Chapter 13, Teaser #5

[Bob Schroeck]

It's odd. We didn't do "buddy" sorts of things, over the previous few weeks we had seen little of each other, and our friendship was, all told, less than eight months old. But to my surprise I found that I did consider her a best friend. (Well, kind of a cross between a best friend and a little sister. At least, an idealized version of what I imagined a little sister ought to be like -- having been an only child, I had only second-hand experience with the real article.) I'd been almost as close to Delandra, back in Haven -- after two and a half years of almost constant contact, it would have been impossible for me not to be -- but Delandra had lacked the cultural matrix which she needed to really understand me and where I was coming from. Megatokyo and its version of Earth weren't home by any measure, but they were close enough that Lisa could make that last conceptual leap.I was, therefore, understandably reluctant to part ways with her at the end of lunch. I think she sensed that, because as we crept back toward the lobby entrance of the Cone she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my coat. I tried to gether to tell me something of what she was feeling, but she onlyshook her head, her face still pressed against my chest. We stood like that, silently, on the corner across the streetfrom the tower, for several minutes. Neither of us really wantedto let go of the other, so it was a while before, with an unspokenbut mutual agreement, we loosened our grips and moved back fromeach other about half a step. My hands had slid down to rest on her upper arms, and Lisa's were around my waist still. Looking down at her, I saw a glint of moisture under her eyes. Had shebeen crying? I wasn't sure; if she had, the dry winter breeze hadsucked away the evidence before I could notice it. We gazed at each other, again silently, as smiles broke across both our faces. Then she reached up, pulled my face down to hers,and graced me with a soft, sweet and very brief kiss. After a moment she broke the kiss, laid her cheek against mine, and whispered into my ear, "Take care of yourself, okay?" Then she whirled out of my hands and ran back across the plaza, scattering a flock of pigeons which had just come to rest on the wet, cold pavement. By the time they had settled themselves back down, she was gone."Damn," I whispered to myself, and watched the street into which she had vanished for several minutes. "Damn." I knew that one way or another, Lisa was going to hurt, and hurt badly, when I left. The only consolation I had was that our friendship had stayed just that, a friendship, and nothing more. I am a married man. I love my wife, and I am faithful to her by both natural inclination and conscious choice. If I had not been, I would havelost a best friend, I am sure, and the pain from our partingwould only have been greater.Which didn't make the prospect seem any *less* painful, unfortunately.I made my way back up to the 17th floor. As I came through theglass doors and into IDEC's lobby, Sindra give me a conspiratoriallittle smile. "So?" she asked slyly.My mood had drifted a little closer to melancholy on the elevatorride up. "So what?"She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "So how'd it go with thelittle blonde cutie?" She narrowed her eyes. "You ought to knowshe was here last week looking to talk with Mr. Ohara or anyoneelse in charge. Those chocolates might just be a bribe, so becareful!"I smiled and shook my head. "Nah, she's a friend of mine. She didn't know I was working here when she was here last week. I spotted her here and gave her call and that's why we met up today.""Old friend, hmmm?" Sindra murmured with mock lasciviousness, andI laughed."Not that kind of friend!" I waved a reproving finger at her."So you say," she riposted."Go back to work, Sindra," I growled as I pushed through the wooden doors to the offices beyond. Her giggles followed me untilthe doors latched shut behind me.Sindra's good-natured teasing had dispelled the creeping onset of my borderline melancholia, and I found myself smiling as I made my way back to my workship.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Ace Dreamer]

A mood definer...
> Sindra's good-natured teasing had dispelled the creeping onset of
> my borderline melancholia, and I found myself smiling as I made
> my way back to my
> workship.
^^^^^^^^^^
I knew the IDEC area was quite big, but _that_ big???
[grin]
Cheers!
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind

[Bob Schroeck]

I'll have you know that I do make the occasional typo now and htenn.

Good to see that someone is reading this stuff.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Aleh]

Oh yes, we're reading it, not to mention enjoying it considerably.
-------------------
Luna's eyebrow twitched. No, the sign, clearly labled "Ginzuishou 'R' Us" wasn't the worst part, nor was the fact that the store was located between "Bob's Bait and Tackle" and "Tom's Traps". As a point of fact, the sign clearly stating that there was a 50% off sale on all enchanted jewelry wasn't nearly as damning as the sign offering a free copy of Sun Tsu's "Art of War" to any Sailor Senshi-lookalikes, but neither was quite *THAT* bad. Not even the label on the door saying that the shop accepted "Youma Express" quite qualified as the worst part. No, the *WORST* detail was the price list, which proclaimed that payment could be provided in cash, credit, or human life energy.
"Girls," she deadpanned, "I think this is a trap."

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm glad to hear it. Given that I'm in a stall at the moment, you'll probably see a few more snippets in coming weeks.
Cute quote, btw, where's that from?

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Aleh]

It's one of mine -- unpublished. I have a whole collection of stories that I haven't gotten to the point where I can release them, and it's a scene from one. :-).
-------------------
Luna's eyebrow twitched. No, the sign, clearly labled "Ginzuishou 'R' Us" wasn't the worst part, nor was the fact that the store was located between "Bob's Bait and Tackle" and "Tom's Traps". As a point of fact, the sign clearly stating that there was a 50% off sale on all enchanted jewelry wasn't nearly as damning as the sign offering a free copy of Sun Tsu's "Art of War" to any Sailor Senshi-lookalikes, but neither was quite *THAT* bad. Not even the label on the door saying that the shop accepted "Youma Express" quite qualified as the worst part. No, the *WORST* detail was the price list, which proclaimed that payment could be provided in cash, credit, or human life energy.
"Girls," she deadpanned, "I think this is a trap."

[Bob Schroeck]

I like it.
I put it in my quote file this morning, in fact... Now I can properly credit it.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Aleh]

Thanks -- I always like it when authors who I respect like my work. :-)
-------------------
"Welcome to DKR, Dark Kingdom Radio. Our youma are standing by to drain your energy..."

[Bob Schroeck]

Likewise. I have had the unique experience of being at a party at an SF convention and having Larry Niven sit down next to me to complement me on the single dirtiest thing I have ever written (and my only professional fiction sale, at that).

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

...okay, darn it, I can't let this one go. What was it and where may it be found?
--Sam
"Egad! Too much anatomy!"

[Bob Schroeck]

From my bookstore page:
The Beast Within; Erotic Tales of Werewolves
Edited by Cecilia Tan. According to Amazon.com, this book is yet to be published, but I know for a fact that it was published no later than 1994, because I wrote one of the stories in it. It is, in fact, my first published fiction, called Alma Mater.
The book is no longer available through Amazon, although you might be able to order one directly from Circlet Press, the publisher.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.