Chasing Impossibilities
Odin Lowe Jr. slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the white light hanging off the ceiling. His arms brushed over smooth satin, sitting up in what he assumed was his bed.
"Are you awake, baby?" The soft, alto voice drifted from somewhere else within the house. Odin brushed his perpetually messy hair back from his Prussian blue eyes, looking for something to put on over his boxers.
"Yeah."
A chestnut brown braid sneaked into the doorframe leading out of the room, followed by a pair of violet eyes.
"Max?"
The violet eyes smiled. "The one and only. Are you feeling okay, baby? Too much sake last night? Come out and have some breakfast, it will make you feel better."
The figure disappeared, braid trailing out of view, as Odin got up off of the bed. He grabbed a t-shirt as he stepped out into the kitchen. The kitchen, like the rest of the house, was decorated in a modern design. Clean, simple lines coupled with an abundance of white and other light colors. Odin wondered why he was just now noticing the furnishings...he had lived here for how many years now? It was funny, he couldn't remember. He watched Max fry bacon on the stove, the smell drifting over to where he stood.
"Don't expect me to get you your coffee, too," Max said, "I'm already cooking you breakfast. You know how I hate to cook."
Odin nodded. Maybe the coffee would clear his head.
"You should be quick, though, or else you'll be late."
"Late?"
Max turned around from the stove to give Odin an frustrated look. "Yes, late. To your job? The one at the computer encryption company?"
"Oh yeah."
"You must have one hell of a hangover." Max walked over to where Odin was sitting, pushing two strips of bacon onto his plate with a spatula. He put the pan down and wrapped his arms around Odin from behind, nuzzling his hair while whispering into his ear suggestively. "Are you sure you don't just want to call in sick?"
Max traced his tongue around the inner contours of Odin's ear, sending shivers down the boy's spine. Odin decided that, given the way Max was acting, and the fact that he couldn't remember where he worked, it wouldn't be a bad idea. "I wouldn't be averse to it."
Max immediately stopped in the middle of massaging Odin's nipples, drawing his arms away from the warm embrace. "Good, I don't want you to burn out, you're such a workaholic as it is. I'll call your boss on my way out."
Odin blinked as Max carried the pan and spatula back to the sink. "Your way out?"
Max laughed. "Baby, you know I have a job to get to too."
"Hn."
The comment only increased Max's chuckling. "Come and kiss me goodbye."
Odin pushed his seat back, getting up to follow Max to the front door. Then Max turned around, grabbing Odin's waist and pulling him until their bodies were pressed tightly against each other. Max nibbled on Odin's lip and forced his tongue into the other boy's mouth, letting Odin suck on it for a little bit before he pulled away. "Don't miss me too much."
Odin stared at the door Max had just slammed in his face, the image of Max's lopsided grin still imprinted on his face. He wondered, vaguely, what Max did for a living.
Odin walked back into the master bedroom, shedding his clothes as he walked towards the shower. He stepped inside and turned on the cold water, letting in run down his hair and skin. He had always loved cold showers; they woke him up, helped him think. And he found that he had a lot to think about right now. His memories were an incohesive mess inside his head; they were flashes of color and movement, nothing concrete until something happened to piece them together. Hell, he hadn't even remembered he was married until he saw Max's braid through the open door of the bedroom. And now, he remembered working in a cubicle in front of a computer all day, but he couldn't remember where that cubicle was, where he was for that matter. Who was Odin Lowe, Jr.? He wondered if he often had memory lapses, than dismissed that notion since Max would no doubt have said something about his unusual behavior if he did. He finished his shower, wrapping a towel around his midsection as he made his way back to his bedroom. He sat down on the bed, opening the nightstand drawer, surprised to find it empty. He stood up, walking to their dresser. The drawers were full of clothes, meticulously folded and put away.
There was a small box on top of the dresser, and he opened it, looking through the things inside. A seashell, and Odin's mind told him it was from his and Max's honeymoon on Colony X-00198 on L1. He smiled as the memories came flowing into his head. Even though he knew the climate was artificial, it had been beautiful, the ocean a lucid blue that ran in waves towards the horizon, the sand an impeccable white softer than any silk. And the skinny dipping…Odin laughed. That had almost gotten them kicked off the resort. Odin set the shell down, picking up a postcard...it was one of those advertisement handouts, for a club called The Blue Lounge. The club where Max worked. Where he sang. A smile came unbidden to Odin's lips. When they were courting, Max had sung him to sleep at night, and he could still remember the melodious voice. It had been a long time since he had heard Max sing.
Odin closed the box, not finding anything else in there except jewelry he had given to Max as gifts for holidays and anniversaries. Maybe he should go to the club, talk to Max about his little memory lapse. Maybe they'd have to go to the doctor or something. And anyway, he'd get to hear him sing again. Odin smiled. Maybe he'd stop by the spaceport, pick up a little something for their upcoming anniversary.
* * *
"i know a little bit
about a lot of things
but i don't know enough about you"
A sultry atmosphere hung in the confines of the club. Cigar smoke hung between to the air molecules, making everything that much more heady and hot, and the rich, middle-aged men that formed the club's clientele lounged in plush, blue velvet booths, smoking Havanas and water pipes. Everything was blue velvet here; the walls were upholstered with it, and it bedecked the girls taking down orders for martinis and smokes. Slow, mellow piano music wafted from the stage, accompanied by the most beautiful singing voice Odin had ever heard.
"just when i think you're mine
you try a different line
and, baby, what can i do"
Odin sat down at the bartender, giving a nod to the bartender. Chinese guy, exotic features blending in perfectly with the simple beauty that was The Blue Lounge. He placed his order for a White Russian, something telling him that it was his favorite cocktail drink. The waiter, name Chang or something like that, handed him a glass, mumbling something about Max taking a cigarette break after this number.
"i read the latest news
no button on my shoes
but baby i'm confused about you
you get me in a spin
oh what a stew i'm in
cause i don't know enough about you"
Odin took a sip of his drink; he knew Max couldn't see him, he couldn't see anything in the crowd, not with those bright lights focused on him. Odin knew, he had been up there once, when every one else had left the club and Max was about to close up. They had made love on the piano that night, lights focused on nothing but them, a dark abyss every where they were not.
"Hey, Chang, you know X-00198?"
"jack of all trade
master of none
and isn't it a shame"
Chang stopped in the middle of polishing a glass. "Yeah, the beach colony on L1?"
Odin nodded. "You ever been there?"
"Of course, it's better than being on Earth, clear water, white sand, bright blue sky that stretches on forever."
Odin nodded. That's what he remembered.
"i'm so sure
that you'd be good for me
if you'd only play my game"
It was strange. He had gone to the spaceport, hoping to surprise Max with a little vacation, and they didn't have tickets. Apparently, you could only catch a shuttle out to X-00198 from the outer colonies of L1, which somehow struck Odin as odd. He wondered how they had gotten there for their honeymoon.
"Hey Chang, how do you get there?"
"you know i went to school
and i'm nobody's fool
that is to say until i met you
i know a little bit
about a lot of things"
Chang shrugged. "Damned if I remember. A shuttle, I suppose."
"From here?"
"Where else?"
Odin finished off his drink, waiting for Max to finish his set. He guessed they would have to take a shuttle out to one of L2`s outer colonies before buying tickets to L1.
"but i don't know enough about you
i know a little bit about biology
and a little more about psychology
i'm a little gem in geology
but i don't know about you"
Max finished the song to a sedate, admiring applause, before he turned around and sashayed to the backstage area. Odin got up and, with a nod to the security guard, made his way to Max's room. He opened the door, closing and leaning against it as Max stepped out of his tight light blue dress. Max turned, sitting down in a chair and crossing his legs as he lit a cigarette.
"The damn thing's too tight," he explained, "it's not comfortable."
Odin looked over the short satin slip Max was wearing. "And that is?"
Max shrugged. "It's loose, easy to get off..."
Odin let the innuendo hang in the air, crossing the distance between them to lean on Max's vanity.
"So why are you here, baby? Miss me lots?"
"That," Odin replied, "and something else."
"Yeah?" Max took a drag of his cigarette.
"Yeah. I was thinking we could take a break, get away for a while. A trip to L1, maybe, like a second honeymoon."
Max's lips spread into a sultry smile. "Sounds good. When do we leave?"
"Any time you can get off."
"Sooner's better than later, I suppose. I'll try for next week. So is that the only reason you're here?"
"Actually, no. I've been having problems lately."
Max visibly raised an eyebrow, flicking the ashes from the end of his cigarette into an empty shot glass. "Problems?"
"Yeah, as of this morning. Can't seem to remember anything. Where I work, my phone number, that sort of thing- everything, actually. But the memories come back as soon as something brings them up again."
"I see. I thought you were acting funny this morning. I guess you'll have to see your doc about that."
"Doc?"
Max opened the drawer in his vanity, rummaging through the mess until his hand reappeared, fingers clutching an off-white business card. "Doctor J, no first name, a letter for his last. Guy creeps me out, but you've always gone to him."
Odin took the card from Max's lax grip, staring at the stark, precise lettering. J...the name didn't bring up anything. "I'll make an appointment."
"Just walk in, he won't mind."
Odin nodded. "I should go now."
"You should."
Odin bent down to press his lips against Max's, but the other boy turned away slightly so that he kissed his chin instead.
"Make-up, baby, don't mess it up."
Odin chuckled slightly as he left, getting a smile and a wink from Max as the door closed. He had walked out to his car when he heard the ringing of a cell phone, and found it buried under some papers in the back seat.
"Lowe here."
"Odin?" The familiar, almost feminine voice spoke up. Odin's mind supplied a name.
"Yeah. Is this Cat? Cat Winner?"
"Yeah." The voice seemed nervous, or maybe it was frantic. "Odin, I need to talk to you."
"Sure. I'm kind of busy right now, though, me and Max are going on a trip...why don't we talk when we get back?"
"No!" Cat's voice was vehement, now, and Odin could hear his heavy breathing over the connection. "We have to talk, now, before...before it's too late, Odin."
"What's wrong, Cat?"
"I can't tell you over the phone, it's just...have you ever had a feeling that...that something's wrong? Odin, there's something really wrong with this world, I feel it..."
"Of course there's something wrong with the world today, Cat, it's called sin. Pandora's box and all that, you know." Odin knew that wasn't what Cat was talking about. He knew, because he did feel it...something just wasn't right with his life. His marriage to Max, his job...none of it seemed real.
"Odin, you have to listen to me, meet me tonight at the bar near my place, you know the one. Don't tell any one, or else they might find out."
"They? Who are 'they'?"
Cat's voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know, Odin, but they're coming after me...because I know-"
Odin was nervous now, nervous at the sheer desperation and conviction in Cat's usually collected voice. "Know what, Cat?"
There was only silence then, and Odin knew Cat was hesitating. Finally, a low, shaky voice came on over the static.
"This world, Odin? It's a lie."
And then the line went dead.
~tbc~