The Husker Takes a Walk
As Robert exited Donna’s building, he fumbled to find a place for his phone and her keys as his wallet was already in place. He stepped out into the bright light and sticky heat of the day his shades already covering his bright blue eyes. He loved the sun, but most often had to wear shades to avoid getting headaches. His stride more shuffling and uncalculated dragging his lean 6’2” physique down a bright city street when his phone rings.
“Where are you?” the voice asked.
“Are you my mother? I didn’t realize it was your turn to watch me, Christy.”
“It’s not, but when you don’t show up people start asking questions.”
He laughed, “When I don’t show up? For what, brunch? So there’ll be an uneaten order of poached eggs with hollandaise sauce and the questions they’re asking? Did he get a life? Is he stuck in a corn field somewhere?”
Christy meant well, she chased him from meeting to meet and event to event for a living, typically on Sundays was a late morning brunch in the Dupont Circle at the Tabard Inn with her and some other friends. He was if nothing if not typically predictable it was always poached eggs, home made bacon, grilled cabbage and a heart stopping good hollandaise sauce.
“Went to a club and then to a party.” he stated not offering a lot of detail.
“Oh, there wasn’t anything formal on your calendar.”
She knew his every commitment, his every move and almost every thought.
“It was a date, not a function.” he answered after a long pause.
“Oh, did you have fun?” what else could she say without intruding, sure she wanted to know who and when and where, just in case it came up, but she could tell he wasn’t in the mood to share those details yet. Yet she believed to be the key word.
“So where are you now?” He laughed out loud he knew that not knowing about his date was absolutely killing her. “I’m off to feed my addictions. You really should be able to order your coffee in advance and then have it delivered in the morning.”
“It’s not fucking morning!” she yelled into the phone.
“Jealous are we?” he ask tauntingly.
On the other end of the phone was silence… not a word, a whisper or a gasp. Pure cold unadulterated silence. He waited for her wrath, her fury her jealousy and in truth her professional and personal concern to come through. It didn’t, after 15 seconds or so he slowly moved the phone away from his ear to find his battery had died. On the other end Christy was yelling obscenities so vulgar that even the oldest sailor would have learned a few new words. Upon which he ordered a little java and began his stroll back.
Previous Chapter the First Steps Toward Evil
Next Chapter Daddy Takes a Drive
Copyright 2008 Michael Malflic
