“Hello. May I speak with Siobhan Murray, please?”
Who the hell is this guy? He’s callin’ on the home phone, for one thing. And askin’ for Shi. No one does that except for that Nyle person, and she hasn’t ever called back after that time we were hangin’ up on each other. I hate it when people call and won’t leave a frickin’ message on the machine, then keep ringin’ the phone ‘cause it’s like they know they’re bein’ screened. And I wasn’t screening that day, I was fuckin’ tryin’ to sleep.
But who the HELL is this guy on the phone? With an accent, and soundin’ like he’s callin’ in from London or somethin’.
“She’s not here,” I say. Fuck you.
“Might I leave a message?”
“N.. yeah, sure, lemme get a pencil,” I say. I was gonna make him call back and leave somethin’ on the machine, but this is easier. ‘Sides, Shi’ll appreciate it. This is probably another one of those antique dealer dudes. Sounds about right. “Shoot.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You wanna leave a number or something?”
“If you please. My name is David Ravensdale. Tell her that I called and I’ll call her back this evening. Thank you.” And the fucker hangs up on me.
David Ravensdale. Is this guy for real? No number?
I crumple up the note. The hell with him, he can call back, like he said.
Shi is out this afternoon. I’m not sure where she is, she had errands she said. We had breakfast together this morning, which was kinda almost strange it’s been so long. And then she cut out to do what I guess she’s been doin’ while I’ve been asleep. Juliette’s comin’ by this afternoon, too, and I think she’s stayin’ to dinner, so I know for sure that Shi was going to the grocery store to pick up somethin’ fresh. And I know that she’s gonna look at some fabric or some such shit. And that she has to take Tish to a dentist appointment, which, damn it, I need to make one for myself, too.
David Ravensdale.
I’m trying to think if I recognize the name. I don’t. But then I’m not downtown every minute, either. I think Shi knows every shop keeper and store owner from here to the valley. And they know her. Some of them call the house. That’s got to be who this guy is, just one of the more snooty ones. Not leavin’ a number, what’s with that shit?
Asshole.
~~**~~**~~***~~**~~**~~
“Alex, you’re booking up for May,” Juliette tells me. I don’t wanna believe her, but there it is in black and white, all mapped out for me on two calendars. I’m not gonna be around much at all. I’ve got a coupla weeks that I’m gonna be in Florida. I got two benefits to do there, and a banquet. All booked by my okay, all booked by my mother’s office.
I have three golf events, too. Some of them I booked as early as last year, then forgot about them. The way it’s lookin’ now, I’m gonna be on the road most of the month. June isn’t lookin’ any better.
“When did all this happen?” I say, but as I look at the dates I remember. Juliette doesn’t even bother to answer me and Shi is silent as she moves around the kitchen makin’ dinner for us. She doesn’t even say anything when she sets down a coupla drinks for Juliette and me. I smile at her, she smiles back, but she’s in her own head today. “Book flights,” I finally tell Juliette.
“You’re going to try and cram all this in? You’re going to be flying back and forth across country all month.”
“And this is somethin’ new?” I say. What the fuck. There’s nothin’ here that I want to miss, or that I even can ditch with an excuse. Besides, I don’t ditch now if I don’t have to, ‘cause people think that I’m drinkin’ again when I ditch. Okay, so it was a habit of mine back when I was drinkin’ and usin’. I begged off things all the time. I also had half the world convinced that my runny nose was from allergies and not from snorting coke.
People, fans in particular, believe what they wanna believe. I said I had allergies. I had a room full of decongestants sent to me. Dumped it all. Kept doin’ coke. Go figure.
“You haven’t road tripped in a while,” is all Juliette says.
Like I don’t know. I’m gonna haveta call Marc and get him on board with this.
“Don’t make any arrangements yet, I gotta call Marc,” I say.
“I’m ahead of you. He’s free for everything but this jaunt to Mexico. The first one. He’s free for the June event, though.”
“Great.” Not great. Outta the country, no guard.
“Marc said he’d dig up Billy for you.” Billy used to guard for us about a thousand years ago, for the whole group. Now he has his own business. If Marc asked, Bill would do it. It’s okay, but not my first choice.
“Okay, I’ll talk to Marc. Book this shit, then.”
“A.J., please, the language. It’s getting tired.”
“Havin’ a bad day?” I ask. Juli never says dick about my language.
“No, well, yes, it’s been a long day. I’m tired. It happens.
“Well, screw all this, then. You can book it when you can book it. I got it all pretty clear in my head. I think I’m going to be home about once every two weeks,” I say, looking at the calendar one more time.
“Then you’re going to spend some time in Florida?”
“I have to.” I have to. I haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time, and I know that she’s not saying anything about it, but that she would like it if I came out and spent some time with her. And I want to. I think we can be okay with each other now that Sarah is pretty much out of the picture.
Then I remember Sarah, which makes me remember the calls on my cell.
“You know why Sarah is tryin’ to reach me?” I ask Juli.
“No, I haven’t spoken to her in weeks.” I look at her. She looks at me. I think she’s tellin’ me the truth. No, I don’t know if she is, I’m just gonna believe that she is.
“Okay.” Now my mind makes another connection, ‘cause Shi is settin’ out plates for us, heaped with pasta and a sauce that’s makin’ my mouth water just smellin’ it. “Someone called for you. Said they would call back,” I tell her.
“Nyle?”
“No, some guy.” I watch her face but nothin’ changes. “He said he’d call back.”
“Okay.” Nothin’ else. She’s quiet. Something’s on her mind She only gets that way when somethin’ is eatin’ at her. I wanna ask, but not in front of Juliette.
~~**~~**~~***~~**~~**~~
~~**~~**~~***~~**~~**~~
Gone for a month. He’s going to be gone for a month. And by the time he gets back, if I understand Juliette correctly, it will be into June and he’s going to be gone for parts of that month, too.
I hadn’t expected that. Not at all.
My mind is running in circles. There’s going to be so much time to fill. Decorating this place takes only so much out of a day. I’m enjoying the experience, but it’s not enough to fill a month or more. And then in June, Tish is leaving for camp. I suppose all the free time will get filled with preparing Tish for camp and her trip to Florida. I don’t know, maybe, instead of putting her on a plane by herself, I’ll accompany her. But that’s not until August. The summer will be almost over. It’s sounding like I’m going to be spending the better part of it alone.
Strange. I suppose, in the back of my mind, I was seeing the days stretching ahead with Alex in mind. He’s changed, even in the short time that I’ve been here. When I was trying to solidify summer plans for Tish he seemed more needy, and I never would have guessed that he would be leaving. I also suppose that I was looking at the summer as a time to get to know him better. No, I’m not intending on keeping this job forever, but I don’t see it lasting less than a year, heck, less than two or three years. Ideally, I’d like to stay put until Tish was on her way to college, although now that I have that thought in the forefront of my mind, I see how, to quote Nyle, ‘ridiculous’ that is. There’s no guarantee at this job. What’s unfolding before me is a solid indication of that.
I’m nervous. I’m nervous about the future, and I’m nervous about the now. The food in my mouth tastes like nothing. The sounds of Alex talking with Juliette are in the background. It’s the ringing of the phone that pulls me from my thoughts, and I answer it without thinking.
“Hello?”
“May I please speak with Siobhan Murray, please?”
“This is she.”
“Ah, so it is. This is David Ravensdale. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“No, not at all.” He isn’t. I don’t care about my supper. In fact, I welcome the distraction.
“I was wondering if you’d like to meet me for a cup of coffee, or a drink tomorrow afternoon? I’m up to my chin in finals and I’d love a bit of company.”
“I, well, I... I have to get back to you on that.” I do. Tish. I can’t leave her here alone on a school day.
“Scheduling conflict?”
“Yes, but it’s my daughter’s schedule,” I tell him.
“Nyle made mention of that. If not tomorrow then, are you free on Friday?”
“That might be easier for me.”
“Why don’t I ring you on Thursday, then?”
“Ring me?”
“Telephone you.”
“Right, sure, no, better if I call you.”
“Fine.” And he begins to rattle off several numbers where I can reach him at various times during the day. Offices, answering service, cell phone, and home. “Have you gotten them all? It does make is sound as if I’m rather on the run, but you can catch me in my office most of the day.”
“I’ll make a note of it,” I say, feeling the laughter in my voice.
“I do hope you can make it.”
“Me, too.” I do. I’d like a bit of company myself. “David, do you have a piece of paper to take a number down yourself?”
“Reams,” he says, and his own laugh carries low over the phone lines.
I tell him my cell number and the number to my phone at the poolhouse. I can hear the scratch of his pencil on the paper.
“Throw this number out,” I tell him, my voice pitched low. “It’s better if you use one of the other numbers.”
“So I gathered. I shan’t keep you, then. I look forward to hearing from you.”
“Thank you, David. Goodbye.” I hang up the phone. I take the piece of notepaper off the fridge that I’ve written David’s phone numbers on, fold it up tight, and put it in my pocket.
I have a date.
~~**~~**~~***~~**~~**~~
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© 2003 Chandrah, Inc.
© 2003 (*> Baby Bird Productions, Inc.
