The Woman Who Fell To Earth

Chapter 16

Mars

When Art awoke the following morning, David was already awake, sitting at the breakfast table, a cup of coffee in her hands. Art joined her, pouring himself a cup and sitting next to her. She was reading the paper that had been delivered that morning, studiously reading an article in the sports section.

"Have you ever been to an American football game before?" she asked Art.

"Of course I have," he answered. "Everyone's been to a football game."

"Well, I haven't," said David. "I think I would like to go. Can we do that?"

"Not until the fall," Art replied.

David raised her eyebrows.

"They don't play all year," explained Art. "They start playing football in the fall."

David lowered her eyes, looked defeated.

"We can go to a basketball game," Art offered. "They're playing basketball this time of year."

"What about cricket?"

"Nobody plays cricket."

"Surely somebody plays cricket."

"Surely somebody does play cricket, but not so sure anyone around here does."

"Well, if I'm still around in the fall, I'd like to see an American football game."

Art replayed those words in his head. How long would she be staying? He didn't want to ask, didn't want to do anything to bring up the conversation they had had in the middle of the night. Art was a master at avoidance, and would play normal as long as he could. Heck, they were both doing a damn fine job of acting like nothing strange had been happening the last few days. That was just a fluke, a wrinkle on the sheet that Art could easily fix by pulling on one corner. He couldn't help but picture the future with her, with David here in the summertime, the fall, Christmas. He had already planted her as a fixture in his life, which was about the dumbest thing he could do, but he couldn't help it.

"How about a basketball game?" Art offered again. "They play at the Garden."

"Oh, I've been there!" David exclaimed.

"I imagine you have," said Art. He thought about her there entertaining sold out audiences in her former skin.

"But I'd rather not go back," she said, shaking her head, a look like she had just eaten a lemon on her face. She looked back through the paper, sighed and tossed the paper aside. "I really don't care much for sports," she admitted. "What else can we do?"

"How about a horse race?" suggested Art.

David sat silently for a moment. Scratched at a patch below the odd eye. "I would like that," she said. "Let's go to the races."

Art took the paper from her and searched for upcoming race times. "Yes, that can be arranged," he said happily. "Looks like we can go tomorrow." There. Things were already back to normal. To keep it flowing, Art added, "What do you say we grab some breakfast before I go to work?"

"I'm not very hungry," said David.

"You don't have to eat anything," said Art. "Have a glass of milk and keep me company."

David couldn't argue with that, so she buttoned herself into a fabulous long sleeve brocade dress in blue and gold, ran her fingers through her hair, and laced up a pair of ivory ankle boots.