Balancing the pizzas in one hand, he held the other up before him in some silent agreement.
“Well, all right then.”
She seemed extremely reluctant to open the door, but as she did he followed her inside. Flipping on the lights, she tossed her purse onto the couch. She pointed to the kitchenette. “You can put those in there.” She went to the table and gathered up the papers strewn across it.
“What you got there?”
“Oh! You scared me. I didn’t see you come up behind me like that.”
“So, what’s all this then?”
“Oh nothing, just a bunch of nonsense I like to get lost in.”
She was picking up the papers in a very specific order and placing them into a folder, and he reached out and grabbed one before she could get it.
“Oh, you wouldn’t be interested in that.”
“No, I think I would be very interested. If this is something you love to do, then I am very interested to know all about it.”
She looked at him for a minute and reached for the paper in his hand, but he pulled it away and he read it.
“What is this?”
“Like I said, some nonsense.”
“This does not look like nonsense.”
“Well, what’s the expression? It’s not rocket science.”
“Actually, that is exactly what this looks like.”
Her expression was blank. “You know rocket science?”
“No, but I have no idea what this is. It is so far over my head I — ”
She yanked the page from his hand and slipped it into the folder with the rest. “I seriously doubt that.”
“Oh, really? Okay, maybe you’d like to explain it to me and we’ll see if I understand any of it.”
She sighed loudly. “All right, how about I show you the question I am working on now. Will that be okay with you?” She looked through the folder, and pulling one of the sheets out, she thrust it in front of him. He was confused. “Number twenty-three.” She watched him as he read it to himself.
“How would you even begin to answer this?”
“Well, you break it down into its components. Try to think outside the box. Look at it from all angles. Sometimes it isn’t obvious, but then suddenly the answer appears to you as if out of nowhere. You know you can find the answer from the information you have been given, so you need to focus on that and what you can do with it. Sometimes it’s a case of stringing simple ideas together to create a more complex one.” She stopped, and looking at him she shook her head. “Oh, you don’t want to hear this.”
“Yeah, I do actually.” He could see she was uncomfortable talking about it. “You do this for fun?”
“What can I say? I love the challenge. I love figuring it out. And to do it all by yourself, without anyone else helping you, and to have a final answer. I can’t tell you how rewarding and satisfying that is. I can spend days on just one question. It can be really exciting.”
“To most people I know, a good time is getting drunk and hoping to get laid.”
“To each his own, I guess. As long as people are enjoying themselves then what does it matter?” She took the page from him and put it back in the folder. “Now, where is this pizza you promised to give me?”
“Coming right up.” He pulled open the pouch and brought out two boxes. “One for each of us.”
“Wow, you really do think I’m a complete pig, don’t you?”
“I never said that.”
“This is because of the hamburger thing, isn’t it?”
“I’d forgotten about that. But now that you remind me.”
“All right.”
He put the boxes down on the coffee table, and sitting on the couch, pair of jeans he had seen himself wearing from the dream he opened both lids.
“Is that Hawaiian?” Coming over she stared down into the box. “That’s Hawaiian.”
“Yep.”
“But how did you know? You talked to Angela?”
“Just a bit.”
“Please tell me you didn’t try to grill her for info on me?”
“Moi?”
“Yeah, right.” Plunking herself down onto the couch next to him, she grabbed a slice and took a generous bite. “Oh, God! Mmm!”
Derrick laughed.
“What?”
“Oh nothing. You don’t have a fireplace, I see.”
“No, sorry.”
He had expected her to offer her DVD fire and was surprised when she didn’t. “You don’t happen to have one of those DVDs, you know with nothing but a fire? I’ve seen them and they’re hilarious.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to remember that.”
“So, you don’t have one then?”
“No.”
He could clearly see the DVD from where he was sitting. That she would deny it was strange. “You know?”
“Yes,” she managed between bites.
“Just think of all you could accomplish if you put that intellect of yours to real use?” The moment he said it he regretted it, and she looked down as she leaned away from the pizza. Dropping the piece she was eating back into the box, she carefully closed the lid.
“Would you care for something to drink?” She got up, walking into the kitchen. “I’m sorry but I don’t have anything alcoholic. I have juice and pop.” She was talking into the cupboards as she pulled out a couple of glasses.
“I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”
“You didn’t.”
“So then we’re okay.”
“Yep.”
“Then why doesn’t it feel like it’s okay?”
“Well, I don’t have any control over what you feel, I’m afraid.” She put the glasses on the counter. “You decided what you wanted? Or do you want anything? I’m going to have some pop, even though I shouldn’t.”
He watched her pour herself a glass and drink it without saying anything. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Yes, actually you did. You suggested that everything that is my life is a huge waste of time. That every choice I have made was the wrong one, and that what I am doing is worthless and meaningless. So, forgive me if I take offense with that.”
“Oh God, that is not what I meant at all! Please don’t think that was what I was saying. I just see this incredibly talented woman standing in front of me, and I want her to be able to use what she can to make this world a better place.”
“I am making the world a better place. I am kind to people, I show them attention and love. I care about people and let them know they matter. I spend my time doing things I enjoy, and that gives me great pleasure. I help people when I can, in my own little way. I think what I am doing now matters, even if you don’t.”
“I never said any of that didn’t matter. I am sorry. Forgive me, but I see so much potential that is not being tapped. The things you could do, the ways you could change this world, Annie, you have no idea how amazing you really are.”
“Who’s to say that we must be leading countries, or finding the cure for cancer to have made a contribution?”
“No, but Annie, you have so much more to give, what you could do with what you have.”
“You know, I’ve met people like you before. They all believe they know what is best for me. What I should be doing. That anything but what they suggest is a huge waste of my time and talent. It never occurs to them that…” He watched as she took a deep breath.
“I am doing this so badly, Annie I only want what is best for you.”
“I already have that. Why can’t you see that? Why must I be made to feel like a bad person for not pursuing those things you feel I should be doing?” She marched over to the pizza boxes and closing his box, she stacked them both, and handed them to him. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Grabbing the pouch, she put it on top of the boxes he was holding. “There. Now you have everything you came in with.”
“Are you asking me to leave?”
“Asking? That would be the polite thi
ng to do. I am telling you. Get out!” He wasn’t moving, so she walked past him and opened the apartment door. Coming back, she gave him a shove, pushing him out the door and closing it behind him.
“Annie?” For the longest time he stood in the hallway staring at her door. Going over and over in his head how he could have messed something so perfect up so badly.
“You plan on ever leaving?”
Derrick spun around, there was a little old woman standing in the doorway opposite in her bathrobe and slippers. “Mrs. Fleming?”
“You?”
“Me?”
“Derrick Sloane.”
She was nodding her head as if taking in everything she had ever heard about him. “What did you do wrong?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Well, you’re standing out here aren’t you?”
He laughed. “Yes, you do have a point.”
“Is that pizza?”
“Yes?”
“From that place on the corner?”
“Yes.”
“Then come in, and bring the pizza with you.”
She disappeared back into her apartment, and Derrick wasn’t sure if he should follow.
“Hey, you comin’ or not?”
“I’m coming, I guess.”
“You guess? Either you come or you don’t, but don’t be guessing.”
“Okay.” He laughed at her directness. He always found that funny in an older person. Like they didn’t have the patience for any more crap in their lives. They’d already had enough and weren’t going to put up with any more. He stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.
“Sit.” She motioned to an old green couch that looked as if it had seen better days. “Now, let’s see that pizza.”
Putting the pizzas on the coffee table, he opened them in front of her.
She nodded her head as if inspecting them. “Good choice. I like both. But, I’ll only have the Hawaiian because I know you ordered the pepperoni.”
“How did you know that?”
“I know everything Annie orders from ten miles around. And I know Annie likes the Hawaiian.” She grinned to herself. “I also know she has a new cell phone. Only don’t tell her that. I don’t want her to know I know. That way she can come over, so she’s not so lonely.” She took a slice and leaning back into her chair she started eating. “So, what did you do to piss her off?”
He shrugged.
“Wait. There’s only one thing that would make her that mad.” She lowered her head, looking at him over the rim of her glasses. “Least I hope it’s the one thing I am thinking of.” She shook her head. “Derrick, Derrick, Derrick. You poor, silly fool.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Yes, you will be. You obviously love the girl. That I can plainly see. But you have to learn the boundaries, and you just crossed a big one.” She took another bite, chewing while she rocked in her lazy boy. “Whatever you do, don’t try to fix it immediately. She’s still mad, and it will only stir things up again. But whatever you do, think before you leap. Oh, and do a whole lot of apologizing.”
“That’s it? What no pearls of wisdom?”
“Hey, buddy, I gave you some. The only one that can fix this is you. If I tell you exactly what to do and say, she’ll know it didn’t come from you and that will just piss her off more. Nothing she hates more than insincerity in an apology.”
“You’re right.” He stood. “You are absolutely right.” He started to walk toward the door.
“You’re not going to have any pizza?”
“You keep it.”
She looked up at him. “Thanks.”
“No, thank you.”
“Hey, don’t thank me yet. You still have to figure out a way to fix this.”
He nodded at her and left her apartment, taking the stairs down to the front. He had told Lawrence he wouldn’t need him for a few hours, so he started walking and thinking. Pulling out his cell phone, he punched in a number. “Angela?”
“Derrick? How did you get my number?”
“I saw it on Annie’s phone.”
“What happened?”
“What makes you think something happened?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You were going to be spending the evening with her, it’s early, and you’re on the phone talking to me.”
He sighed. “Why didn’t you warn me about this whole intelligence thing?”
“You didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?”
“You brought up the whole issue about how smart she is, and why isn’t she doing more with her life, didn’t you?” She sighed. “What is it with people that can’t mind their own business?”
“I take it this has happened before?”
“You could say that.”
“And?”
“What do you mean ‘and’?”
“And what happened?”
She laughed. “Do you see her with a boyfriend?” Derrick didn’t answer for a moment.
“I see your point,” he finally replied.
“Look, whatever you do don’t tell her you talked to me. I am going to keep out of this. If she finds out I’m even talking to you. Well, the last thing I want is to be blamed for breaking you two up by some advice I gave. No, I’m really sorry Derrick, but this needs to come from you.”
“That’s what Mrs. Fleming said.”
“Well there you go. If Mrs. Fleming said it, then it’s probably good advice. You don’t live as long as she has and not learn something.”
“Thanks anyway.”
“Good luck.”
He could tell she meant it, from the tone in her voice, and he prayed he could figure out a way to fix this mess. He’d always been able to fix anything, but this was one time it really mattered, and it scared him. No, this is one problem he’d have to fix for certain.
Chapter Fifteen
Sitting up, Derrick looked at Annie’s side of the bed. It hadn’t been slept in, and as he stared down at the untouched sheets, he tried not to panic. Throwing the covers back, he jumped from the bed and ran into the walk-in closet.
Looking down the rods, he saw only suits or pants, not a dress, not a blouse in sight. Yanking the drawers forcefully open, he rummaged through their contents. There was no sign of anything belonging to Annie. “No!”
He ran into the washroom and opened the cabinet. He looked to the shelves for anything of hers, but there was nothing. Not a trace, not a hint, not a remnant of anything that had been hers.
“Brian. Brian will know.” Going over to the bed, he sat on the rumpled silk sheets and dialed.
“Brian?”
“Oh, so I’m good enough to talk to again, am I?”
“What?” Derrick stared. “Oh…that’s right. Annie was the one that got us back together two weeks ago. And she isn’t here because of what I did five months ago, so you and I didn’t fix things two weeks ago. But why didn’t I send myself a letter to be delivered yesterday so that I wouldn’t mess things up five months ago with Annie?” He raked a hand through his hair. “But then why haven’t I sent myself a letter saying what happened when I tried to fix it with Annie after the fight, so that I wouldn’t do that again? But if I sent myself a letter why didn’t it get to me? Oh, God I shouldn’t be talking to you…But then it was two days ago, here in the future, on a different timeline, I learned of your death, so it should be okay to talk to you now because whatever it was I said, or did, would definitely have happened by now…” He tried to gather his thoughts and sat down on the side of the bed.
“Derrick…? I’m coming over. I need you to tell the doorman to permit me access. Do you think you can do that?”
Derrick sighed.
“Derrick?”
“Yes, Brian. I’ll tell him.”
“Good. I’m on my way now.”
He hung up and then pressed one. “Harold?”
“Yes, Mr. Sloane, how can I help you today?”
“I need you to inform security that Dr. Taylor is to b
e granted access to the building and to my suite.”
“Yes, sir. I will take care of it immediately.”
“Thank you, Harold.”
“Good day, Mr. Sloane.”
Derrick hung up and went over to the bar, pouring himself a large scotch. Swirling it in the crystal snifter, he watched as the amber liquid glowed against the light and he took a large drink from it.
“Derrick?”
Derrick turned to see Brian standing behind him, and he looked to his watch. A full ten minutes had passed since he had taken a drink. Ten minutes of staring into space, his thoughts drifting as in some endless loop.
“You’re not answering your door now? I had to get Harold to have someone let me in.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you knock.”
Brian looked to the scotch snifter in Derrick’s hand. “Mind if I catch up?”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, let me get it for you.”
“No, that’s fine. I know my way around your bar.”
“Right.” Brian poured himself a scotch and sat on the couch.
Pacing, Derrick then sat in the chair by the fireplace. “Every time I dream, I am seeing a timeline that has already played out, and I have no idea what the events were that led up to that specific timeline. And then the next time I dream, the timeline is different, something has changed it, but whatever happened…I don’t know what it was. So then why didn’t I send myself a letter to be delivered to me on a specific date in the future, telling me not to do something? Maybe I did do that. And I did follow the advice. And it made it worse. So I destroyed the letter before it got to me. But then if I had destroyed the letter before it got to me, I wouldn’t have followed the advice in the first place. So then I would have sent myself the letter to do it, and I would have done it again.” Derrick stared straight ahead. “Is any of this making any sense to you? Because it’s giving me a great bloody headache, I can tell you. If I don’t drive myself crazy thinking about this I just might…”
“Might what?” Derrick didn’t answer, and Brian sat forward on the couch. “Derrick? Might what?”
Brian was staring at him, their eyes meeting as Derrick raised his head once more. He laughed. “I don’t suppose you know what I did to try and fix it between Annie and me? But as we haven’t been speaking, you wouldn’t know. But whatever I did…who’s to say something else I do doesn’t mess it up just as bad. Maybe I tried to fix it too soon and that just pushed her further away.”
The Coffee Shop Page 16
