The Between Years

pants pocket and he figured it would be Diane, his supervisor, wanting to know where the hell he was. In fairness, he knew she would be more concerned about him as a person and wanted to make sure he was okay. He doubted he was ready to speak to anyone, but he fished his phone out of his pocket anyway. On the call display, he saw his own name.

    “ Hello?” Randy said. He thought his voice sounded even more tired than it was.

    “ Randy, is that you?” Carol asked.

    He struggled not to let his emotions consume or control him, and he didn't want to become angry either, but total self-control seemed impossible.

    “ I just wanted to let you know I got your message,” she said.

    No shit you got my fucking message! He wanted to say but reserved himself.

    Instead, he said, “I waited around for you for a couple of house. Just me and the people working behind the counter. Thought something awful might've happened to you or something.

    “ I know I didn't keep my promise and I'm sorry. I didn't meant to worry you sick. The least I can do is give you an explanation.”

    And it had better be a goddamn good one, he thought. But he said, “Fine. I'm listening.”

    “ I promised you that I'd come and see you . . . .” Her breathing grew heavy. “And I meant to. I really, really did. But when I showered and got dressed and was about to walk out the door . . . I just couldn't do it. Like an anchor was tied around me ankles. The timing just didn't seem right.”

    The timing didn't seem right, so you just left me sitting in that coffee shop looking like the biggest asshole on the planet?”

    “ It's not the way I wanted it to be. I'm so sorry.”

    Randy knew he'd controlled his temper admirably, but he couldn't deny the bitterness that peppered his voice. She didn't know what it was like to sit in a booth with everyone thinking she was a loser. Maybe they didn't really think that, but he worried over it just the same. He would forgive her only because he needed to and he knew the wound wouldn't heal quickly.

    And if that was the best excuse she could derive, he decided that a lesser man would have hung up on her and not to look back, but he wanted to be bigger than that. Emotion had led to one mistake after another until he could glance back at the entire course of errors he'd made and how they'd dragged him down the road to ruin.

    And if he was the master of his own destiny, he knew he needn't let the petty things of this world get him down. Yes, Carol had snubbed him, and yes, he'd been left to look like an idiot, but none of those things needed to matter. 'Tis better to forgive and forget, as his father had told him, and as he badly wanted to teach to Kenny. If he wanted Kenny to learn that principle, he would do no less himself.

    “ Okay,” Randy said, “if that's how you feel, then I'll take you at your word. No need to say another word about it.”

    “ Really, Randy?”

    “ Really. But cut throw me a line here: there any way you might consider rescheduling.”

    “ Sure,” she said, “'cause at the end of the night, I couldn't help but feel like I'd made a huge mistake.”

    “ Any chance you're available tonight?”

    “ I can do that. Are we meeting up for a coffee again or what?”

    “ Nah, no coffee. Why don't you just come to the house? I know we wanted to stay neutral but sitting in that coffee shop reminded me of how hard it would be to have a private conversation, you know?

    “ Okay, I'm fine with whatever you want. What time is good?

    “ How 'bout 10:30?”

    “ Why so late?”

    “ I got called in to cover a shift,” he lied, “so I won't finish until 9. That way I'll have a chance to come home and be nice and ready for you.”

    “ I might be upstairs when you come, but don't worry about knocking. Just come on in, I'll leave the door unlocked.”

    “ Okay,” she said, “sounds good.”

    “ Love you.”

    “ Love you too. Bye.”

    Given that she'd said those few little words, he figured that he had something going for him, so long as she didn't try and pull a fast one on him like she had last night. Everything was now falling into place. He could execute his scheme as planned.

    But really, Randy didn't want to make himself sound as evil as a cartoon villain. The idea was to make sure Carol could be present to witness everything that would happen. He would never use her as bait to lure Kenny out of the walls because he figured that would be too dangerous. When