lived around here worked. Maybe off to the Museum of Fine Arts
to check out the latest exhibit.
My sneakers barely made a sound as I worked
my way up the street, peering carefully down each staircase or
along the leaf-filled gutter. I rubbed at my eyes which threatened
to close again. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Something he
dropped? Some sort of a clue?
My phone rang and I absently drew it out of
my jacket pocket. “Yeah?”
Maria’s voice came over the line. “Let me
guess. You’re still out there looking for him.”
“ Of course I am,” I snapped. “I lost him.
It’s my fault. I have to find him.”
Maria sighed. “You know it’s not –”
“ Of course it’s my responsibility,” I
growled. “He got away from me. Am I slipping up?”
“ You’re fine,” she responded. “But you
need to get some rest. You’re exhausted.”
I knew she was right. I could feel it in my
very bones. Every step was an effort.
Maria continued, “Suz, you’ve been on this
for weeks. You haven’t slept a wink. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.
You get home to that stud of yours. I bet Hank hardly remembers
what you look like. We get something, we’ll call you.”
“ But -”
“ I’m serious. That’s an order. We can go
through the video footage fine without you. We’ll dump the guy’s
cell. We’ll find him and figure out a next step.”
I sighed in acceptance. I was no good to
them if I collapsed in the middle of Newbury Street. I’d become
more a liability than an asset. Still, utter defeat washed over me.
“All right. I’ll call when I wake up again.”
“ Sleep,” she ordered, and hung
up.
I sat on someone’s front steps. It was all I
could do to not simply flop over and fall asleep right there. Maybe
if I just leaned against the stone railing for a moment …
* * *
Maria chuckled as we stood side by side near
our shop’s front door, breathing in the fresh autumn breeze. A
motorcyclist drove past, enjoying one last outing before winter
brought down its icy grip. Maria gave me a nudge. “So, still
dreaming about that guy, huh? And you haven’t even seen his
face?”
I shook my head, holding my Celtics coffee
mug between my hands. “I don’t know his name. I don’t know why I’m
chasing him.” I grinned at her. “But you were in my dream
this time.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? Was I ravishing
and sexy?”
I laughed out loud at that. “Well, I’m not
sure what you looked like. You just called me on the phone. You
told me to get home to my husband.”
She rolled her eyes. “I would have told you
to keep chasing down this mystery man of yours!”
I grinned. “You told me Hank was a
stud.”
She burst out laughing. “Me? Are you sure it
was me on this dream-phone of yours?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. We’ve been friends,
what, ten years now? I’d know your voice anywhere.”
She shook her head. “Clearly there’s
something going wrong with this dream of yours. Hank, a stud? He’s
an insurance broker. Oh, he’s got his good traits, of course.
Steady. Reliable. But a stud?” She chuckled.
I wanted to speak up in Hank’s defense, but
I just couldn’t. Back when he was dating me I would always make the
excuses for him. Over the years it had worn thin.
My eyes drifted up to the sign above our
store, “Suz and Maria’s Knick-Knacks.” The gilt on the letters was
faded in several spots, giving it an unkempt look. Hank had
promised to touch up the paint on that months ago. But he hadn’t
managed to find the time.
He was too tired to go out. He was worn down
from work. But over the years I realized he had plenty of energy
when his friends wanted to play darts or when someone had tickets
to a baseball game. It was just me he never quite had the
energy for.
The thought made my shoulders slump.
Maria draped an arm around me. “Hey, don’t
be like that. I tell you, you should try lucid dreaming. Get aware
in that dream of yours. And find this stud-husband of
to check out the latest exhibit.
My sneakers barely made a sound as I worked
my way up the street, peering carefully down each staircase or
along the leaf-filled gutter. I rubbed at my eyes which threatened
to close again. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Something he
dropped? Some sort of a clue?
My phone rang and I absently drew it out of
my jacket pocket. “Yeah?”
Maria’s voice came over the line. “Let me
guess. You’re still out there looking for him.”
“ Of course I am,” I snapped. “I lost him.
It’s my fault. I have to find him.”
Maria sighed. “You know it’s not –”
“ Of course it’s my responsibility,” I
growled. “He got away from me. Am I slipping up?”
“ You’re fine,” she responded. “But you
need to get some rest. You’re exhausted.”
I knew she was right. I could feel it in my
very bones. Every step was an effort.
Maria continued, “Suz, you’ve been on this
for weeks. You haven’t slept a wink. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.
You get home to that stud of yours. I bet Hank hardly remembers
what you look like. We get something, we’ll call you.”
“ But -”
“ I’m serious. That’s an order. We can go
through the video footage fine without you. We’ll dump the guy’s
cell. We’ll find him and figure out a next step.”
I sighed in acceptance. I was no good to
them if I collapsed in the middle of Newbury Street. I’d become
more a liability than an asset. Still, utter defeat washed over me.
“All right. I’ll call when I wake up again.”
“ Sleep,” she ordered, and hung
up.
I sat on someone’s front steps. It was all I
could do to not simply flop over and fall asleep right there. Maybe
if I just leaned against the stone railing for a moment …
* * *
Maria chuckled as we stood side by side near
our shop’s front door, breathing in the fresh autumn breeze. A
motorcyclist drove past, enjoying one last outing before winter
brought down its icy grip. Maria gave me a nudge. “So, still
dreaming about that guy, huh? And you haven’t even seen his
face?”
I shook my head, holding my Celtics coffee
mug between my hands. “I don’t know his name. I don’t know why I’m
chasing him.” I grinned at her. “But you were in my dream
this time.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? Was I ravishing
and sexy?”
I laughed out loud at that. “Well, I’m not
sure what you looked like. You just called me on the phone. You
told me to get home to my husband.”
She rolled her eyes. “I would have told you
to keep chasing down this mystery man of yours!”
I grinned. “You told me Hank was a
stud.”
She burst out laughing. “Me? Are you sure it
was me on this dream-phone of yours?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. We’ve been friends,
what, ten years now? I’d know your voice anywhere.”
She shook her head. “Clearly there’s
something going wrong with this dream of yours. Hank, a stud? He’s
an insurance broker. Oh, he’s got his good traits, of course.
Steady. Reliable. But a stud?” She chuckled.
I wanted to speak up in Hank’s defense, but
I just couldn’t. Back when he was dating me I would always make the
excuses for him. Over the years it had worn thin.
My eyes drifted up to the sign above our
store, “Suz and Maria’s Knick-Knacks.” The gilt on the letters was
faded in several spots, giving it an unkempt look. Hank had
promised to touch up the paint on that months ago. But he hadn’t
managed to find the time.
He was too tired to go out. He was worn down
from work. But over the years I realized he had plenty of energy
when his friends wanted to play darts or when someone had tickets
to a baseball game. It was just me he never quite had the
energy for.
The thought made my shoulders slump.
Maria draped an arm around me. “Hey, don’t
be like that. I tell you, you should try lucid dreaming. Get aware
in that dream of yours. And find this stud-husband of
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