Fallen Devil |ON HOLD|

To go or not to go

Adrian P.O.V.
Friday, 5:40pm

Last week, when Eden said she wouldn't come, I didn't believe her. Yesterday, when I thought about it, I still didn't believe her. But today? I'm not so sure I'll see her.

I strolled down the street, letting my fingers brush gently against the roses that grew up the sides of most houses. Completely lost in thought, I almost didn't notice that the curb ended, and I stumbled into the road, running into a man carrying an armload of boxes. The boxes teetered, and the top one fell to the pavement, revealing stacks and stacks of neatly filed papers, which scattered as they dropped.
"Oh crap man! I'm so sorry, I was completely daydreaming.", I said. "Although, you probably should have been looking too", I muttered as an afterthought. And then I saw who it was.
" Adrian Charles O'Patrick! What are you doing out of work? When I asked you to attend a business meeting half an hour ago, you said, "Blah Blah Blah, too busy, can't leave the office, lots of work, Blah Blah Blah", my coworker mimicked in a nasally voice which I can assure you sounds nothing like my own.
"Look, Dean, I'm sorry. I'm attending an important, uh, meeting, which I just so happen to be in a hurry to get to now. So, if you'll excuse me, I promise to be at the next meeting of the little knitters club or whatever". I really, really, hated Dean. Short, fat, and balding, Dean took it as his responsibility to tell me exactly why I should quit my job.
"Young man," he puffed indignantly, " my convention is most certainly not a knitter's club. It is for dignified business men who," he added indignantly, "know where they're going and are loyal to the company".
"If it's for dignified businessmen", I replied slyly, "why are you running it?"
And I left him there, gaping like a fish. As I walked towards Wings n Flings, he yelled, " I could get you fired!".
"This is Heaven, Dean! You're stuck with me", I called over my shoulder. No response.

Wings n' flings was a quiet little building tucked into a side street. I could tell from the moment I met her that Eden would like it. It was a white building with little pink shutters, and the name on the plaque near the door seemed out of place. I'd only been in here once before, but the little old lady who ran it was sweet, and the place was never crowded. As I walked in, a little bell hanging above the door tinkled softly, and I heard someone pattering towards me.
A short, plump little lady with greying hair greeted me.
" Um, hey," I asked, "I have a reservation for two, right?".
She seemed delighted that I was here, and clapped her hands together, saying, "Oh, certainly, dear! Adrian, is it?". When I nodded in conformation, she teetered over to a brown stand and retrieved two menus from behind it. Both were, of course, pink and white.
I followed her over to a table in the back, decked out in lace and pink hearts. She stuck the menus on the table and gestured for me to sit down. Taking the other seat, the lady informed me of how excited she was that I was here.
"You being the son of god and all," She explained conspiratorially, " just think how many new customers I'll get! I mean, I have the bingo group that comes every Tuesday, and the book club, of course, that's every Sunday at two. But, I've always dreamt of owning a restaurant, and now that I have plenty of time, I can focus on getting it established, so to speak. What do you think?"
Although it was hard, I refrained from yawning. "Yeah, great".
She seemed crestfallen that I didn't have more to say to her, and for a moment she looked so sad that I almost apologized.
And then the door burst open. The little old lady stood up abruptly, and I turned in my chair. Eden, skirt and sweater torn, makeup smudged, and hair tumbling out of a braid stood in the doorway, cheeks wet with tears.