Page 38 of Error Handling
Fate is a funny thing. The odds of running into Sarah like this are slim to none. And yet, here I am. But fate also plopped a high-paying job in Puerto Rico into my lap. Not that long-distance relationships aren’t possible. They are.
But my competition here is clearly stacked. For all I know, Sarah is already committed to Christopher. They seemed to be having a fine time when I walked in on them. Who knows where it might have gone if I hadn’t arrived?
And quite frankly, I’m tired. I never should have taken this call. I try to be in bed by eleven every night and it’s already twelve-thirty. That’s what I get for being greedy.
No. I’m not greedy. I’m determined. Every job I take is more money in the bank. More money means I’m that much closer to having the seed money I need to start my business.
Suddenly, my subtle acts of machismo seem silly to me. I won’t fight over a woman. Not when opportunity is calling me elsewhere. Christopher can have Sarah. He seems like a nice guy.
I just need to get through this job and get to bed.
Chapter 8
Sarah
The smells of the downtown Joe and Go nearly lull me to sleep. If I had a blankie and a pillow I’d curl up on the old wood floor under the table with no shame.
Chris and I worked until two o’clock in the morning. The plumbing job gave him more headache than he’d anticipated, and when he went to turn the water back on, one of the knobs sheared off in his hand. He thought he had the parts to fix it, but the new knob gave him fits. While he wrestled with it, I pulled copious amounts of water from the carpet, so much that I lost count of how many times I emptied the shop vac. And the carpet was still wet this morning.
I haven’t had time to call Gary yet. My Thursdays are packed with classes except for the hour I’m currently enjoying in Joe and Go. I work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Old Towne Ghost Tours to pay rent, and I shove six classes into my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today I have three, among themBusiness and Professional Practices for Fine Arts, which I justleft. Next isExhibition Design as Practice. Until then, I plan to nurse my coffee and fantasize about sleeping in a big fluffy bed.
The warm atmosphere at Joe and Go is the closest I’ll get. The place is packed with students and shoppers. I’m sitting in the loft, which gives me a birds-eye view of the historic brick buildings on the opposite side of the street.
My phone buzzes. I pick it up and check the text message. It’s Christopher.
How did it go after I left?
I smile and respond.I hardly got any sleep.
Uh...yeah. What else would we have been doing?
NM. Bad joke.
You are a bad joke.
I smile and reflect it by sending him a smiley face.
He responds with the tongue-out smiley emoji. Then he gets serious.Hey. We talked about setting up a photo session. I wanted to let you know I’ll be out of town for most of the week. My boss sprang an HR conference in Vegas on me this morning, after which I’m off to a training session in San Francisco.
Wow,I text back.You’re a world traveler.
I wish.
I send him a smiley emoji.
So we’ll have to schedule when I get back in town, okay?
Sure, looking forward to it.
Time passes while I stare at my phone. Just as I decide the conversation must be over, he sends another text.
I had a great time last night.
Me too, I reply.