It’s much better just to go off in the woods and not ever be seen again: just protect yourself from yourself, stay cool, and do your work. You can be the party animal in the next life. – Rick Bass
Barker Ajax was on the phone. Three a.m. Black line fever. The old man had called him. Finally managed to abstain from drunken e-mails after the telephone stopped being about talking. The old man just couldn’t sleep. When young, they’d call each other all the time. If you knew somebody you can trust, who knows you, and never lie to you, somebody with a history with you and maybe you thought they were a little bit special. You’d call them.
The old man just wanted to tell an old story. Again. He got that way sometimes.
Story went like this. He had been engaged all weekend. Or so he thought. But he was not surprised.
Friday. His last question to the saleslady at the mall jewelry store, Can I return this ring if something should, you know, happen. He did not gulp as she gave him a seemingly mature knowing wink.
Something happened. Her Christian parents, banker and stay at home mom, had kidnapped his fiance and deprogrammed her. She was too young and he was her boss. Oh, the shame. We’ll buy you a condo if you dump him.
She was a Junior Miss Oregon and looked like Natasha Kinski in that cat movie. The old man had been young once; this is the girl who drowsily complained in the middle of night, “poke, poke, poke.” Her nickname was “Juice.”
Monday. He was not surprised when she gave the ring back to him.
Told her to cancel the rest of his day. Walked down the hall, trying to tell himself nobody was looking and fewer knew. Closed the door of his car. Remembered telling his best friend, get a BMW and your life improves just hearing the door make that solid thunk.
He didn’t feel better even if he wasn’t surprised. Turned the ignition key and the 528i rumbled, then purred. The stereo came alive.
No, you can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometime,
You just may find
You get what you need.
You told me that story decades ago.
Well, yeah, the old man agreed. Used to think he knew what that meant.
Maybe Keith and Mick should have added, eventually.
What are you doing up this time of the morning?
You called me.
After she gave me back my ring, do you remember where I went after that?
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