Happy reading!
- Roy Pickering
Done with
the scant amount of unpacking required, primarily his day to day wardrobe
comprised of black t-shirts a few pair of khaki pants and well-worn regular fit
dungarees, Marshall surveyed what would be his home for the next ten
weeks. He liked what he saw, not that he
was a stranger to the view or to the enveloping hug of Audrey’s couch. Although not an official resident, his status
had been elevated from that of mere visitor.
He would miss Brooklyn. Manhattan
had not been his home address since he lived with roommates for a few years
after college. This was followed by a
year in Astoria, Queens in his first solo apartment and then a move to Brooklyn
where he’d been ever since. He wondered
if the temporary change in zip code would have an effect on his writing style,
infuse it with heightened energy. Other
things were pondered as well, but he tried not to dwell on them as they were
the stuff of pointless daydreaming.
He reminded
himself that his presence was the result of Audrey needing him to be here, by
no means the same thing as wanting
him here. Desire and dependency were
not identical twins, though it was not unheard of for one to segue into the
other. Still, he would resist the urge
to grow ensconced in a set-up that came with an expiration date.
His cell
phone rattled and hummed, indicating receipt of a text message. Minutes earlier he had left a news breaking
voice message for Chase. Chase sometimes
joked that he was working on a book chronicling Marshall’s eternal quest to
swing his relationship with Audrey from the platonic end of the spectrum to the
end featuring naked exchanges of bodily fluids.
A stellar wisecrack was likely about to be read. As it turned out the message was far from
humorous and the sender was not Chase.
Heard about your new living arrangement. More proof of what you’d deny to my face if
given the chance. Gotta go. My man’s
waiting for me. Enjoy your ready-made
family. You’ll learn the truth
someday. SHE WILL NEVER LOVE YOU.
He pressed
delete, refused to let her words irritate him.
For someone who claimed to have moved on to a more fulfilling
relationship, Sarah did an impressive job of keeping tabs on him and expressing
disdain for his actions. Perhaps the man
waiting for her was fictitious. He
reflected on the last sentence of her message.
It being spitefully intended did not remove the possibility of its being
true.
Most people
surrendered fairy tale hopes in exchange for cookie cutter lives. If a convincing image of happiness was
presented to those looking in from the outside, success was claimed. But some opted for chaos at the expense of
the facade of tranquility. Perhaps for them
the appeal of the race was stronger than that of the finish line, the thrill of
the chase more valuable than actually catching up. Was the notion that Audrey would never love
him in the most gut wrenching definition of the four-letter word precisely what
made her his perfect woman, the carrot just beyond reach of his bite?
Another
text message arrived before he could answer the question. He had asked it of himself often without
being able to resolve the matter, so this interruption could not be blamed. On the screen he found an example of Chase’s
ability to say much with little.
No need to worry about safe sex so live and love
dangerously.
“Marshall,
could you get me a glass of water.”
Audrey had woken from her nap and was summoning him via the
intercom system they set up. It was a baby monitor employed well in advance of baby’s
arrival that they used for one way communication. One way communication was a fitting match for a
one directional love affair. Since he could not respond through the receiver, Audrey would
have to trust that her message was delivered and her request would soon be
accommodated. Such trust was well founded. Where else would he be but there for her, at the
ready to quench her thirst while his own lips remained parched from lack of her
kisses?* * * * *
Passages from MATTERS OF CONVENIENCE. A publication date draws near. Stay tuned.
Posts
Bravo! I have been waiting for a sneak peek. Can't wait to read more. xo
ReplyDelete