No Strings

CHAPTER 27--GIRL LOSES SOME, GAINS SOME

William, I discovered, had a decent budget. He had the credit line on the order of 50,000 dollars to prove it. He could afford a hotel for three days without trouble. He didn't have to stand the cold. Through no fuss he chose a hotel and I chose the house--God knows why.

"You should come with me to a hotel. You can't stay here, Besty."

He was wearing a sweater, a long trench coat that Humphrey Bogart would wear, a winter jacket over that as well. I was surprised he could move his arms.

"I can spring for a hotel room for you too and--"

"Then explain what? Different surnames, married, not quite dating, need separate rooms? How are you going to navigate that one?"

"Separate hotels," he answered in an equal pragmatic voice.

"But someone has to be here to check the power. They need someone on the property, don't they?"

I felt somehow I shouldn't rely on him like that. I needed to be independent. I didn't want to depend on him for anything.

"They don't... we can have them call us. Trust them a little. Your cell phone though..."

"I can charge it at work."

That was if I could remember it. I reserved that thought for when it happened.

"The house is fine..."

"You sure?"

"I can manage."

I think those were the death words of the soccer player who died in Alive (besides "Eat my butt"). But then that movie was depressing all over and stomach-turning. But then my behavior wasn't far from that.

As I watched William drive off while waving at him I wondered if I had masochism on the list of things wrong with me. The Marquis de Sade would have loved me. Somehow thinking that made my stomach turn in the same way as having to watch the players eat the butt meat of their fellow soccer player.

I woke up the next morning and stumbled out of bed. I had expected to wake up with the alarm clock, but woke up to my cellphone instead. In a complete stupor, I tried to answer it and then realized no one was calling. In an afterthought, I took the chargers from the wall. I had forgotten to disconnect them and I needed to take them into work.

The house was freezing. I looked for William out of reflex and then realized he wasn't there. I went down the stairs and grumbled as I realized I couldn't make coffee. I went into the refrigerator and found that the light didn't turn on. The wind was howling outside. I reached for the milk. I could drink coffee at work.

I put the milk on the table and then realized I couldn't see into the cabinets, so I reached to turn on the light. I reminded myself that the power was off. I looked towards the microwave clock to see how I was doing and then realized that also worked on electricity.

I rummaged for a flashlight in one of the drawers. I didn't remember where William kept emergency supplies. I couldn't see into the drawers since the sun hadn't come up yet.

I raked my hair back. I needed a hair cut. I found the flashlights in the bottom drawer next to the sink. I turned it on and flashed it at the cabinet where I kept the cereal. I brought down the box and a cereal bowl. I placed it on the table with the flashlight. Out of reflex I sat with my back to the door. God, I wanted coffee. Why weren't there magical beings that granted coffee.

William would have made coffee on the stove, but I wasn't conscious enough to get it done and I didn't know where the coffee press was.

I ate my cereal in silence. The hums of the various machines was gone, the high pitched buzz of the refrigerator, and the distant call of my computer. I could hear the ferrets upstairs. A shiver ran down my spine.