Twenty-Four
Max stared down at his untouched coffee `she’s always walking out on me…’he went back to looking out the window, his mind in a whirl. He was already excited about the evening and wondered whether she really meant deciding at the time or if she actually wanted him to organise the evening. Would she be put out if he arranged dinner and a play - especially if she wasn’t dressed for it. He caught his reflection in the glass and saw he was smiling like a teenager who reckoned he’d get all the way.
Ray sat astride the fence posts of the country park’s car park. Alsion watched him as she drove her truck in and parked it. He didn’t turn or acknowledge her until she’d jumped out and was struggling with the kit from the back.
`Afternoon’ he said.
`Yeah, sorry I was late - got held up in town. Have you been waiting?’ she smiled pleasantly at him.
He grabbed her rucksack and held it for her to reverse into.`only forty minutes. What happened?’
`Oh, I bumped into Max, jogging in Central Park. Or, rather, he bumped into me - I’ve got the bruise to prove it’ she rubbed her waist.
Ray’s eyes had narrowed and he held the rucksack so that her arms were pinned back at a painful angle.
`Ray!’ there was a warning tone in her voice. He lifted the pack onto her shoulders roughly.`Christ! what is your problem, Ray?’ her eyes were blank as she stared at him. He felt on the defensive immediately.
`I don’t see why you like that guy. You do like him don’t you?’ he accused her.
`Look. Whether I like him or not is none of your business but as it happens, yes I do. Do you have an issue with that?. Her hands were on her hips and even though he had a good six inches on her, he felt like a little boy.
`He’s a slimeball’ he muttered, looking down at his feet,`and he can’t dress for shit.’ His chin gave a petulant tilt.`Is it the money? He’s rich and successful yeah? You just -‘ he stopped abruptly at the change in her eyes. Her mouth became a grim line.
`You’re not my mother, Ray. And don’t judge what you know nothing about - I think, from what I know of him so far, that he’s a nice guy but that’s for me to find out and you to accept. Now,’ she turned to the side`are you coming?’ without waiting for an answer she led the way.
Slowly,Ray grabbed his own bag and followed.
Max replaced the receiver and pressed the button that buzzed the door. He checked his tie in the mirror as he walked to the door. The cat wound itself around his ankles`get OUT of it!’ he hissed. Mrs Parker jumped onto a chair cushion and eyed him speculatively. She knew something was going on. She was tempted by the warmth and comfort of her position to go to sleep but she had an inkling the boss was up to something - he’d been jittery all afternoon.
Max opened the door and held his breath whilst she came round the corner of the stairwell. She smiled as she saw him. `Hi!’ she called.
Max waved a hand. He was relieved to see she was wearing jeans and and an open blouse over a T-shirt. She came to him and kissed him on the cheek. `Ready?’ she asked brightly. Her breath was slow and even, the stairs had caused a small blush on her cheeks but that was it. Everything about her seemed so young!
`Come on in. I’ll just get my jacket, unless you’d like a drink or something before we go?’ he opened the door wide for her and followed her inside.
`Something might be fun’ she laughed throatily `Oh! You’ve got a cat!’she knelt by the chair and started to pet the burmese.
`Mrs Parker,’intoned Max `may I present Alison Ellis. Alison, this is Mrs Parker, the matriarch of the house.’
`She’s beautiful. Why Mrs. Parker?’
`I’ll tell you later. Meanwhile, don’t tell anyone - she’s here against the rules of the lease; a stowaway no less.’ He grabbed his jacket from the settee `okay, let’s go’
Getting up she absently minded continued stroking Mrs Parker, the cat was lost in a delirium of purring. Alison looked round the living room of the apartment, taking in the large desk in the window with a computer and printer almost submerged by a frothing tide of papers. The chair was surrounded by books stacked to hand-level.the rest of the place looked meticulously neat, as if it wasn’t used at all. A lack of dust on the tidy coffee table in front of the sofa indicated, she thought, a cleaning lady.`Great place Mr Writer Sir’
`I was very lucky to get it - a friend moved out of state and I took over the lease. It was only two years ago and the cat was already fourteen - that’s why I didn’t have the heart to get shot of her’ he spoke in a whisper so that feline ears couldn’t decipher the words. Even so, he looked warily at the cat.
Alison laughed `I can see who wears the trousers in this place. Come on, lets go and grab some good times. She grabbed Max’s hand and they left, switching off the lights.
Through the big bay, the dimmed lights of a car could be seen to come on as they left the building entrance and started walking down the street. Behind the wheel, Ray watched them go and eased after them `Fucking shithead.’ he muttered.
Ray sat astride the fence posts of the country park’s car park. Alsion watched him as she drove her truck in and parked it. He didn’t turn or acknowledge her until she’d jumped out and was struggling with the kit from the back.
`Afternoon’ he said.
`Yeah, sorry I was late - got held up in town. Have you been waiting?’ she smiled pleasantly at him.
He grabbed her rucksack and held it for her to reverse into.`only forty minutes. What happened?’
`Oh, I bumped into Max, jogging in Central Park. Or, rather, he bumped into me - I’ve got the bruise to prove it’ she rubbed her waist.
Ray’s eyes had narrowed and he held the rucksack so that her arms were pinned back at a painful angle.
`Ray!’ there was a warning tone in her voice. He lifted the pack onto her shoulders roughly.`Christ! what is your problem, Ray?’ her eyes were blank as she stared at him. He felt on the defensive immediately.
`I don’t see why you like that guy. You do like him don’t you?’ he accused her.
`Look. Whether I like him or not is none of your business but as it happens, yes I do. Do you have an issue with that?. Her hands were on her hips and even though he had a good six inches on her, he felt like a little boy.
`He’s a slimeball’ he muttered, looking down at his feet,`and he can’t dress for shit.’ His chin gave a petulant tilt.`Is it the money? He’s rich and successful yeah? You just -‘ he stopped abruptly at the change in her eyes. Her mouth became a grim line.
`You’re not my mother, Ray. And don’t judge what you know nothing about - I think, from what I know of him so far, that he’s a nice guy but that’s for me to find out and you to accept. Now,’ she turned to the side`are you coming?’ without waiting for an answer she led the way.
Slowly,Ray grabbed his own bag and followed.
Max replaced the receiver and pressed the button that buzzed the door. He checked his tie in the mirror as he walked to the door. The cat wound itself around his ankles`get OUT of it!’ he hissed. Mrs Parker jumped onto a chair cushion and eyed him speculatively. She knew something was going on. She was tempted by the warmth and comfort of her position to go to sleep but she had an inkling the boss was up to something - he’d been jittery all afternoon.
Max opened the door and held his breath whilst she came round the corner of the stairwell. She smiled as she saw him. `Hi!’ she called.
Max waved a hand. He was relieved to see she was wearing jeans and and an open blouse over a T-shirt. She came to him and kissed him on the cheek. `Ready?’ she asked brightly. Her breath was slow and even, the stairs had caused a small blush on her cheeks but that was it. Everything about her seemed so young!
`Come on in. I’ll just get my jacket, unless you’d like a drink or something before we go?’ he opened the door wide for her and followed her inside.
`Something might be fun’ she laughed throatily `Oh! You’ve got a cat!’she knelt by the chair and started to pet the burmese.
`Mrs Parker,’intoned Max `may I present Alison Ellis. Alison, this is Mrs Parker, the matriarch of the house.’
`She’s beautiful. Why Mrs. Parker?’
`I’ll tell you later. Meanwhile, don’t tell anyone - she’s here against the rules of the lease; a stowaway no less.’ He grabbed his jacket from the settee `okay, let’s go’
Getting up she absently minded continued stroking Mrs Parker, the cat was lost in a delirium of purring. Alison looked round the living room of the apartment, taking in the large desk in the window with a computer and printer almost submerged by a frothing tide of papers. The chair was surrounded by books stacked to hand-level.the rest of the place looked meticulously neat, as if it wasn’t used at all. A lack of dust on the tidy coffee table in front of the sofa indicated, she thought, a cleaning lady.`Great place Mr Writer Sir’
`I was very lucky to get it - a friend moved out of state and I took over the lease. It was only two years ago and the cat was already fourteen - that’s why I didn’t have the heart to get shot of her’ he spoke in a whisper so that feline ears couldn’t decipher the words. Even so, he looked warily at the cat.
Alison laughed `I can see who wears the trousers in this place. Come on, lets go and grab some good times. She grabbed Max’s hand and they left, switching off the lights.
Through the big bay, the dimmed lights of a car could be seen to come on as they left the building entrance and started walking down the street. Behind the wheel, Ray watched them go and eased after them `Fucking shithead.’ he muttered.
posted by Neorelix at 11:02 AM
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