Handbag
"Jordan! Did you pick the cat up
from the vet ?" he looked startled, then guilty, then pushed the
door shut with his foot. Sounded like she was in the kitchen. That
meant it had been a hard day for her, which was always bad news.
"Uh, no. I forgot. I'll do it
tomorrow." He rolled his eyes, then headed for the kitchen.
"Tomorrow is Saturday. They're
closed on the weekend. You can't get her till Monday, which is a
holiday. So you can't get her till Tuesday. That's 75 bucks room
and board. I'm getting just a little tired of this." She was
wearing her "get out!" apron and holding a spatula. Batter
dripped onto the floor.
"In fact," she continued, "I
am tired of it." Donna picked Jordan up and dropped him
in her purse, which stood open on the table.
Inside, Jordan fell a considerable
distance, landing heavily on a red compact. He sat up, rubbing the
back of his head. There was a sizable amount of room, far more than
he had expected. In the dim light he saw keys, lipstick, a pencil
stub, crumpled pieces of paper, and other things not immediately
identifiable. Then he noticed the people. A couple of Jehovah's
Witnesses, their starched shirts looking a bit rumpled; someone who
might have been a repair man or meter reader; a cop; a couple of
teenage boys; a well-built young woman with a head full of red
ringlets. No wonder he hadn't been able to get her on the phone.
"Oh wow, Gloria! How long have you
been in here?"
"Since the day you cheated on
Donna, but told me you weren't seeing anyone."
Jordan reached for her shoulder, but
she stepped back "Get your hands off me. I think you've done
enough already. I just thank God we used a condom."
Jordan let his arm fall to his side and
looked away to avoid Gloria's glare. He noticed four guys slumped
around a card table in the shadows. "Who are they?"
"Other former boyfriends.
She sure can pick 'em."
"What do you--? Oh." Jordan
closed his mouth, and they stared at each other.
Darkness fell with a snap.
"What's going on?" Jordan
cried, unable to keep panic entirely out of his voice.
"Brace yourself."
Publ. Daily Cabal, 2009
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