Saturday, April 8, 2006
The Assignment
My other self got tagged and given the assignment of writing a story using the Melissa Etheridge cover of "You Can Sleep While I Drive." I'm barely a non-fiction writer (more of a chronicler of stuff rather than anything resembling a "writer") let alone a fiction writer. But, I thought I'd give it my best effort. This story came from the feeling the song evoked. More of my fellow asignees can be found here here and here and here with their tales.
Only a Moment
Only a Moment
He reached for the shot of courage sitting on the bar and downed it one quick gulp. While the slow after burn of the 12 year old scotch worked it's way down his gullet, he lit a cigarette, letting the time it took for each action - match, strike, light, inhale, exhale - procrastinate the answer to the question.
He glanced in the mirror behind the bar at his reflection and that of Hannah, sitting at their familiar stations. This had become a regular occasion - their "friday conference" they called it, born out of a need to drown the complaints of the 8 - 5 in a cocktail of friendship and commiseration. But, as so often happens, over time this meeting had become so much more than a drink after work and bitch session. More was said in the silences between them than was ever uttered out loud.
"Those things are going to -"
"- kill me." They laughed at the ritual of this exchange.
"One more, bar-keep," Terry said as he defiantly took a long drag of the cigarette.
"So? Are you going to take it?" Hannah asked again. She tried to keep a distance in her voice, attempting to portray the impersonal interest of a co-worker. She took a larger than normal gulp of her drink, hoping that the pounding of her heart wouldn't betray the anxiety that was rising to the surface.
In the reflection of the mirror, Terry thought he saw something in Hannah's eyes that quickened his pulse, but he pushed it aside because it was dangerous to hope.
"Well, it's a great opportunity," Terry began. He ran his finger around the rim of the shot glass. "I don't know...."
Terry felt the moment arrive - a crystal clear nanosecond when everything he'd known or felt before became irrelevant and all that mattered was this moment and the woman sitting next to him.
Hannah looked at Terry and saw in his eyes everything she had ever hoped to hear him say.
"Terry, I...."
The cell-phone broke the moment. Terry hesitated, but then reached in his pocket to answer the device which was nagging for his attention. He downed the second shot as he flipped the phone open.
"Hi, honey.... yeah... I'll be home in a few.... Yes... yeah, I got the offer... no, I...yes, I know you don't want.... Yes, of course I....look, we'll talk about it when I get home, ok?. Sure...." He paused. "Love you, too."
He flipped the phone closed and looked up.
Hannah was gone.
Only a Moment
Only a Moment
He reached for the shot of courage sitting on the bar and downed it one quick gulp. While the slow after burn of the 12 year old scotch worked it's way down his gullet, he lit a cigarette, letting the time it took for each action - match, strike, light, inhale, exhale - procrastinate the answer to the question.
He glanced in the mirror behind the bar at his reflection and that of Hannah, sitting at their familiar stations. This had become a regular occasion - their "friday conference" they called it, born out of a need to drown the complaints of the 8 - 5 in a cocktail of friendship and commiseration. But, as so often happens, over time this meeting had become so much more than a drink after work and bitch session. More was said in the silences between them than was ever uttered out loud.
"Those things are going to -"
"- kill me." They laughed at the ritual of this exchange.
"One more, bar-keep," Terry said as he defiantly took a long drag of the cigarette.
"So? Are you going to take it?" Hannah asked again. She tried to keep a distance in her voice, attempting to portray the impersonal interest of a co-worker. She took a larger than normal gulp of her drink, hoping that the pounding of her heart wouldn't betray the anxiety that was rising to the surface.
In the reflection of the mirror, Terry thought he saw something in Hannah's eyes that quickened his pulse, but he pushed it aside because it was dangerous to hope.
"Well, it's a great opportunity," Terry began. He ran his finger around the rim of the shot glass. "I don't know...."
Terry felt the moment arrive - a crystal clear nanosecond when everything he'd known or felt before became irrelevant and all that mattered was this moment and the woman sitting next to him.
Hannah looked at Terry and saw in his eyes everything she had ever hoped to hear him say.
"Terry, I...."
The cell-phone broke the moment. Terry hesitated, but then reached in his pocket to answer the device which was nagging for his attention. He downed the second shot as he flipped the phone open.
"Hi, honey.... yeah... I'll be home in a few.... Yes... yeah, I got the offer... no, I...yes, I know you don't want.... Yes, of course I....look, we'll talk about it when I get home, ok?. Sure...." He paused. "Love you, too."
He flipped the phone closed and looked up.
Hannah was gone.
Posted at 5:58 PM | |
