Gwen/Dakota II - Kevin Klimon

                                    

                                          
I leaned back in my chair and tried to relax.
                          
When my brothers gave me the idea to relax because of the stress of work, the last in my mind was to take a train from one edge to the other of the state of California. But, they were right at the end, I was over working and I needed to relax.
                          
OK, I already said 'relax' many times... I need to stop thinking!
                          
Sighing, I closed my eyes and concentrated on blocking the noise. 
                          
Or concentrating on the noise of the train moving.
                          
Or concentrating-
                          
Nope, not working!
                          
Looks like I have to take the second part of this trip to relax.
                          
One word: wine.
                          
I guess I forgot that my brothers paid me a ticket on a wine taste train. I was hoping I could forget about the wine, I mean... I've seen people who are around with kids and they don't drink wine, so, I could take that alternative. It's a bit lonely, but I can take it.
                          
"Excuse me, sir?" I looked to my right and see a young man, dressed as a waiter, his hands behind his back "Would you like to order something before the taste or would you prefer to wait?" I sighed and grabbed the menu, looking at the dishes.
                          
"I'd like some crêpes and a glass of water to start, please..." I ordered, putting the menu down, before looking out the window. I didn't know if the waiter had bowed or not. All I knew is that he didn't add anything to what I said, so it was safe to assume I was alone again. I decided to watch the landscape that was showing through the window.
                          
California was a beautiful place, unfortunately, people always think of three places when they think of California. Los Angeles, a city crowded with tourists and people who want to make their dreams come real, San Fransisco, another city with tourists, but with more people that live there peacefully (the place I call home), and Napa, the place where all the wineries and vineyards are, where finding neighbors can be hard.
                          
"I honestly don't wanna know how you manage to convince yourself that this was a good idea, Dakota!" I heard from behind me. The voice sounded female and totally upset at whoever was talking to, which I assume it was a girl.
                          
"Would you relax, woman?" The replying voice, however, wasn't female, as I hope and expected, but male. Not that there's something wrong to be male, but I just was surprised that the person replying was named 'Dakota' "We're gonna be fine..."
                          
"No, Dakota. We won't be fine until we are down this train..." the girl, who haven't heard the name yet, was complaining "I don't wanna know what this could do to you..."
                          
"Gwennie, you worry too much" the guy, Dakota, told the girl, which I assume her name was either Gwen or Gwennie, though why would a mother had named her kid 'Gwennie' was beyond my understanding. I'm a guy, I'm not suppose to.
                          
"Dakota, you're not fully recover and you kidnapped me and dragged me to a wine taste train?? What does that say about you?!" Even though the girl had lowered her voice to make her statements, I heard it clearly. Apparently, she was seated right behind me.
                          
"Gwendolyn, you're too melodramatic..." the guy dismissed her. I even think he included some eye roll to make his statement. Luckily, the girl was named Gwendolyn, though it's not better than Gwennie in some aspects... "If I wanted to take this train doesn't that mean that I'm good to make my choices-"
                          
"Dakota, if you wanna get killed outside Camp, go on and be my guest... But, don't drag me around for it..." It was obvious that they were talking about something serious and that being on the train was a bad idea for the girl, or so she thought.
                          
"Gwen, I've been sober for more than two years and you know that" the guy's voice was serious. I was surprised that I was the only one paying attention to their drama, as they were talking pretty high and the wagon was almost full "I came here to show you that I can be around it without having an episode..."
                          
"Couldn't you start with something smaller?!" the girl growled at him, obviously angry at him. I found myself eager to know the response to that question "I don't know, a glass on a restaurant or a bottle on the supermarket??"
                          
"Done and done, Gwennie" The girl gasped, evidently, surprised "If I knew you wanted to be there, I'd had told you... However, I thought it was a nice practice for this and, besides, I wasn't alone... Michael and Frank and Percy were with me, both times..."
                          
"So, when you were out with them...?"
                          
"Oh, I never drank, alright... But that didn't mean I wasn't around... I was testing myself and now, I can be around places like this without embarrassing again... We don't want the incident of the winery to happen again, do we?" That last sentence made the girl chuckle. Unfortunately, I couldn't pay anymore attention, as my waiter returned with my order.
                          
"Here you have, sir..." the waiter placed the crêpes in front of me, which looked delicious by the way, and filled my glass with water before leaving.
                          
"Excuse me?" I called him, before he could disappear "I'd like the wine menu, so I can pick a wine..."
                          
"Right away, Mr. Klimon" the waiter answered, surprising me a little, but I guess they have memorized the seat chart. I sighed and tried to relax for the trip... without worrying much.