Monday, June 28, 2004

Two Dogs Per Lady Day!

She's got two dogs and a pocketbook full of attitude.

It's 1:40 AM and Janice has brought the mongrels out with her for her trip to the store for some eggs. The fella she brought home is waiting for his omelet. He's a coworker and she promised him an omelet if he'd take her home.

"Mushroom and swiss or nothing," Michael said. They made out for the duration of the cabride.

It was a sendoff for a temp who'd been with the firm for two and a half years, refusing to go perm and waiting for the assignment to be discontinued. Ultimately, she got married and quit. Janice liked the temp and envied her, not for marrying, but simply for knowing that Monday will be a little different. Janice is very aware that this is most likely why she propped herself by Michael's left arm for most of the evening, why he's upstairs in her apartment naked on her couch watching HBO Signature.

The dogs are named Leopold and Marcus Welby MD (Welby for scolding brevity). They're both terriers, both boys. Michael likes them. He likes dogs.

At the store Janice buys the eggs and the mushrooms. She was relieved to find she already had the Swiss, as it's hard to get a counter guy to operate the slicer after midnight. When she's waiting for her change, the counter guy needs to break a roll of quarters. This allows her that extra moment of reflection she needs to conclude that Michael is going to rip her to shreds.

Not tonight. He's going to come back for more, and she's going to fall for him. Whether it's two weeks or two years down the line, Michael is going to break her heart.

She'll quit her job. And maybe she'll even leave the city.

Janice carries the omelet makings back to her apartment at a jauntier pace. She's excited. She's got something big waiting somewhere over the horizon.

Happy Two Dogs Per Lady Day!