend. The guy tried to pull her friend in the front door of his house but a neighbor passed by and asked if anything was wrong and the friend yelled for help.  The neighbor approached with his dog and demanded that the man unhand the woman and she ran behind the neighbor and called the police. The police arrived and the man was arrested and convicted of attempted assault. He soon moved out of the neighborhood, to the relief of all of the neighbors.

We reach my place and I show her to my workshop and she is amazed at all of the tools and some of the pieces on which I’m working.  Then she starts talking about all of the things that her grandfather would do if he saw this or what he would do if he had this tool and she was so animated that I just stood there and listened to her. It was refreshing to hear someone so appreciative of this thing that I love doing.  

Then my doorbell rings and I excuse myself to answer it.  She remains downstairs just walking around the shop naming the various tools and then I hear her say, “I don’t think grandpa had this but I will ask what it is.”  I leave her to her wandering.  Arriving upstairs I open the door and there stands Paula.  Our relationship ended over two years ago and she married a year ago so I have no idea why she is here.

“Paula why are you here? We have nothing else to say to each other?  Isn’t your husband waiting for you?”

“Jethro I’m here to give you one more chance to change your mind.  I’m leaving for Europe in the morning and I won’t return. I thought that we might have one last night together.”

“Paula you are a married woman and anyway I don’t want you like that anymore.”

“What you’ve given up sex?  I don’t believe it. Jethro you are a man, a virile man who needs a woman and I can be that woman tonight.  Come on for old times sake.”

Then she does something that takes me totally by surprise.  She grabs me, pulls me to her and kisses me. As I’m pushing her away I hear,

“Oh I’m sorry to interrupt.  I will leave now.” My guest says as she stands looking at Paula and me like a deer caught in headlights.

“No, don’t leave Celeste.  Mrs. Robinson was just leaving.”

But before I can unwrap myself from Paula’s grasp, Celeste rushes by us and runs to her car.  By the time I make it to the porch she’s already half way down the block driving away as fast as she can.  Returning inside Paula stands there visibly contrite.

“Jethro I am so sorry.  I really didn’t know that you had someone here.  I’m glad to see that you’ve moved on.  I do apologize for interrupting your evening but since she’s gone do you want to take me up on my offer because I was very serious about that.”

“No Paula I would not.  Goodbye.”

Paula leaves and I call Celeste’s cell phone but it goes to voice mail. She probably thinks that I was just stringing her along.  Now do I go after her or wait for her to call or what?  I don’t know.  Standing there in the foyer trying to decide what to do I barely hear the knock on the door.  Thinking it is Paula returning to pressure me to give in to her I yank open the door and there stands Celeste.

“I left my purse.  I had my keys in my jacket pocket and when I saw you with that woman my first reaction was to flee and then as I was driving I realized that I left my purse downstairs in your woodshop so I will just get it and leave.”

“Celeste please don’t leave.  Mrs. Robinson left and she was wrong to come here.  I’m sorry that you saw that.  It was inappropriate on her part and I did not initiate it.”

“It did look like she had you in some kind of wrestle hold.  I jumped to conclusions but you have to admit that it looked a bit suspicious.”

“Yes it did but I’m glad that you returned.  I was standing here trying to figure how to contact you to apologize for what happened.  So what do we do now?”

“Well you can give me that tour of your woodshop and then we can go to dinner.  The excitement has given me an appetite or you can cook dinner for me, your choice.”

“Well if you don’t mind a smorgasbord I can see what I have in the fridge and fix something for us. I’m not really up for going out if you don’t mind.”

“No that sounds okay with me.  Shall we go now?  I have some questions about some of your tools and some of the pieces that you’re working on in your shop.”

“First let’s see what’s in the fridge and then we can go down. Is that all right?”

“Sure.”

A check of the fridge and cupboards reveal that I have the necessary ingredients for a reasonable dinner and so Celeste agrees and we head down to the woodshop.  Calamity averted and now I can proceed with my romancing of one Celeste Nolan. I am thoroughly looking forward to what the future holds for us.