Idle Romance:
POV of Lisa Morris:
DATE: 3/14/2016
"What's that?" I asked, pointing to a small, flat fish sucked to the side of the large fish tank. "Why'd you get it?"
"Too much color and too much algae," he answered, indicating the tetras and the tank decorations. "Ol' Ray here is the begining of a balance of color and dullness. It takes just the certain types of fish to make the perfect balance..."
I blinked.
"You okay, Greg?" I asked. "You sure they didn't whack you on the head when they were getting you out of you apartment?"
He glared. "If I was crazy, why would you invite me into your house? You're smart enough to know insane people pose risks in a household surrounding. Didn't you write that paper?"
"No," I said harshly. "I wrote the opposing paper. Entitled: Life With Rondy."
Greg's eyes widened. "Holy-" he stared. "That was you? The crazy neighbor kid and- That was you?"
I nodded slowly.
"That was gre-"
I cut him off. "Careful, Greg. You may actually praise me."
He was silent. "You're right..." He shrugged. "Never mind it then."
"We work today, you know," I said and went into my bedroom to find my car keys.
I heard him picking up his crutches and opening the door. Dack and Jake were obviously there because he closed it back immediatly and muttered a few curses.
We walked out of the door and went out to the car with Greg's every faithful watch dogs close at hand.
***
POV of Vice President Karol McShane:
"Fifty dollars worth of shit!" I shouted and threw my alarm clock at the wall, breaking it into several pieces. I sometimes wondered in cases like that that, why I had declined the traditional Vice Presidential residence. I also wonder why I was allowed. One of those things I'll never know I suppose.
It was almost noon and my alarm hadn't gone off. I'd got in early in the morning and needed to be up and awake dat seven. So much for that.
I hurriedly got showered and dressed, running out the door with salt in my coffee and a mismatched pair of socks and shoes. I struggled with my keys and got my door unlocked only to find the battery was dead when I tried to start it up.
I cursed several more times, threatening to sell the car to a chop shop as if it could understand me. Really, I wouldn't be surprised if it could.
I heard someone walking up and approach the window. As he neared, I opened the car door with as much force as I could, sending the hooded man sailing to the ground. At about that time I began to wonder where my Secret Service agent, Tina Garcia, was.
"Don't move," I told my assailant.
He coughed and groaned. "God, Karol," he said faintly. "Trying to kill me?"
"Ted!" I shouted upon recognizing the New York Senator. I pulled him up. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Chambers?"
"Mary lives above you," he said. "She heard things breaking and being thrown and asked me to come and check on you. She thought someone had broken in. And we're not in session today. You oughta know that. You're idea."
"I think I've broken in," I mumbled looking at Ted's bruised chest. "You'd better get to GW. Come on, I'll drive you."
He looked at me odd. "Your car just broke down," he said.
"I know," I replied. "That's why we're taking your car."
Ted began to protest. "No one drives my car but me."
I lightly poked him in the ribs and he gasped in pain. "Okay, okay," he relented and we got in his car and drove to GW.
***
POV of Senator Theodore Rockhimer
I was in pain and she poked me! Here I am, harboring broken ribs and she pokes me! Now, it was probably good that I didn't drive, but she could have had Tina force me in the backseat gently instead of poking me! Okay, I'm done ranting.
We got to GW and the ER doctors looked me over. Two broken ribs. Karol is very strong, though she might not look it. I don't know who called, but someone did, and upon discharge, we were surrounded by the press. I mean, come on. You'd think they'd have the decentcy to let you be bandaged up and keep it under wraps. (Bad pun, so what?)
Tina pushed us through, taking up position behind the wheel this time in case there was a shooter around. She looked enough like Karol to draw the fire and allow the VP to escape.
So the two of us sat in back. God, I was so nervous sitting there beside her. Things kept running through my mind. What should I say? What should I do? Does she think you're a wuss after that? She broke two ribs... She's very talented... accomplished...
"Uh..." was all I could get out.
She looked at me.
"Uh... what?" she asked.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
I sighed. Karol could be annoying at times.
"I was wondering... would you come to dinner with me?" I blurted out.
Now, if Karol had been driving, I would have been thrown out of the car through the window because I know she would have slammed on the brakes due to her shock. Up front, Tina only grinned.
Karol didn't say anything.
I waved my hand infront of her face. "Karol?"
"Why?" she asked as if I had a hidden agenda.
"Because... I want to buy you food and talk and... get to know you?" I said. For two years I had had a schoolboy crush on her but had never built on it. The others would have made fun of us; all of them having families already.
"Ah..." was Karol's response.
"If you think your VP status won't allow it then I understand," I said quickly. Was I trying to back out? No, I convinced myself. I REALLY liked her, but was nervous. And things needed to be convient for her. Not me.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
She glared and I grinned.
"Okay," she said. "When?"
I broke into a wide smile. "Saturday night at eight." I saw Tina nod in the rear view mirror at Karol and took that as an okay. "Great. I'll pick you up then. Unless you want to drive there. Whatever you want. It's up to y-"
"You pick me up. If we're going on a date we'll do it right."
"Okay."
"Good."
"Yes."
We arrived at Karol's apartment and Tina and Vice President got out. I got out and got infront, pain surging through my ribs but it faded after a few moments. "See you Saturday," I said.
"You'll see me before that," she answered.
"Yeah," I said. "But Saturday is the only day that will matter."
***
POV of Lisa Morris:
DATE: 3/14/2016
"What's that?" I asked, pointing to a small, flat fish sucked to the side of the large fish tank. "Why'd you get it?"
"Too much color and too much algae," he answered, indicating the tetras and the tank decorations. "Ol' Ray here is the begining of a balance of color and dullness. It takes just the certain types of fish to make the perfect balance..."
I blinked.
"You okay, Greg?" I asked. "You sure they didn't whack you on the head when they were getting you out of you apartment?"
He glared. "If I was crazy, why would you invite me into your house? You're smart enough to know insane people pose risks in a household surrounding. Didn't you write that paper?"
"No," I said harshly. "I wrote the opposing paper. Entitled: Life With Rondy."
Greg's eyes widened. "Holy-" he stared. "That was you? The crazy neighbor kid and- That was you?"
I nodded slowly.
"That was gre-"
I cut him off. "Careful, Greg. You may actually praise me."
He was silent. "You're right..." He shrugged. "Never mind it then."
"We work today, you know," I said and went into my bedroom to find my car keys.
I heard him picking up his crutches and opening the door. Dack and Jake were obviously there because he closed it back immediatly and muttered a few curses.
We walked out of the door and went out to the car with Greg's every faithful watch dogs close at hand.
***
POV of Vice President Karol McShane:
"Fifty dollars worth of shit!" I shouted and threw my alarm clock at the wall, breaking it into several pieces. I sometimes wondered in cases like that that, why I had declined the traditional Vice Presidential residence. I also wonder why I was allowed. One of those things I'll never know I suppose.
It was almost noon and my alarm hadn't gone off. I'd got in early in the morning and needed to be up and awake dat seven. So much for that.
I hurriedly got showered and dressed, running out the door with salt in my coffee and a mismatched pair of socks and shoes. I struggled with my keys and got my door unlocked only to find the battery was dead when I tried to start it up.
I cursed several more times, threatening to sell the car to a chop shop as if it could understand me. Really, I wouldn't be surprised if it could.
I heard someone walking up and approach the window. As he neared, I opened the car door with as much force as I could, sending the hooded man sailing to the ground. At about that time I began to wonder where my Secret Service agent, Tina Garcia, was.
"Don't move," I told my assailant.
He coughed and groaned. "God, Karol," he said faintly. "Trying to kill me?"
"Ted!" I shouted upon recognizing the New York Senator. I pulled him up. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Chambers?"
"Mary lives above you," he said. "She heard things breaking and being thrown and asked me to come and check on you. She thought someone had broken in. And we're not in session today. You oughta know that. You're idea."
"I think I've broken in," I mumbled looking at Ted's bruised chest. "You'd better get to GW. Come on, I'll drive you."
He looked at me odd. "Your car just broke down," he said.
"I know," I replied. "That's why we're taking your car."
Ted began to protest. "No one drives my car but me."
I lightly poked him in the ribs and he gasped in pain. "Okay, okay," he relented and we got in his car and drove to GW.
***
POV of Senator Theodore Rockhimer
I was in pain and she poked me! Here I am, harboring broken ribs and she pokes me! Now, it was probably good that I didn't drive, but she could have had Tina force me in the backseat gently instead of poking me! Okay, I'm done ranting.
We got to GW and the ER doctors looked me over. Two broken ribs. Karol is very strong, though she might not look it. I don't know who called, but someone did, and upon discharge, we were surrounded by the press. I mean, come on. You'd think they'd have the decentcy to let you be bandaged up and keep it under wraps. (Bad pun, so what?)
Tina pushed us through, taking up position behind the wheel this time in case there was a shooter around. She looked enough like Karol to draw the fire and allow the VP to escape.
So the two of us sat in back. God, I was so nervous sitting there beside her. Things kept running through my mind. What should I say? What should I do? Does she think you're a wuss after that? She broke two ribs... She's very talented... accomplished...
"Uh..." was all I could get out.
She looked at me.
"Uh... what?" she asked.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
I sighed. Karol could be annoying at times.
"I was wondering... would you come to dinner with me?" I blurted out.
Now, if Karol had been driving, I would have been thrown out of the car through the window because I know she would have slammed on the brakes due to her shock. Up front, Tina only grinned.
Karol didn't say anything.
I waved my hand infront of her face. "Karol?"
"Why?" she asked as if I had a hidden agenda.
"Because... I want to buy you food and talk and... get to know you?" I said. For two years I had had a schoolboy crush on her but had never built on it. The others would have made fun of us; all of them having families already.
"Ah..." was Karol's response.
"If you think your VP status won't allow it then I understand," I said quickly. Was I trying to back out? No, I convinced myself. I REALLY liked her, but was nervous. And things needed to be convient for her. Not me.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
She glared and I grinned.
"Okay," she said. "When?"
I broke into a wide smile. "Saturday night at eight." I saw Tina nod in the rear view mirror at Karol and took that as an okay. "Great. I'll pick you up then. Unless you want to drive there. Whatever you want. It's up to y-"
"You pick me up. If we're going on a date we'll do it right."
"Okay."
"Good."
"Yes."
We arrived at Karol's apartment and Tina and Vice President got out. I got out and got infront, pain surging through my ribs but it faded after a few moments. "See you Saturday," I said.
"You'll see me before that," she answered.
"Yeah," I said. "But Saturday is the only day that will matter."
***