Chapter 3
The next morning Veronica made Greg's breakfast for him as usual. She watched him eat it and leave for work (without a word to her all morning, a personal record), before putting something together for herself. She had a walking club meeting at noon and Veronica wanted to get some cleaning done before she left.
Truthfully, she didn't really want to go to this meeting. She was feeling tired of seeing the same faces, having the same conversations with the same people. But when she looked around the house, realizing that the alternative was just to stay at home, she decided to go.
She finished what she could of her breakfast and put in some laundry, then cleaned all the outside windows of the house. By the time she had gone through them all it was eleven o'clock and she decided to have a shower before leaving. She stripped down, washed and dried herself, and put on some comfortable clothes before heading out the door.
Veronica got into the car and backed out of the driveway. As she left for the park the song "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac played on the radio, one of Veronica's favourites. She listened to the lyrics, to Stevie Nicks' weather-worn voice coming through the car's speakers. Outside the car the trees were just starting to turn magnificent shades of red, yellow, and brown.
Veronica took in a deep breath and exhaled. She watched the scenery zip by, turned a corner and continued along between the rows of houses coupled with trees. There was no other traffic on the road, just people out for walks, taking their dogs out or pushing baby strollers. When she stopped at an intersection a teenage couple crossed the street, holding hands. The boy leaned over and whispered something in the girl's ear, making her smile. Veronica watched them until they reached the other side of the street before continuing on her way.
~~~
When she pulled into the parking lot a few minutes before noon she had the hint of a smile on her face. She saw the walking group standing at the entrance to the conservation area. She recognized the faces, the postures, the small cliques gossiping away together. When she got out of the car the air smelled fresher, cleaner than she remembered. She walked to them, lifting her hand to wave as they all waved back.
"Hey again!" Nancy said when Veronica was close enough. "You're looking good! I've got some leftover birthday cake here with your name on it."
She held up a Tupperware container full of squares of cake.
"It looks delicious," Veronica said, and Nancy beamed as she open the container for her to take a piece.
"All right gang, it looks like we're all here," Doug, the organizer of the group, called out. Everybody quieted down as he looked around.
"So before we start I just wanted to introduce a new member to our group. He just moved into town a few weeks ago, so let's all give him a big welcome, okay? Everybody, say hi to Jason!"
"Hi Jason!" everyone bellowed in unison. Veronica looked around. She didn't remember seeing a new group member when she arrived. Esther, one of the older women, moved to the side and cleared the line of sight between Veronica and the new guy.
At first glance, Veronica thought that Jason was not the type of person she would want to meet in a dark alley. He looked younger than her, in his late-20s or so, and was wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black leather boots. He had short black hair and his face was covered in stubble. He more resembled a greaser from the 50's than someone who would want to go on walks with the elderly.
Veronica stared at him as he stood with his hands in his jacket pockets. He glanced around at everyone as they greeted him, not speaking. He looked calm, only slightly interested in meeting so many new people.
"Great!" Doug said after the introduction. "So, I just wanted to make a few more announcements before we get going on our walk. First off, Constance here had her third grandchild, so let's give her a big round of applause ..."
As Doug spoke to the crowd, Veronica continued watching this stranger to the group. For some reason she found herself drawn by his looks. The way he dressed, his general demeanour, it was all so new to her. New and different. As she studied his face she swore she could see the faint traces of scars on his skin ...
Jason turned his head in Veronica's direction and his eyes caught hers. Veronica started and turned her head quickly, pretending to look at something else. She didn't want to get on this guy's bad side, especially when they hardly knew each other and he looked like that. Her gaze wandered a bit and when she tentatively looked back over to Jason she saw that he was looking away again.
"All right, I think that's everything!" Doug called out. "Let's get this show on the road!"
The group all began walking together, falling into groups of two or three and following the path that ran between the trees. Veronica walked beside Nancy but kept her attention trained on Jason as he walked ahead of them.
"Hey, Nancy," Veronica whispered beside her. "Have you seen that new guy around anywhere before?"
Nancy looked over to where Veronica was looking, the two of them watching Jason's back as he walked.
"No, I haven't," she said. "He looks dangerous, though."
"Didn't Doug say he moved here recently?" Veronica mused out loud. "I wonder where he's from. He doesn't look like he belongs here. In this group, I mean."
"He does look a bit out of place," Nancy agreed. "I hope he's not living anywhere near us. I'd hate to think that my children would be outside with someone like that walking the streets. Hey, do you want another piece of cake?" she suddenly asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, sure thanks," Veronica said, reaching into the container and pulling out a square. She ate it absently, her attention still focused on the newest member of the group.
Jason, twenty or so feet in front of the two women, was walking alone, a buffer of space around him. There didn't seem to be anyone intent on approaching him for conversation, but if it bothered him he gave no impression of it. He kept up with the group at a reasonable pace, his head forward and his hands still planted in his jacket pockets. Every now and again Veronica would catch him turning his head to the side, watching something as they passed by, but other than that he hardly wavered.
When the group stopped for a break Nancy said she was going to give away pieces of cake before her hips exploded. She walked around to visit the other group members, leaving Veronica by herself. Veronica stood and watched Jason surreptitiously as he pulled out a book out from inside his jacket and began reading. The warm autumn wind blew all around them, picking up fallen leaves and causing the trees to wave.
Veronica wasn't sure why she was so fascinated by this man. She didn't think he'd spoken a single word since he had arrived, to her or anyone else. She kept focusing on his face, the way his eyes scanned the words line by line, the look of concentration on his mouth as he read.