He rolled over onto his side and looked up at the woman. She zipped up the back of her elegant black cocktail dress.
“You’re leaving?” The man rubbed his face and blinked. “Now? Already?”
In a quiet voice, she replied, “You knew I would.” She picked up her coat and draped it over her left arm.
The man sat up and pushed his pillow to vertical, inclining it against the inlaid headboard. “I wish you wouldn’t. Please stay. Didn’t the last two days mean anything? I know they did for me.”
She remained silent as she picked up her purse.
“But I love you! I mean that.”
“I know you do.” She put something in her purse and snapped it shut.
“Look - I know it’s only been a short while, but - What can I say? God - you’re breaking my heart.”
He pushed the covers aside and swung his legs around, placing his feet on the floor. Before he could stand up, she said, “It’s interesting you should say that just now. Do you read Dostoevsky?” She made it sound more like a statement than a question.
“Some – a bit. When I was in school, I guess. Why? What does that have to do with anything?”
She walked over to the bed and smiled slightly. “Dostoevsky once said, ‘Right or wrong, it's very pleasant to break something from time to time.’ I really do agree with that sentiment. But it’s nothing personal, you understand. Au revoir, mon cheri.” She kissed him lightly on both cheeks, and then she turned and walked out the door.
"Williams, we have another one," said Boss Perry over the intercom.
Williams switched to the LittleBrother application and scrolled down the active monitors until he found the row that blinked red. "Got it, boss."
"This one's coming from that farmhouse down in Paso Robles --"
"The one where the sensors drop out just a few hours after activation?" asked Williams.
"You got it. If you get anything definitive -- scratch that, if you see anything even a tiny bit unusual, give me a call even if I'm in a meeting."
"Okay, boss."
Williams maximized the video coming from the sensor placed his hands behind his head and leaned back with his feet rested on his desk. This one sure was a squeaker. He could see the healthy pink gums and only moderately yellow teeth working over the sensor's protective covering. William suspected he would have gone mad if the sensor had been hooked up for audio, but instead he just watched the silent video feed. Of course, there might be a clue if they got audio as well. Williams made a note to submit his idea of audio feeds into the corporate suggestion box. It wasn't a great idea, but you couldn't tell what ideas BizDev might decide to use and Williams could score some points with Sylvia if he got the bonus.
Frazzlbap!
The video feed went dead black. Williams replayed the video segment. One second there was teeth gnashing and the next blackness.
Williams double-clicked Boss Perry's icon in the chat application. "Hey boss, the feed's dead."
"Already?"
"Yeah, it took less than fifteen minutes."
"Was it defective?"
"I double-checked the post-manufacture inspections but can't find any flaws or other leads that might indicate a weakness."
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Didn't even get a good view of the subject, just some brown and black fur. But boss, it looks like a small breed."
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMorning, A Rive Gauche Hotel Room, Paris...
ReplyDeleteHe rolled over onto his side and looked up at the woman. She zipped up the back of her elegant black cocktail dress.
“You’re leaving?” The man rubbed his face and blinked. “Now? Already?”
In a quiet voice, she replied, “You knew I would.” She picked up her coat and draped it over her left arm.
The man sat up and pushed his pillow to vertical, inclining it against the inlaid headboard. “I wish you wouldn’t. Please stay. Didn’t the last two days mean anything? I know they did for me.”
She remained silent as she picked up her purse.
“But I love you! I mean that.”
“I know you do.” She put something in her purse and snapped it shut.
“Look - I know it’s only been a short while, but - What can I say? God - you’re breaking my heart.”
He pushed the covers aside and swung his legs around, placing his feet on the floor. Before he could stand up, she said, “It’s interesting you should say that just now. Do you read Dostoevsky?” She made it sound more like a statement than a question.
“Some – a bit. When I was in school, I guess. Why? What does that have to do with anything?”
She walked over to the bed and smiled slightly. “Dostoevsky once said, ‘Right or wrong, it's very pleasant to break something from time to time.’ I really do agree with that sentiment. But it’s nothing personal, you understand. Au revoir, mon cheri.” She kissed him lightly on both cheeks, and then she turned and walked out the door.
"Williams, we have another one," said Boss Perry over the intercom.
ReplyDeleteWilliams switched to the LittleBrother application and scrolled down the active monitors until he found the row that blinked red. "Got it, boss."
"This one's coming from that farmhouse down in Paso Robles --"
"The one where the sensors drop out just a few hours after activation?" asked Williams.
"You got it. If you get anything definitive -- scratch that, if you see anything even a tiny bit unusual, give me a call even if I'm in a meeting."
"Okay, boss."
Williams maximized the video coming from the sensor placed his hands behind his head and leaned back with his feet rested on his desk. This one sure was a squeaker. He could see the healthy pink gums and only moderately yellow teeth working over the sensor's protective covering. William suspected he would have gone mad if the sensor had been hooked up for audio, but instead he just watched the silent video feed. Of course, there might be a clue if they got audio as well. Williams made a note to submit his idea of audio feeds into the corporate suggestion box. It wasn't a great idea, but you couldn't tell what ideas BizDev might decide to use and Williams could score some points with Sylvia if he got the bonus.
Frazzlbap!
The video feed went dead black. Williams replayed the video segment. One second there was teeth gnashing and the next blackness.
Williams double-clicked Boss Perry's icon in the chat application. "Hey boss, the feed's dead."
"Already?"
"Yeah, it took less than fifteen minutes."
"Was it defective?"
"I double-checked the post-manufacture inspections but can't find any flaws or other leads that might indicate a weakness."
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Didn't even get a good view of the subject, just some brown and black fur. But boss, it looks like a small breed."
R.J., that was amazing!!!!! I loved, loved it. I saw every detail and nuance. Heck, I could even smell her perfume!
ReplyDeleteAidan, very funny!