Title Retirement Surprise (leaving challenge)
Author Bast
L&O
The phone rang. Lennie, soaking up the sun and a lot of welcomed silence, nearly spilled his tropical fruit juice.
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Lennie?"
"Doc, is that you?"
"Oh, it's Doc now, is it? What happened to Elizabeth?"
"Doc, how'd you get this number--"
"Lennie, I've been--What?"
"Wait," Lennie said. "There's a time delay." They stopped talking, letting the line clear of its space-time folding of words and pauses. In the brief silence Rodgers thought she heard Lennie mumbling "goddamnmotherfucking phone", but she wasn't sure. "O.K. Now. Take it slowly."
"I'll marry you," Rodgers said.
This time Lennie DID spill his drink, splashing it on his bare thighs and the arms of the lounge chair. He moved the phone away from his ear and stared at it.
A tiny voice from far away: "Lennie?"
He brought the cell phone back to his ear. "I'm here."
"Did you hear what I said? I want to marry you. That is, if the offer still stands."
In his shock it crossed Lennie's mind that he should have retired and traveled across the world eariler. He waited a beat, then said: "Oh, it still stands. It's maybe leaning a little, but it still stands."
Rodgers audibly sighed. "All right. Get back here quick before I change my mind".
"I'll leave in the morning."
"Good. I'll be waiting at the airport with a priest."
"Make that a Rabbi and you've got a deal." Half a continent away he could feel her smile.
Author Bast
L&O
The phone rang. Lennie, soaking up the sun and a lot of welcomed silence, nearly spilled his tropical fruit juice.
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Lennie?"
"Doc, is that you?"
"Oh, it's Doc now, is it? What happened to Elizabeth?"
"Doc, how'd you get this number--"
"Lennie, I've been--What?"
"Wait," Lennie said. "There's a time delay." They stopped talking, letting the line clear of its space-time folding of words and pauses. In the brief silence Rodgers thought she heard Lennie mumbling "goddamnmotherfucking phone", but she wasn't sure. "O.K. Now. Take it slowly."
"I'll marry you," Rodgers said.
This time Lennie DID spill his drink, splashing it on his bare thighs and the arms of the lounge chair. He moved the phone away from his ear and stared at it.
A tiny voice from far away: "Lennie?"
He brought the cell phone back to his ear. "I'm here."
"Did you hear what I said? I want to marry you. That is, if the offer still stands."
In his shock it crossed Lennie's mind that he should have retired and traveled across the world eariler. He waited a beat, then said: "Oh, it still stands. It's maybe leaning a little, but it still stands."
Rodgers audibly sighed. "All right. Get back here quick before I change my mind".
"I'll leave in the morning."
"Good. I'll be waiting at the airport with a priest."
"Make that a Rabbi and you've got a deal." Half a continent away he could feel her smile.