Remo called from Paris and caught me at home one night. “Hey, how’s things?” “Things are good. Well, depending on what things, but you didn’t call to check up on me, did you?” I was doing the math in my head. It had to be, what, nine hours later for him? “What are you doing […]
I spent another week in Boston, during which Carynne made me go to the dentist, and I got all my new furniture arranged. My room seemed bigger when it had actual shelves and a sleek chest of drawers instead of all the piled milk crates. Having an actual bed meant there was room under it […]
The next day I was asleep under a thatched shade thingie on the beach when Jonathan got another phone call. I was just waking up, and looking at the spot on my arm where the skin was still darker than the rest — where the pyrotechnic had burned me, I mean — and thinking how […]
Colin and I eventually got out of bed. There were some post-tour things to take care of here and there, equipment and stuff, but nothing urgent. Laundry. I couldn’t quite motivate myself to sort and wash when I had clean clothes at home. Then Chris told me he had used the last of the detergent, […]
It was a very professional crowd, it seemed to me. They clapped in all the right places, cheered in all the right places, never got too crazy, but never lagged in energy either. Don’t get me wrong; that was perfectly fine. But it wasn’t special. Or maybe it was me. I was so ready for […]
Remo and I walked for about a block in silence, climbing the hill toward the hotel, me propelled upward by energy and the feeling like I couldn’t quite get enough air into my lungs. Streetwalkers called to us, homeless-looking men shifted toward us and then away. It felt almost like New York. “Wow,” I said […]
There was a bellydancer waving silks and hands in front of the table when we returned, dollar bills forming a green counterpoint to the blue sequins of her costume. She coaxed Digger up and danced with him to the too-loud piped in music, circling around him with her scarves while he did a kind of […]
Carynne picked up the phone like she really was going to make some calls, and I took it as a hint I should leave. Although if she was going to make calls there was no reason why I shouldn’t stay. But I had a feeling she wasn’t doing business–no day book out–so picking up the […]
Maybe an hour later Bart shook out his hands and said good night. I got up to leave, too, but Remo said a little awkwardly “Wait one more second” so I told Bart I’d be along. We were all three wearing jocular smiles but Remo’s eyes went somewhat serious. Bart, never blind to those sorts […]
The lobby clock showed two a.m. when I walked to the elevators, now feeling a little itchy for a shower. When I got up to the suite I heard people laughing inside and I knocked instead of opening the door with the key. Bart opened it. “Here you are!” I stepped past him and saw […]