THE LAST TABLE BY THE WINDOW

Sometimes, love arrives with the rain.

A Stranger in the Storm

At forty-three, Catherine Bennett had learned to handle almost anything life threw at her. Difficult clients, impossible deadlines, unreasonable bosses, and even the occasional disastrous blind date.

But apparently, she had never learned how to outrun a thunderstorm in four-inch heels.

By the time she pushed open the door of a small downtown café, her expensive charcoal business suit was damp, her carefully styled brunette hair had surrendered to the humidity, and her beige trench coat was dripping onto the floor.

"Wonderful," she muttered. "Absolutely wonderful."

The café was crowded with people escaping the storm. Every table was occupied, every chair taken.

Except one.

At the last table by the window, a beautiful red-haired woman in a forest-green dress sat alone, watching the rain with a faint smile.

When Catherine approached, the stranger looked up.

"Oh, there you are!" she exclaimed brightly. "I've been waiting for you all evening."

Catherine stopped.

"I'm sorry?"

The woman gestured toward the empty chair.

"You're terribly late, darling. Sit down before somebody steals your seat."

Catherine glanced behind her, wondering whether the woman had mistaken her for someone else.

"I think you have the wrong person."

"Probably," the redhead admitted cheerfully. "But it's the only available chair, and you look like a woman who desperately needs coffee."

Catherine laughed despite herself.

"That obvious?"

"Sweetheart, your expression suggests you're considering filing a lawsuit against the weather."

And just like that, Catherine sat down.

The Woman Who Was Waiting

"My name is Rebecca," the stranger announced. "Rebecca Morgan. Thirty-nine, single, reasonably well-behaved, and occasionally guilty of inviting beautiful strangers to share my table."

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"Is that your standard introduction?"

"Only when I'm particularly interested."

"Interested in what?"

Rebecca smiled.

"Finding out whether you're as charming as you are beautiful."

Catherine felt herself blush.

It had been quite some time since anyone had flirted with her so openly. Longer still since she'd actually enjoyed it.

"Catherine Bennett," she replied. "Forty-three, divorced, overworked, and apparently unable to resist a woman with absolutely no shame."

"Excellent. We already have something in common."

"What?"

"Neither of us seems particularly interested in leaving."

Outside, thunder rolled across the city.

Inside, Catherine began to forget about her terrible day.

Two Coffees and One Dessert

What began as polite conversation quickly became something considerably more entertaining.

Rebecca was an interior designer. Catherine was a financial consultant. Rebecca loved spontaneous adventures; Catherine scheduled nearly everything, including her grocery shopping.

"Good heavens," Rebecca laughed. "Do you schedule your romantic encounters too?"

"Romantic encounters?" Catherine repeated. "Those would require an actual romantic life."

"How tragic."

"You're telling me."

Rebecca leaned forward.

"Well, perhaps we should do something about that."

Catherine looked into those beautiful green eyes.

"Are you always this direct?"

"Only when I meet a woman worth being direct with."

The waitress arrived carrying a generous slice of chocolate cake.

"I didn't order dessert," Catherine protested.

"I did," Rebecca replied. "One dessert, two forks. Very economical."

"And what makes you think I like chocolate?"

Rebecca gave her an exaggerated look of disbelief.

"Catherine, darling, if you don't like chocolate, this relationship is going to be terribly difficult."

Catherine burst out laughing.

"Relationship? We've known each other twenty minutes!"

"Twenty-seven," Rebecca corrected. "But who's counting?"

By the time they finished the cake, their hands had found each other across the little marble table.

Neither woman made any attempt to pull away.

A Reason to Stay

An hour passed.

Then another.

The café gradually emptied, leaving only a handful of customers and the soft music drifting from the speakers.

Catherine discovered that Rebecca had never been married, loved old movies, collected terrible jokes, and had recently decided that life was too short to spend another evening wishing someone interesting would walk through the door.

"And then," Rebecca said softly, "you did."

Catherine studied her face.

"Did you really think I was beautiful when I came in?"

Rebecca laughed.

"Catherine, you walked through that door soaking wet, looking furious at the universe, wearing a business suit that probably costs more than my refrigerator."

"That's hardly romantic."

"No," Rebecca agreed. "But then you smiled at me, and I forgot what I was going to say."

For once, Catherine had no clever answer.

She simply squeezed Rebecca's hand.

Outside, the thunderstorm continued.

"I should probably go," Catherine whispered.

"Probably."

"Tomorrow is a workday."

"Unfortunately."

"And it's getting terribly late."

"Absolutely."

Neither moved.

Finally, Rebecca tilted her head.

"Would it be terribly forward of me to ask whether I might see you again?"

Catherine smiled.

"Rebecca, you've been terribly forward since the moment I walked in."

"Then I suppose there's no point stopping now."

"No," Catherine replied softly. "There really isn't."

The Kiss Before Goodbye

When the waitress finally announced that the café was closing, Catherine and Rebecca reluctantly gathered their belongings.

Outside, the rain was still falling heavily.

They stood together beneath the little red awning, watching headlights shimmer across the wet pavement.

Rebecca opened her umbrella.

"May I walk you to your car?"

"It's three blocks away."

"Wonderful. Plenty of time."

Catherine turned toward her.

"You know, I haven't done anything like this in years."

"Walked in the rain?"

"Met someone. Flirted. Forgotten the time. Felt..."

She hesitated.

"Happy?" Rebecca suggested.

Catherine nodded.

"Yes. Happy."

Rebecca gently brushed a damp strand of hair away from Catherine's cheek.

"Then perhaps we should do it again."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds lovely."

Catherine stepped closer.

"And Rebecca?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Are you going to kiss me, or do I have to schedule an appointment?"

Rebecca laughed, slipped an arm around Catherine's waist, and kissed her.

It was warm and gentle and just long enough to make Catherine forget that they were standing outside in a thunderstorm.

When they finally separated, Rebecca rested her forehead against Catherine's.

"Well," she whispered, "that was worth waiting all evening for."

Catherine smiled.

"You weren't actually waiting for me."

"Wasn't I?"

Another rumble of thunder echoed overhead.

Catherine glanced at the rain and then back at the beautiful woman holding her.

"For the first time in my life," she admitted, "I really hope this storm never ends."

Rebecca kissed her once more.

And beneath the little red awning, two women who had been complete strangers just hours earlier discovered that sometimes the very best things in life arrive without an appointment.

Especially love.