leather folder with a list of numbers. He found United’s and dialed. It rang until finally went into a recorded message telling him to hold for the next available agent. This time of night it probably meant a long wait.
Finally, a voice came on the line with, “May I help you?”
Lucas learned the only other flight to the West Coast was through LA but with a long layover, so by the time he arrived in Seattle it’d save him only thirty minutes. He decided to stay put.
Shit .
He turned to the window, massaging his temples. How realistic could it be that it was Andy’s head? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe his jet lag and the fact the head was bloodless distorted his judgment.
Where are you Andy? Of all the times to not answer the phone …
He should try to sleep. Yeah, as if that’s possible . He showered, changed into scrubs, then tried to watch TV. He couldn’t concentrate. He grabbed the remaining scotch from the fridge before dialing Andy’s office number again. And got the same voice mail. Shit .
He dialed his home number. “Hi, Laura, it’s me.”
“Lucas?” Laura’s voice carried the temporary rasp of sleep. He pictured her on her stomach, stretched across his side of the king-size bed for the phone.
“Sorry. I thought you’d be up by now.”
“I should be. I turned off the alarm about three this morning when I couldn’t sleep.”
“Look, could you please do me a favor?”
“What?”
“I’m worried about Andy. I tried his condo, office, and cell but there’s no answer. Could you track him down, please? I’ll call you first thing in the morning.” Which, for her, would be afternoon.
“You know how I feel about him.”
Despise was the best word to describe her feelings.
“This is important. Can you just put that aside for a moment and do this one simple favor for me?”
“Why’s this so important?”
He explained. When he finished, she said, “Out of the billions of people in this world, you see Andy’s head in Hong Kong? That’s ridiculous.”
That was exactly what he wanted to believe, but couldn’t.
Laura’s distain for Andy had become another reason for the estrangement in their marriage. Ironically, if it hadn’t been for Andy, they never would’ve married.
A group of first year medical students meet every Friday after classes at The Blue Moon, a university district tavern. Maybe not exactly the same guys each week, but enough regulars to make it like family. Beer and pizza, argue politics, bitch about professors, that sort of thing. Tonight he, Andy, and four other guys sit in a booth. Lucas watches four co-eds slide into the next booth. Especially one. Oh yes! He can’t stop staring at her. And twice she catches him, the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
After maybe ten minutes of this Andy says, “Hey, McRae, what the hell you looking at?” and turns to look in that direction.
“No. Don’t look!” Lucas whispers only loud enough for Andy to hear.
So, all the guys are looking at him now. And of course Andy smiles and slowly turns to check out the girl, making a big deal of it. Lucas is dying, his face on fire.
After a moment Andy says to Lucas, “Go on, ask her out.”
Yeah, sure. Maybe Andy can do something like that. But walking up to a girl he’s never seen before and asking her name? Christ! Especially now with everyone aware of what’s going on. He slouches further in the booth. Either the girls at the other table haven’t noticed or have more refined social skills than these turkeys because they continue to ignore his booth. But he thinks he hears one or two giggle.
Half an hour later the girls stand to collect coats and purses.
Theo says to the group, “Hey McRae, she’s getting ready to go. Last chance to meet the love of your life.”
Think I didn’t notice? Disappointment hits. He’ll probably never see her again. His only chance to meet her is slip-sliding away. But he’s frozen in place.
So, of course, Andy has to turn and
Finally, a voice came on the line with, “May I help you?”
Lucas learned the only other flight to the West Coast was through LA but with a long layover, so by the time he arrived in Seattle it’d save him only thirty minutes. He decided to stay put.
Shit .
He turned to the window, massaging his temples. How realistic could it be that it was Andy’s head? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe his jet lag and the fact the head was bloodless distorted his judgment.
Where are you Andy? Of all the times to not answer the phone …
He should try to sleep. Yeah, as if that’s possible . He showered, changed into scrubs, then tried to watch TV. He couldn’t concentrate. He grabbed the remaining scotch from the fridge before dialing Andy’s office number again. And got the same voice mail. Shit .
He dialed his home number. “Hi, Laura, it’s me.”
“Lucas?” Laura’s voice carried the temporary rasp of sleep. He pictured her on her stomach, stretched across his side of the king-size bed for the phone.
“Sorry. I thought you’d be up by now.”
“I should be. I turned off the alarm about three this morning when I couldn’t sleep.”
“Look, could you please do me a favor?”
“What?”
“I’m worried about Andy. I tried his condo, office, and cell but there’s no answer. Could you track him down, please? I’ll call you first thing in the morning.” Which, for her, would be afternoon.
“You know how I feel about him.”
Despise was the best word to describe her feelings.
“This is important. Can you just put that aside for a moment and do this one simple favor for me?”
“Why’s this so important?”
He explained. When he finished, she said, “Out of the billions of people in this world, you see Andy’s head in Hong Kong? That’s ridiculous.”
That was exactly what he wanted to believe, but couldn’t.
Laura’s distain for Andy had become another reason for the estrangement in their marriage. Ironically, if it hadn’t been for Andy, they never would’ve married.
A group of first year medical students meet every Friday after classes at The Blue Moon, a university district tavern. Maybe not exactly the same guys each week, but enough regulars to make it like family. Beer and pizza, argue politics, bitch about professors, that sort of thing. Tonight he, Andy, and four other guys sit in a booth. Lucas watches four co-eds slide into the next booth. Especially one. Oh yes! He can’t stop staring at her. And twice she catches him, the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
After maybe ten minutes of this Andy says, “Hey, McRae, what the hell you looking at?” and turns to look in that direction.
“No. Don’t look!” Lucas whispers only loud enough for Andy to hear.
So, all the guys are looking at him now. And of course Andy smiles and slowly turns to check out the girl, making a big deal of it. Lucas is dying, his face on fire.
After a moment Andy says to Lucas, “Go on, ask her out.”
Yeah, sure. Maybe Andy can do something like that. But walking up to a girl he’s never seen before and asking her name? Christ! Especially now with everyone aware of what’s going on. He slouches further in the booth. Either the girls at the other table haven’t noticed or have more refined social skills than these turkeys because they continue to ignore his booth. But he thinks he hears one or two giggle.
Half an hour later the girls stand to collect coats and purses.
Theo says to the group, “Hey McRae, she’s getting ready to go. Last chance to meet the love of your life.”
Think I didn’t notice? Disappointment hits. He’ll probably never see her again. His only chance to meet her is slip-sliding away. But he’s frozen in place.
So, of course, Andy has to turn and
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