Hank's return

The louse is back! Hank is back, with an offer Sara can't refuse.

Humor.

Technically, this is not a GS story, but it is a conversation...

Sara Sidle was not happy.

As she sat at the dingiest coffee shop she'd ever been in, she glanced at her watch, and then back at the booklet in her hand. She read a couple of lines, then glanced at her watch again.

She impatiently drummed her fingers on table but stopped when she found that the surface was stained and sticky with something she hoped was spilled coffee. She looked around for a napkin but didn't find any. She ended up wiping her fingers on the booklet.

She glanced around again.

Yep; this was the worst coffee shop ever. It was poorly lit and unsanitary, and yet, these facts were actually reassuring to her. There was no way that her coworkers would ever come to a place like this.

It was important to her than nobody saw her here.

At least, not tonight.

She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of steps approaching. Hank was coming back, carrying two Styrofoam cups.

As Sara covertly looked at him from head to toe, she wondered, yet again, what she ever saw in him.

"Here's your tea!" he said, putting the cup in front of her in a grand gesture, "Are you sure you don't want a donut with that?"

"I'm sure," Sara said. She took a sip of her tea, then put it back. She didn't really need a drink.

She didn't want to be there and she didn't want to talk to Hank, but the man had suddenly appeared at the lab asking for her, and Sara had hastily agreed to give him ten minutes.

As she glanced at her watch, she noticed that Hank had already used up eight.

Hank took the seat opposite hers.

"I appreciate this, Sara," he said earnestly, "To tell you the truth, I didn't think you'd accept my invitation -"

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to be seen talking to you in the lab."

She was purposefully blunt but her words had no visible effect on Hank.

"Well, I appreciate it," he repeated. He leant forward. "I know we didn't part in the best of circumstances -"

"That's one way to put it," Sara muttered expressionlessly.

"- but I want you to know that you've been in my thoughts lately."

"Gee, thanks," Sara said with heavy sarcasm, but, once again, Hank didn't get it.

"Well, we had a common interest, after all," he reasoned. He leant forward, "What I said on our way over is the truth, you know. I never met anyone who's as passionate about this as you are. In fact," and he lowered his voice, "You were the one who first introduced me to it."

Sara looked down at the booklet in her hand. She didn't like where this was going.

"Look," she started, "If you're trying to make me feel guilty -"

"No, no," he said, "That's not my intention at all. But you did change my life, after all. So, hum, I was hoping you'd find it in your heart to give me a chance."

She cleared her throat.

"Well, I don't know," she started, then stopped.

There was no use in discussing this. She could tell by the look on Hank's face, that he'd never take no for an answer. Besides -why deny it?- she did feel sorry for the man.

"I guess I could give it a year," she said tentatively.

"A year?" he winced, "But… but I lost my job!" he bemoaned, "Didn't I tell you that? My life's a wreck!"

"I'm sorry," Sara said, trying to be firm, "One-year is all I can commit to!"

"But... but... " Hank seemed at a loss for a moment, then uttered what he clearly considered his trump card, "You're the only one who can help! My wife doesn't understand me -not like you!"

"Oh, all right!" Sara said, giving up. She looked at him for a moment, then shook her head. She still didn't know what she ever saw in him. "You win." She picked a pen from a pocket and set to fill out the booklet. "I'll get the three-year subscription to Vegetarian Today!"

THE END