The condominium that the Air Force had provided for Richard was located in Lompoc, only a couple of miles from the base’s eastern boundary. Tastefully decorated with oaken furniture and a complete supply of household utensils, the one-bedroom unit provided a somewhat cramped, yet cozy temporary living space. The tiny kitchen proved more than adequate for the Nose researcher to demonstrate his cullinary abilities. The results of this preparation had been served in the condo’s dining room. Though two candles still burned from the glass table, the diners had already emptied their plates. They were presently relaxing in the adjoining living room.
Richard and Miriam sat on a white-shag throw rug. Before them blazed a compact gas fireplace that Richard had conveniently ignited with the push of a button. With wine glasses in hand, they leaned back onto the large pillows that lay at the couch’s base.
“I hope you don’t mind the champagne,” reflected Richard, after taking an appreciative sip.
“But I guess they just don’t import those straw-wrapped bottles of Italian chianti like they used to.”
“It’s fine,” answered Miriam dreamily.
“To tell you the truth, I’m not much of a drinker these days. One thing that sure hasn’t changed, though, is your cooking.
That fettucini was as good as ever.”
Richard grinned.
“You know, that’s still about the only decent dish that I can prepare. Other than a mean tuna-fish salad, that fettucini is the extent of my repertoire. I’ve got to admit that I’ve cut down on the butter and cream that I used to pour into it. That old thirty-inch waistline has gone the way of thirty cents-a-gallon gasoline.”
“I don’t know, Dr. Fuller. You still look in pretty good shape to me. I doubt if you’ll ever have to seriously worry about fighting the battle of the middle-aged bulge.”
With his gaze set on the flickering flames, Richard fondly reflected,
“Do you remember that Jimi Hendrix concert? Boy, was that a night!”
As her own thoughts went back in time, Miriam couldn’t help but laugh.
“What were you planning to do up on the stage with Jimi anyway?”
“I don’t know, but when I saw his guitar go up in flames, something inside of my head called me up there to put that fire out.”
“I think I know what that something was, my dear,” admitted Miriam.
Well aware of the artificial stimuli that had most probably prompted his mad dash for the stage, Richard shook his head.
“I don’t know how, but somehow we managed to survive those crazy days. And now look at us. We’ve turned out to be just the type of responsible citizens that we swore never to become. It’s ironic, isn’t it?”
Not bothering to respond to this, Miriam snuggled up against Richard’s side. Richard put his arm around her waist and hugged her tightly.
“I’m glad you called your people again and told them that you’d be staying in town tonight. There’s no way that I’d let you out in that fog now.”
“I’m glad that I called too,” said Miriam.
“Those kids are very capable of getting by without me.
Sometimes I wonder who’s taking care of whom. It’s funny, but things seem different now. My students seem to have a much better idea of who they are and where they’re headed.”
“Don’t ever forget who paved the way for them,” said Richard.
“It was because of our generation that the very consciousness of the country was altered.
The kids today don’t have to fight the same battles that we fought, because we’ve already made the sacrifice for them.”
Absorbing this observation, Miriam sighed.
“I guess I’m really not that excited to get back to camp anyway. Ever since the Air Force moved’ us off Tranquillon Ridge, it just hasn’t been the same. Sure, we’ve got an auxiliary dig site now, a mile south of Ocean Beach Park, yet you wouldn’t believe how promising our original excavation appeared.”
Sensing Miriam’s frustration, Richard pulled her closer.
“Hey, no more talk of work, okay? I could easily get into my own current troubles, but it’s better for both of us to just put them on hold for the time being. Believe me, they’ll still be right there waiting for us in the morning however much we worry about them tonight.”
Richard’s words of wisdom hit home as Miriam took a sip of champagne and looked up into his eyes.
“You’re right. Dr. Fuller, this special evening’s not for discussing problems. Take me back to those carefree days when we had no responsibilities but each other.”
Richard responded by leaning over and kissing his guest’s full, luscious lips. Miriam had earlier decided that she would let herself go completely this night, and she passionately returned his kiss. It had been much too long since either of them had felt real desire, and a tingling electric warmth passed between them.
With no other thoughts in their minds but each other, they put their glasses aside and returned to a much simpler, happy time. Since the fates had brought them together, both knew that they would never have such an opportunity again. Taking full advantage of this chance meeting, they surrendered to their hungers.
Richard took the lead, as his hand slipped beneath Miriam’s sweater. Her skin was warm and soft, and his fingers all too soon found their way to her pert breasts. The intensity of her kiss indicated that this touch was most welcomed, and Richard delicately traced the stiffening aureoles of her nipples.
As their tongues continued their mad probings, Miriam’s hands began their own wandering. Adroitly unbuttoning Richard’s shirt, her fingers touched the tight skin of his chest. Only then did she push herself away.
With her gaze locked on that of her lover, she went about the task of removing her sweater and pulling off her pants. Richard followed by tearing off his own clothes, and soon both parties were completely naked.
Taking in each other by the glimmering light of the fireplace, they each made a silent pledge, and both lovers knew that no further commitment was needed.
As they had over a decade before, they would give themselves to each other without needless promises and future hopes. Only in this way could their trip backward in time be complete.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Richard reached out and pulled his love tightly into his arms.
No pleasure could be as great as that experienced when their bodies finally touched, and linked as one.
Laying Miriam gently on her back, he slowly gave of himself until all was given. A whimper passed her lips as this gift was received deep in the tight, warm recesses of her womb.
For several minutes they lay there, barely moving.
Visible in each other’s eyes was a long trail of shared past experiences. The joys and heartbreaks, the innocent aspirations and torrid, passionate desires all came to the surface with this merging. New joys rose, as Richard slowly pulled his hips backward and then inched himself forward once again. This tempo gradually increased until a comfortable rhythm was achieved.
Long into the night this coupling continued, until Miriam’s womb burst in a hot, tingling current of pure ecstasy. As she begged her lover to join her, Richard let go of his own blissful current, and the ritual was at long last culminated. Lying there in each other’s arms, their passions completely satiated, the two lovers tapped an innocent joy few mortals have ever discovered. For how many of us have been able to return to the past and not be disappointed?
While the flames flickered before them, new hopes and purposes came into focus. Yet all too soon the deep, deathlike sleep that only lovers share overcame them. With their bodies still intertwined, they surrendered to this call as the midnight moon rose over the coast of central California.
Sometime in the night Richard awoke, and without disturbing his love’s slumber, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Though he would have loved to join her beneath the covers, the spell had been broken, and already thoughts of his present responsibilities rose in his consciousness. It wouldn’t be long now until the dawn would break, and there was quite a bit of work that needed his attention in the meantime.