Everyone sitting at the bar clapped and Henry laughed popping a chip in his
mouth. Patrick stood behind the bar juggling limes. He caught two of them
with his one hand and caught the last one behind his back. Everyone clapped
again as he picked up three small knives and held them up so the customers
could see. Their eyes all got big as he pretended to throw one up in the air but
stopped. They all laughed and he took a bow as he made his way over to
Henry.
"Come on Patrick lets see if you can pull it off." Henry said.
"No I better not." He said setting the limes on the cutting board behind him.
"Besides pumpkin Patrick knows better than to set bad examples for you," Erica
said walking past him.
"Oh of course I know!" He said winking at Henry. "And besides last time I tried
that trick I lost my finger!" Patrick yelled lifting his hand up for under the bar
where he had bent half of his ring finger back. Henry giggled wrapping both of
his tiny hands around Patrick's big hand. Magically his ring finger popped up
out of the mess of hands and was whole once again. Patrick gave Henry a
quick smile and ruffled his hair before returning to the cutting board. "So Jane,"
he called over his shoulder, "you say your friends of Gary and Marissa?" He
turned around to face her now.
"Actually it's Jade and yes I met Gary and on a few occasions along with
Marissa."
"Mr. Hobson and Ms. Clark will be totally psyched to see you and your husband
then." He said picking up three pieces of sliced lime in each hand. He then
walked over to six drinks and went down the row squeezing and dropping a
lime into each. Jade was a gorgest woman with long shiny blond hair. She was
from a small country in the mid- east and had a sort of Australian accent. At
this time she was eight and a half months pregnant with the twins.
"Actually its 7:30pm Marissa said she'd be back an hour ago." Erica said filling
up drinks.
"Oh well you know Mr. Hobson he's like the energizer bunny! He keeps
going…and going…and going…and going…and-" Erica cut him off.
"Ok, ok we get it" Patrick put the drinks on a tray and distributed them. Just
then the kitchen doors flew open and Chuck and Gary, who still had Marissa
placed over his shoulders, stood in the entrance way. The music stopped and
there was dead silence thought out the bar as everyone's attention was on
them.
"Charles darling what happened?" Jade said easing her way out of the bar stool
and going over to him. The music started back up and conversations began
again. Gary set Marissa down.
"Gary? Did we lose them?" Marissa questioned.
"Yea? I'm pretty sure we did." He responded.
"Lose who?" Jade asked again finally getting over to them. Chuck kissed her
cheek.
"Anatonia Giovani! That's who! A beautiful woman is following him around
Chicago and he's running from her!" Jade gave him a look. "Did I say beautiful? I
meant mediocre," Chuck said trying to swindle his way out of the conversation.
"Oh you!" Jade said wrapping an arm around his waist.
"Beautiful…Ha!!! More like crazy!!!" he yelled.
"She's Chicago's little sweet heart and besides you need a love life," he pointed
out making quotation marks around the word.
"Why so this," he raised the paper but quickly puts it in his coat since Jade didn't
know about it, "This… this bar could get in the way! And one she's not single…
yes someone was crazy enough to marry her and two Chicago's little sweet
heart isn't so sweet! She's the reason an innocent mans going to be put in jail!"
Erica walked up to them.
"Well I dunno Gary you seemed to kind like her this morning."
"Oh not this again!" He stated.
"Yes, this again Gary! You knew we were supposed to have brunch this
morning." She protested. Gary's thoughts wondered. "And I turn on the TV to
find you lying under little miss perfect!" she continued.
"The fire! Oh my god I totally forgot!" he said dazed.
"Excuse me?" Erica said not understanding.
"Nothing… umm Jade it was very nice seeing you again and congratulations he
hugged both her and Chuck. "Where are you staying so maybe I can stop by or
something and take you two out to dinner." He said walking towards his office.
"The luxurious Hotel a la Hobson!" Chuck said taking a sip of the beer Patrick
brought for him.
"Ha ha ha … real funny Chuck you almost had me for a minuet," he said
shutting the door behind him. He went over to his desk spreading the paper out
onto it and flipping thought the pages. He found the story on page four and
started to read it as there was a knock at the door. Gary quickly folded up the
paper.
"Come in," he called. Patrick entered and slowly shut the door behind him. "Yes
Patrick what can I do for you?" Gary asked the fidgeting Patrick.
"Uhh… I just wanted to apologize for this morning."
"Oh no no" Gary started.
"No…no…no I mean I totally didn't scene that six sense thing of yours acting up
right I mean I totally missed it I should have...sense the ora felt the vibes
orsomething." Patrick informed.
"Well Patrick its." Patrick jumped in again.
No, alright, your in the way, I gotta go, get behind the bar, don't you have
somewhere to be?" Patrick said running though all of Gary's remarks.
"Well Patrick, no what I was going to say was that I'm not mad." Gary
reassured.
"But Mr. H you seemed pretty steaming this morning." He pointed out.
"Well Patrick that was then this is now"
"Hey that was a good book!" Gary rubbed his eyes.
"If that's all Patrick then I'll be getting back to work now."
"Oh sure Mr. Hobson nice chatting with you." He said shutting the door. Gary
shook his head then opened the paper back up to page four and began to
reading.
"Grace Watson, 31, and her newborn baby Trish, 2 months, was killed last night
at 8:27 pm when a heating blanket left on from the previous night sparked
and caught fire. Both mother and baby were asleep down stairs at the time of
the incident. Her husband, Alexander Watson, was away on a business trip when
the fire started." He stopped reading and looked at his watch. "8:01" he said
aloud. He quickly pulled out his phone book and went to the W's. "Alexander
Watson… Alexander Watson!" He stated holding his finger next to the number
and picking up the phone. Within a minuet he set the phone down in discuss,
there had been no answer. How was he going to get there he thought. He
looked up and saw on the wall the keys to the McGinty's van. He quickly ripped
the page out of the phone book and snatched the keys from the wall and
opened up his door. There in the door way was Erica with her hand-raised
ready to knock.
"Oh good we need to talk." She stated.
"Later!" Gary told her as he waked around her. She grabbed his arm pulling
him back.
"No now!" she warned.
"But… I gotta." He started.
"You gotta what? Go visit a sick cousins?" he went to speak, "No I'm not finished.
I'll tell you something Gary Hobson this blond isn't as stupid as she looks. Your
parents are both only children! Well there goes that excuse." She started to cry.
"So what is it this time? Gotta go mail some letters?"
"Actually he used that one this morning." Patrick chimed in. They both looked
at him. "I'm gonna go wash some windows if anyone needs me," he turned to
leave.
"Actually I need milk." He stated matter-o-factly. She walked behind the bar
and grabbed two containers of milk slamming them on the bar. "I really don't
have time for this!" He said stressed.
"Of course you don't I can't even get you to sit down with me for five seconds
and sign papers what makes me thing you would spare 15 minuets to talk
about our relationship." He slowly went over to her and brushed a tear away
from her cheek. She turned away from him. He walked across the bar to the
door torn between what to do. Marissa walked over to him.
"Gary what is it? Is it Adison?" she questioned.
"No… a mother and her new born bay will be killed in a fire." He whispered.
"Gary I'm doing this for your own good. You may not realize this now but later
you will thank me." Her voice grew louder. "Erica?" She called out. Erica walked
across the bar and placed a hand on Marissa's shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Get your coat your going with Gary!"
"What no!" Gary yelled.
"I don't think so Marissa," Erica started.
"I didn't ask you to think now go get your coat now!" she said sternly. Erica
walked away.
"What do you think your doing?" Gary protested.
"Well we've talked about telling her about he paper before. And frankly Gary
there's no better time then the present!" She informed.
"But-"Gary remarked.
"Oh Gary stop thinking with your head and start thinking with your heart.
You're about to lose her and your letting it happen." Marissa exclaimed.
"So what do I do pull up to a house that's on fire and tell he the reason why I
knew about this is because a magical cat brings me a newspaper that predicts
the future!" he stated sarcastically.
"I don't care how you do it. But you need to do it."
"Ok! I'll think of something." He said pulling on his coat.
"Believe me everything will work out I promise you." Marissa said pulling him in
for a hug as Erica approached.
"Henry honey you be good for Patrick ok?"
"Ok mommie" he answered. Gary opened up the door and let Erica go out
first. He turned to Marissa and took a deep breath. She patted his arm and
smiled.
"That's your cue."
"Will be back" he said shutting the door behind him. Erica waited at her door.
He unlocked her door and crossed over to his side and got in. It was a chilly
night even though it was mid April, and they could see their breath as they
exhaled.
"8:16" he said rubbing his hands together then starting up the van. He pulled out
the phone book page at the first red light. Gary looked at his surroundings and
threw on his left turn signal. Finally Erica broke the silence.
"So where we heading? Out for that milk?" Gary laughed sarcastically.
"No not quite." He pulled the paper out and turned to page four. Gary laid the
paper across her lap. "Read this." He pointed to the article. She rolled her eyes.
"Talk to me Gary! Don't avoid me then throw a stupid paper in my lap because
this," she held it up, "isn't going to solve our problems."
"Humors me will ya and just read the paper." He said impatiently.
"I finally have some one-on-one time with you and you wanna waste
it by making me read the Times! I read it this morning." She yelled.
"Not this one you didn't." He yelled back.
"Oh really and whys that?"
"Because this hasn't happened yet!" He informed. She turned to him.
"You expect me to believe that an event that hasn't occurred yet is in this
paper!" The car jerked to a stop in front of the Watson's house, " You know you
should give me more credit I mean I at least deserve…" he cut her off.
"Just read the headline Mother and newborn die in fire!" Then he pointed out
her window. When she turned around she saw a house engulfed in flames. "You
stay here!" he told her, "Oh yea and check the date while your at it." He got out
of the car and ran up to the door, it was locked. Erica watched him as he
found a metal shovel that he used to bust a window open with and crawled in.
In aw she flipped over the paper.
"March 11!" she whispered, "But that's… that's tomorrow!" Erica quickly got out of
the van and got close to the window. "Gary! Gary!" The back roof of the house
caved in and she stumbled backwards from the house. "Oh god no! Gary!" she
screamed. There was still no answer. Frantically she threw a leg into the window
and climbed in. Just then the front door bust open and Gary stumbled out
carrying the mother and baby. He laid them both on the lawn. Gary rubbed
the baby's belly and she started to cry, but her mother lay lifeless. Gary check for a pulse, which was non-existent. He started mouth to mouth.
"Come on Grace breath! Come on honey you an do it." He tried again for his
fifth time. She started to squirm. "Good! Keep it up Grace come on!" Gary
encouraged. She opened her eyes but didn't speak. The ambulance pulled up
and they took over. Gary stepped back and headed to the car. When he got in
he noticed Erica was nowhere to be found. "Erica… Erica?" he looked in the
back of the van moving some boxes. His attention turned to the front of the car
where the orange cat was now sitting in the passenger seat under it was page
four. Gary shooed it away and picked it up. The story had changed from
"Mother and newborn die in fire" to "Local bar manager dies in blaze"
"Erica!"
he whispered not reading anymore just throwing the paper down. Gary ran
towards the house. "Erica!!!!" Three fire fighters grabbed hold of him not letting
him enter. "There's someone in there!" Gary yelled frantically.
"No you got them all the owner said so herself." The one said.
"No she's wrong! And if you don't let me go in there she's going to die!"
"No can do pal!" the other said. "Take him back and check him out. I think he's
had to much smoke intake," he concluded. They pulled him back to his van
where they loosened their grip enough for him to get free. He started running
towards the house till he reached the open door. Inside the house think black
smoke filled the air. You couldn't even see you hand in front of you. Gary
dropped down to the floor searching every which way. He went up a flight of
stairs searching all of the rooms up there. "Erica? Can you hear me? Erica!" He
yelled. Gary heard noises behind him and felt someone grip his leg. It was a fire
fighter. "No…no…no let me go!" Where his final words before passing out due to
smoke intake.
mouth. Patrick stood behind the bar juggling limes. He caught two of them
with his one hand and caught the last one behind his back. Everyone clapped
again as he picked up three small knives and held them up so the customers
could see. Their eyes all got big as he pretended to throw one up in the air but
stopped. They all laughed and he took a bow as he made his way over to
Henry.
"Come on Patrick lets see if you can pull it off." Henry said.
"No I better not." He said setting the limes on the cutting board behind him.
"Besides pumpkin Patrick knows better than to set bad examples for you," Erica
said walking past him.
"Oh of course I know!" He said winking at Henry. "And besides last time I tried
that trick I lost my finger!" Patrick yelled lifting his hand up for under the bar
where he had bent half of his ring finger back. Henry giggled wrapping both of
his tiny hands around Patrick's big hand. Magically his ring finger popped up
out of the mess of hands and was whole once again. Patrick gave Henry a
quick smile and ruffled his hair before returning to the cutting board. "So Jane,"
he called over his shoulder, "you say your friends of Gary and Marissa?" He
turned around to face her now.
"Actually it's Jade and yes I met Gary and on a few occasions along with
Marissa."
"Mr. Hobson and Ms. Clark will be totally psyched to see you and your husband
then." He said picking up three pieces of sliced lime in each hand. He then
walked over to six drinks and went down the row squeezing and dropping a
lime into each. Jade was a gorgest woman with long shiny blond hair. She was
from a small country in the mid- east and had a sort of Australian accent. At
this time she was eight and a half months pregnant with the twins.
"Actually its 7:30pm Marissa said she'd be back an hour ago." Erica said filling
up drinks.
"Oh well you know Mr. Hobson he's like the energizer bunny! He keeps
going…and going…and going…and going…and-" Erica cut him off.
"Ok, ok we get it" Patrick put the drinks on a tray and distributed them. Just
then the kitchen doors flew open and Chuck and Gary, who still had Marissa
placed over his shoulders, stood in the entrance way. The music stopped and
there was dead silence thought out the bar as everyone's attention was on
them.
"Charles darling what happened?" Jade said easing her way out of the bar stool
and going over to him. The music started back up and conversations began
again. Gary set Marissa down.
"Gary? Did we lose them?" Marissa questioned.
"Yea? I'm pretty sure we did." He responded.
"Lose who?" Jade asked again finally getting over to them. Chuck kissed her
cheek.
"Anatonia Giovani! That's who! A beautiful woman is following him around
Chicago and he's running from her!" Jade gave him a look. "Did I say beautiful? I
meant mediocre," Chuck said trying to swindle his way out of the conversation.
"Oh you!" Jade said wrapping an arm around his waist.
"Beautiful…Ha!!! More like crazy!!!" he yelled.
"She's Chicago's little sweet heart and besides you need a love life," he pointed
out making quotation marks around the word.
"Why so this," he raised the paper but quickly puts it in his coat since Jade didn't
know about it, "This… this bar could get in the way! And one she's not single…
yes someone was crazy enough to marry her and two Chicago's little sweet
heart isn't so sweet! She's the reason an innocent mans going to be put in jail!"
Erica walked up to them.
"Well I dunno Gary you seemed to kind like her this morning."
"Oh not this again!" He stated.
"Yes, this again Gary! You knew we were supposed to have brunch this
morning." She protested. Gary's thoughts wondered. "And I turn on the TV to
find you lying under little miss perfect!" she continued.
"The fire! Oh my god I totally forgot!" he said dazed.
"Excuse me?" Erica said not understanding.
"Nothing… umm Jade it was very nice seeing you again and congratulations he
hugged both her and Chuck. "Where are you staying so maybe I can stop by or
something and take you two out to dinner." He said walking towards his office.
"The luxurious Hotel a la Hobson!" Chuck said taking a sip of the beer Patrick
brought for him.
"Ha ha ha … real funny Chuck you almost had me for a minuet," he said
shutting the door behind him. He went over to his desk spreading the paper out
onto it and flipping thought the pages. He found the story on page four and
started to read it as there was a knock at the door. Gary quickly folded up the
paper.
"Come in," he called. Patrick entered and slowly shut the door behind him. "Yes
Patrick what can I do for you?" Gary asked the fidgeting Patrick.
"Uhh… I just wanted to apologize for this morning."
"Oh no no" Gary started.
"No…no…no I mean I totally didn't scene that six sense thing of yours acting up
right I mean I totally missed it I should have...sense the ora felt the vibes
orsomething." Patrick informed.
"Well Patrick its." Patrick jumped in again.
No, alright, your in the way, I gotta go, get behind the bar, don't you have
somewhere to be?" Patrick said running though all of Gary's remarks.
"Well Patrick, no what I was going to say was that I'm not mad." Gary
reassured.
"But Mr. H you seemed pretty steaming this morning." He pointed out.
"Well Patrick that was then this is now"
"Hey that was a good book!" Gary rubbed his eyes.
"If that's all Patrick then I'll be getting back to work now."
"Oh sure Mr. Hobson nice chatting with you." He said shutting the door. Gary
shook his head then opened the paper back up to page four and began to
reading.
"Grace Watson, 31, and her newborn baby Trish, 2 months, was killed last night
at 8:27 pm when a heating blanket left on from the previous night sparked
and caught fire. Both mother and baby were asleep down stairs at the time of
the incident. Her husband, Alexander Watson, was away on a business trip when
the fire started." He stopped reading and looked at his watch. "8:01" he said
aloud. He quickly pulled out his phone book and went to the W's. "Alexander
Watson… Alexander Watson!" He stated holding his finger next to the number
and picking up the phone. Within a minuet he set the phone down in discuss,
there had been no answer. How was he going to get there he thought. He
looked up and saw on the wall the keys to the McGinty's van. He quickly ripped
the page out of the phone book and snatched the keys from the wall and
opened up his door. There in the door way was Erica with her hand-raised
ready to knock.
"Oh good we need to talk." She stated.
"Later!" Gary told her as he waked around her. She grabbed his arm pulling
him back.
"No now!" she warned.
"But… I gotta." He started.
"You gotta what? Go visit a sick cousins?" he went to speak, "No I'm not finished.
I'll tell you something Gary Hobson this blond isn't as stupid as she looks. Your
parents are both only children! Well there goes that excuse." She started to cry.
"So what is it this time? Gotta go mail some letters?"
"Actually he used that one this morning." Patrick chimed in. They both looked
at him. "I'm gonna go wash some windows if anyone needs me," he turned to
leave.
"Actually I need milk." He stated matter-o-factly. She walked behind the bar
and grabbed two containers of milk slamming them on the bar. "I really don't
have time for this!" He said stressed.
"Of course you don't I can't even get you to sit down with me for five seconds
and sign papers what makes me thing you would spare 15 minuets to talk
about our relationship." He slowly went over to her and brushed a tear away
from her cheek. She turned away from him. He walked across the bar to the
door torn between what to do. Marissa walked over to him.
"Gary what is it? Is it Adison?" she questioned.
"No… a mother and her new born bay will be killed in a fire." He whispered.
"Gary I'm doing this for your own good. You may not realize this now but later
you will thank me." Her voice grew louder. "Erica?" She called out. Erica walked
across the bar and placed a hand on Marissa's shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Get your coat your going with Gary!"
"What no!" Gary yelled.
"I don't think so Marissa," Erica started.
"I didn't ask you to think now go get your coat now!" she said sternly. Erica
walked away.
"What do you think your doing?" Gary protested.
"Well we've talked about telling her about he paper before. And frankly Gary
there's no better time then the present!" She informed.
"But-"Gary remarked.
"Oh Gary stop thinking with your head and start thinking with your heart.
You're about to lose her and your letting it happen." Marissa exclaimed.
"So what do I do pull up to a house that's on fire and tell he the reason why I
knew about this is because a magical cat brings me a newspaper that predicts
the future!" he stated sarcastically.
"I don't care how you do it. But you need to do it."
"Ok! I'll think of something." He said pulling on his coat.
"Believe me everything will work out I promise you." Marissa said pulling him in
for a hug as Erica approached.
"Henry honey you be good for Patrick ok?"
"Ok mommie" he answered. Gary opened up the door and let Erica go out
first. He turned to Marissa and took a deep breath. She patted his arm and
smiled.
"That's your cue."
"Will be back" he said shutting the door behind him. Erica waited at her door.
He unlocked her door and crossed over to his side and got in. It was a chilly
night even though it was mid April, and they could see their breath as they
exhaled.
"8:16" he said rubbing his hands together then starting up the van. He pulled out
the phone book page at the first red light. Gary looked at his surroundings and
threw on his left turn signal. Finally Erica broke the silence.
"So where we heading? Out for that milk?" Gary laughed sarcastically.
"No not quite." He pulled the paper out and turned to page four. Gary laid the
paper across her lap. "Read this." He pointed to the article. She rolled her eyes.
"Talk to me Gary! Don't avoid me then throw a stupid paper in my lap because
this," she held it up, "isn't going to solve our problems."
"Humors me will ya and just read the paper." He said impatiently.
"I finally have some one-on-one time with you and you wanna waste
it by making me read the Times! I read it this morning." She yelled.
"Not this one you didn't." He yelled back.
"Oh really and whys that?"
"Because this hasn't happened yet!" He informed. She turned to him.
"You expect me to believe that an event that hasn't occurred yet is in this
paper!" The car jerked to a stop in front of the Watson's house, " You know you
should give me more credit I mean I at least deserve…" he cut her off.
"Just read the headline Mother and newborn die in fire!" Then he pointed out
her window. When she turned around she saw a house engulfed in flames. "You
stay here!" he told her, "Oh yea and check the date while your at it." He got out
of the car and ran up to the door, it was locked. Erica watched him as he
found a metal shovel that he used to bust a window open with and crawled in.
In aw she flipped over the paper.
"March 11!" she whispered, "But that's… that's tomorrow!" Erica quickly got out of
the van and got close to the window. "Gary! Gary!" The back roof of the house
caved in and she stumbled backwards from the house. "Oh god no! Gary!" she
screamed. There was still no answer. Frantically she threw a leg into the window
and climbed in. Just then the front door bust open and Gary stumbled out
carrying the mother and baby. He laid them both on the lawn. Gary rubbed
the baby's belly and she started to cry, but her mother lay lifeless. Gary check for a pulse, which was non-existent. He started mouth to mouth.
"Come on Grace breath! Come on honey you an do it." He tried again for his
fifth time. She started to squirm. "Good! Keep it up Grace come on!" Gary
encouraged. She opened her eyes but didn't speak. The ambulance pulled up
and they took over. Gary stepped back and headed to the car. When he got in
he noticed Erica was nowhere to be found. "Erica… Erica?" he looked in the
back of the van moving some boxes. His attention turned to the front of the car
where the orange cat was now sitting in the passenger seat under it was page
four. Gary shooed it away and picked it up. The story had changed from
"Mother and newborn die in fire" to "Local bar manager dies in blaze"
"Erica!"
he whispered not reading anymore just throwing the paper down. Gary ran
towards the house. "Erica!!!!" Three fire fighters grabbed hold of him not letting
him enter. "There's someone in there!" Gary yelled frantically.
"No you got them all the owner said so herself." The one said.
"No she's wrong! And if you don't let me go in there she's going to die!"
"No can do pal!" the other said. "Take him back and check him out. I think he's
had to much smoke intake," he concluded. They pulled him back to his van
where they loosened their grip enough for him to get free. He started running
towards the house till he reached the open door. Inside the house think black
smoke filled the air. You couldn't even see you hand in front of you. Gary
dropped down to the floor searching every which way. He went up a flight of
stairs searching all of the rooms up there. "Erica? Can you hear me? Erica!" He
yelled. Gary heard noises behind him and felt someone grip his leg. It was a fire
fighter. "No…no…no let me go!" Where his final words before passing out due to
smoke intake.