Devious Origins
Page 2
It was three days later when I next heard from her. I was walking to my Theory of Computing lecture when my phone rang. I answered without even looking at the number.
“Hey, do you own a suit?” a woman's voice asked.
“Um... Yes?” I answered, so surprised by the unusual question that I stopped walking. Was this some sort of telemarketing call? Was I about to get a sales pitch from Men's Warehouse?
“Cool. Meet me at 4:30 PM tomorrow at the Clerk of Courts office in City Hall. Wear a suit. Oh, and bring that blue three ring binder you had at lunch the other day.”
“Uh, what exactly...” but then my question was interrupted by a loud crashing noise coming over the phone.
“Sorry, gotta go,” she insisted, “got a thing to deal with. See you tomorrow.” Then she hung up.
I stood there for another full minute as my brain chewed through the conversation, piecing together who the caller must be and what it might mean. Did I just agree to a date at City Hall? With a crazy woman who thinks she is a superhero no less? I resumed walking to my lecture, nearly overshooting the lecture hall as my mind replayed the phone call, trying to make sense of it. Taking a seat in the back row of the hall, I tried to concentrate on the lecture, but Professor Perdowski's words receded into a meaningless droning as my thoughts kept returning to the phone call and tomorrow's potential meeting.
“Barry. Hey, Barry... Earth to Barry.” My mind snapped back to my actual surroundings as I realized my classmate Jake Meyer was talking to me.
“Jake. Yeah... Sorry, I was just... thinking about something.” I finally noticed class was over. Everyone was packing up to leave.
“I've been trying to ask if you are coming to the study session tomorrow. Tony says he has copies of last year's mid-term. Should be a big help.”
“Study session. Yes. I remember. I'll be there.” Then I remembered that the study session started at 4PM. “Oh crap. I think I've got something else going on then. I've got to be downtown by four thirty tomorrow.”
“Dude, whatever it is, blow it off,” Jake insisted, “We're all going out for one dollar tappers at the Brass Rail after.”
“No really, I've got this thing. Maybe I'll catch up with you later at the Rail.” I thought about it for a moment. I really didn't know where tomorrow's activities would lead. “I might even bring a friend along.”
“Oh I get it now,” Jake answered mirthfully, “you are blowing us off for a woman. Officially, I condemn this frivolous disregard of your academic responsibilities. Unofficially.... way to go dude! I was beginning to think you were some sort of monk. By all means, bring her around. The Rail could stand to have its babe to bro ratio improved.”
I was about to argue that it wasn't like that, but then I realized I didn't actually know much of anything. I wasn't actually sure this meeting tomorrow was really a date. Heck, I still didn't even know her name. After saying my goodbyes to Jake, I packed up and headed back to my dorm room.
I needed to see what sort of shape my suit was in.
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