Coming Attractions
Harry and Kathy had been seeing each other for about three months when the phone rang one Saturday morning and Harry ran from the bathroom with a half a face full of lather to get it.
Dating Kathy was like sailing in the eye of a hurricane. It was peaceful and smooth, but there was danger all around. Kathy was a lovely woman. Mike had called it well. She was smart, beautiful, funny and fun to be with. She was terrific arm candy too which didn't hurt after his last romance which had been entirely conducted away from the public eye.
But she was, for all these things, volatile as evaporated gasoline and a spark. She was jealous. Of what, Harry had no idea. He had never been a player and was not going to start now. He was freshly divorced, freshly out of a romance that he could never finished and just happy to be with someone who wanted to be with him. From his point of view, Kathy could sit back and call for ice water every ten minutes and Harry would get up from rubbing her back to get it. Nevertheless, she was on guard for any perceived wandering Harry might do. Last night had entertained just one of those perceptions as Harry might have rested his gaze on a woman at the bar just a moment too long for Kathy's liking. She insisted that he take her home then and there and Harry did, wondering where the hell this had all come from. A curt "goodnight" and Harry was in the car, listening to Van Morrison because it was the least romantic CD he could find.
He caught the phone on the fourth ring, just before the machine.
"Hello?"
There was a pause. A long one. Harry smiled to himself. Kathy may have perceived a slight but the light of day made that go away. She was also not without manners. She would gently apologise and they'd get on with their day at the museum or art gallery or IKEA or whatever.
"Hello?" He asked again.
Another pause and now Harry was a little annoyed. This might not be Kathy and if it was a telemarketer he would really be pissed.
"Hi."
Now it was Harry's turn to pause.
"Hello?" the voice said.
"Chris?"
Dating Kathy was like sailing in the eye of a hurricane. It was peaceful and smooth, but there was danger all around. Kathy was a lovely woman. Mike had called it well. She was smart, beautiful, funny and fun to be with. She was terrific arm candy too which didn't hurt after his last romance which had been entirely conducted away from the public eye.
But she was, for all these things, volatile as evaporated gasoline and a spark. She was jealous. Of what, Harry had no idea. He had never been a player and was not going to start now. He was freshly divorced, freshly out of a romance that he could never finished and just happy to be with someone who wanted to be with him. From his point of view, Kathy could sit back and call for ice water every ten minutes and Harry would get up from rubbing her back to get it. Nevertheless, she was on guard for any perceived wandering Harry might do. Last night had entertained just one of those perceptions as Harry might have rested his gaze on a woman at the bar just a moment too long for Kathy's liking. She insisted that he take her home then and there and Harry did, wondering where the hell this had all come from. A curt "goodnight" and Harry was in the car, listening to Van Morrison because it was the least romantic CD he could find.
He caught the phone on the fourth ring, just before the machine.
"Hello?"
There was a pause. A long one. Harry smiled to himself. Kathy may have perceived a slight but the light of day made that go away. She was also not without manners. She would gently apologise and they'd get on with their day at the museum or art gallery or IKEA or whatever.
"Hello?" He asked again.
Another pause and now Harry was a little annoyed. This might not be Kathy and if it was a telemarketer he would really be pissed.
"Hi."
Now it was Harry's turn to pause.
"Hello?" the voice said.
"Chris?"
posted by The Caustic Bunny at 6:13 PM
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