In the morning, Roderick and Molly packed quickly for the trip to Lake City. Roderick folded a clean white button-down shirt and put it in his knapsack, together with clean underwear and socks. With the addition of an interesting book -- Dividend Investing, by Hy Yield -- he was set for the long train ride.
Molly threw a clean white skirt and blue blouse into her over-the-shoulder bag, added a few toiletries, zipped the bag and headed for the stairway. At the door, she paused, and thought -- underwear. Retracing her steps, she opened the top drawer of her dresser and retrieved a lonely and unused pair of underpants (with the opening bars of Beethoven's Opus Two Number One embroidered around the waistline), a present from Mrs. Gabrieli last Christmas. She opened her bag, threw in the garment, closed it up again and ran downstairs.
Mr. Bloom drove them to the train station in Stapleton. As the train arrived, Mr. Bloom pulled Roderick aside, and whispered: "Be gentle with my daughter, Roderick, she's still a virgin".
Roderick nodded politely and clambered up the steps to the waiting parlor car.
Slowly, the train started to leave the station. Molly, seated by the window on the right side of the car, waved to Mr. Bloom, who returned the wave. Roderick threw his backpack on the rack above their seats, together with Molly's over-the-shoulder bag, and sat next to her.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack. As the countryside rolled by, Roderick read avidly about investing in stocks for safety, dividend growth and income. It was intriguing stuff. He was fascinated by discounted cash flow models, and impressed to learn that dividend investing is an excellent strategy for tax-advantaged accounts, such as retirement plans. He made a little note to himself to chat with Grandpa.
Molly listened to her iPod. She had downloaded the complete Beethoven piano music recorded by Mr. Chickarina, and was listening to his interpretation of the Diabelli Variations. She paused, and removed the earbuds, as if she wanted to chat.
Roderick noticed, and put his book aside. "So are you?" he asked.
Molly looked at him quizzicly. "Am I what?".
"Still a virgin".
Molly nodded, then frowned slightly and cocked her head. "At least I think so.."
"It's something you would remember".
"Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right".
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack.
Molly looked at Roderick. "And you?".
Roderick nodded. "Yep".
Molly noodged him. "What about you and Miss Cupcake?", she teased.
"Oh, no", said Roderick. "We just have fun".
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack.
Roderick noodged Molly. "Are you saving it?"
Molly shrugged. "Not really", she said, and snuggled up against him in the seat.
After a long ride, the train arrived at Union Station in Lake City. Roderick grabbed their bags, and they debarked to the platform. Walking quickly up the stairs and through the hustling, bustling concourse, they exited the station and into a waiting taxicab.
Roderick checked a piece of paper Mr. Bloom gave him earlier that day. "The Fourier Hotel, please", he said to the driver, who nodded and sped away from the cabstand and into traffic.
Molly leaned over towards Roderick and whispered: "The Fourier Hotel used to be a dive, but it's completely transformed!".
Roderick chuckled. One of the many things he likes about Molly is that she likes geeky math jokes.
They pressed their noses to the windows of the taxicab.
It was late afternoon, and they were stuck in traffic. Roderick looked at Molly. "It's my first time in Lake City", he said.
"Mine, too", said Molly.
"So...I guess we're Lake City virgins!", and the two of them laughed out loud.
At the Fourier Hotel, the desk clerk was an unpleasant little man. Molly tried the Fourier Transform joke on him, but he didn't get it.
Their room was pleasant, with one large bed. They left their bags and went down to the lakefront to grab some hot dogs and pickles for dinner. Lake City hot dogs are the creme de la creme of hotdogdom, the filet mignon of the frankfurter world. Roderick had two. Molly had three. The girl has quite an appetite.
Back at the Fourier, they undressed quickly and curled up together in bed. Molly fell asleep immediately, and dreamed of the twenty-fourth variation of the Diabelli. In her dreams, she played it perfectly.
