Put Your Head Somewhere Else

Prairie Fires and Faerie Pyres, Part 2

I stood in the doorway, and watched Dee. Dee was standing at the kitchen counter. She was eating a cranberry-orange muffin from Whole Foods.

She poured herself some coffee as she chewed. The steam caught the morning light.

“Hey,” I said.

She tried to wash the cake down with scalding coffee. It was too hot.

“Buddy stopped by yesterday,” I said. “My client called to micro manage. He’s obsessed with business cliches.”

“Buddy?” she mumbled between chewing.

“And wordy repetition.”

“Hmm.” She blew softly on her coffee.

“My client believes that we tell them what we’re going to tell them.”

She blew.

“Then we tell them.”

She blew harder.

“Then we tell them what we told them.”

She blew a chewed wad of cranberry muffin into her coffee. “Shit!”

“Exactly. And he keeps adding unnecessary work.”

I waited while she got a glass of water and drank. She said, “You’re gonna get paid, right?”

“Right.”

She filled a second glass. “More work is a good thing.”

“Yes. Unless I fire the client.”

“Fire?” She walked over and handed me the water.

“Then I’d probably not get paid.”

“That’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal.” I paused to drink. “He’s given me a couple of referrals. I would lose the referrals.”

“No you wouldn’t.” She snuck close while I put the glass down.

“Why?”

“Because you’re really, really good.” She blew softly.

“Hmm.”

“You’re really…” She blew. “Really …” She nibbled. “Good.”

“I can’t.”

When did her robe unfasten?

“Sure you can.” She pushed my arm so that my cold hand was in the small of her back.

“So we’ll be naked?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“In bed.” I pulled my head back.

“Yeah,” she smiled.

I dropped my arm. “And I’ll be arguing with my client.”

“Tom?”

“My head will be going twelve rounds with this client.”

“I’m sure I could put your head somewhere else.”

“I can’t.” I picked up her coffee.

“How about my head? Where should that go?”

“I can’t.” I blew steadily.

“OK.”

“OK?” I took a small sip of the coffee.

“Yeah.”

“I need to get this damn project finished or it will ruin the weekend.”

I handed back her coffee. She smiled and started drinking.

“I’m calling C and Duke,” she said. “We should all get together at Yak’s tonight. I’m going to get you drunk.”

“Only if I get this project done.”

… continued

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Prairie Fires and Faerie Pyres

Part 2: Put Your Head Somewhere Else
Part 1: Showier Prose