24/11/2001 - 10:40 p.m.

Part 10

"You didn't mention that."

"Who would? What'd she want?" Michael asked, flipping on the computer and trying to look unconcerned. Not that Jeff would notice, but who needed him to?

"I don't know," he shrugged. "All she did was go on to me about Athens airport for twenty minutes. I should've hung up on her. Anyway, she says she'll call back. So, this Lisa chick, you going to see her again?"

Michael shrugged, and began typing.

"Typical Mikey answer: turn shy and avoid the question. You are such a girl sometimes, Mike. Listen, if you want my advice-"

"I don't."

"Well, even if you don't, if you want her, you'd better call her."

"I haven't got her number." He continued typing, feeling Jeff's look of disbeleif pierce the back of his skull.

"What? Man, you really screwed up. You'll never hear from her, at least not the way you make things out. Better keep the shades closed Mike, you don't need any more ideas."

He reached over and opened the curtains. Flashing Jeff a defiant look, he turned back to the screen.

"Right, I can take a hint, you don't want me. I'm off. Hey, if Shelly calls, tell her that you're making me clean the couch, OK?"

"No."

"Great, see you later."

Michael rolled his eyes and turned away from the computer screen. He glanced at the window and pulled the curtains closed again.

"Hah! Thought you were just being stupid," Jeff's voice sliced through the silence.

"I thought you were leaving."

"I was, but I knew you were gonna do that. Now I'm going."

The door went shut with a poignant bang. Michael felt a strange deja vu to the previous evening, and it wasn't yet noon. He went to lay down on the couch, but changed directions and headed for his bedroom.

"You want to hear from her, don't you, Mike?" Mike said aloud.

"Yes, but don't talk to yourself Michael," he replied.

"What's the good of an interior monolouge if nobody can hear it?" he asked.

"It keeps you sane."

"Oh, does it?"

"Yes. And anyway, this hardly qualifies as an interior monolouge. A train of thought maybe, except for that whole aloud thing."

"See, Mike, this is precisely the reason she's not going to call you back."

"You keep coming back to her, don't you?"

"What else is first in your mind?"

"I hate you, you know that?"

"Eat me, and you'll go crazy."

He sat up and shook his head. This couldn't be the only thing on his mind, but it was. He would work on his book, if it weren't a love story. Unfortunately, he had come to one of the parts that simply can't be written when one isn't in a romantic mood, and he couldn't think of a way to put himself in one. He hated himself today.

There had to be more to his life than his book and his love life. He thought for a minute, and shook his head, his book had been his love life up until last night. His entire universe was centered around love. He had a flashing image of all the stars in the whole galaxy of his mind centered around one great big red flashing neon sign in the shape of a heart. It looked like the advert for a cheap motel.

He closed his eyes and the phone rang.

Go to Part 11

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