Eleven
As the evening wore on, Kali found herself wishing time would slow down so that the evening wouldn't end. Wally was interesting, and fun. She could not understand why Uncle Marty never mentioned him, especially since they were such close friends. Or were they? She'd have to take a good look at that wedding photo! He seemed like such a great guy… Could it be that he already had a girlfriend? Or worse, was he married? Nah, that's too hard to miss; his apartment clearly lacked that feminine touch.
"… and then Margo poured the rest of her strawberry milkshake down the back of Marty's shirt!" Wally laughed.
Kali suddenly realized that she hadn't been paying any attention to what Wally was saying. Good thing she had heard that story before, she thought, remembering the night her uncle told it to her. She quickly glanced at him to see if he had noticed, but Wally was laughing so hard he wouldn't have noticed if she threw her milkshake down his shirt!
His laugh was contagious and she soon found herself laughing so hard she struggled to catch her breath.
"Can I get anything else for you this evening?" Sarah asked. She seemed to have an uncanny knack for suddenly appearing at their table unnoticed.
Wally and Kali finally calmed down enough to speak.
"No, I don't think so; unless you'd care for something else, Kali?" Wally asked, gently.
"No thank you. I think I've had enough," Kali replied, smiling at Sarah.
"Thank you for coming, I do hope you come again soon," Sarah said, handing the check to Wally.
Wally smiled and handed Sarah enough money to cover the check with a generous tip. "Thank you for the excellent service and please give my compliments to the chef."
Sarah nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.
They headed out of the restaurant and walked side-by-side down the street toward their apartment house.
"Kali, do you have a place to stay tonight?" Wally asked sounding concerned.
The memory of her soggy living room leapt to mind. She hadn't thought about it, but the only place she had to go was her Uncle's place. She couldn't afford a hotel room and she didn't know anyone else in town. A quick glance at her watch told her it was 11:45 pm. It was late already and she still had to stop at the apartment to get some of her things.
"You're not thinking about going to Marty and Margo's tonight are you?" Wally asked as if reading her mind.
Kali blushed, "Well, I …" Kali hesitated, not sure what to say. All she knew was that she had no choice in the matter. At least Marty and Margo would understand. This was something she could be sure.
"Listen, why don't you stay at my place tonight?" Wally suggested. "You can always head over to their place tomorrow. I'll take you, if you like. This way you won't have to wake them up."
It sounded reasonable, Kali thought, but she wasn't comfortable with sleeping over Wally's the first day she met him. Sure, he seemed nice, gentle, and was certainly good-looking, but she wasn't 'that kind of girl'.
Wally smiled, "You don't have to say anything. I understand perfectly. At least let me give you a lift over there. I'd feel better knowing you got there safely."
"Okay, Lancelot. I need to stop at my apartment for some stuff first." Kali sighed with relief. This guy was too good to be true.
It was a short walk to their apartment house; and in no time, they were inside Kali's apartment. The living room carpet seemed soggier than before and they had to be careful not to slip. The room had this awful mildewed smell; it was a mixture of mildew, wet carpet, and who knows what else.
"You can stay here, I'll get my stuff from the bedroom," Kali instructed.
Kali tiptoed across the living room heading towards the bedroom. What a relief that the water had not reached the bedroom, Kali thought. She immediately began tossing assorted clothing and other necessities into a suitcase.
As she surveyed her closet for whatever else she would need, her eyes fell on her photograph album, which reminded her of the framed wedding photo on the nightstand beside her bed. She tossed the photo album into her suitcase and snatched the photo off her nightstand. Quickly, she studied the photo, searching for the familiar face in the crowd she almost expected not to see. Nevertheless, there he was, plain as day. Standing right beside her Uncle Marty, was a longhaired version of the man in the next room. His wavy red hair spilled onto his forehead, covering most of his face and cascaded loosely down to his shoulders. She would never have recognized him except for that familiar silly smile; he was grinning proudly from ear to ear. Well, I guess he was telling the truth, she said, as she tossed the photo into her suitcase. She had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right with that photo; it must just be his long hair, she reasoned. After all, the man looks like a misplaced '60's hippie.
It took two over-stuffed suitcases to hold everything she thought she'd need for the time she'd have to stay out of her apartment. Now that the suitcases were packed, they were too heavy to lift. She pulled them toward the living room, but as she neared the soggy carpet, she grew concerned. I wonder if the water from the carpet will leak into the suitcases if I put them down, she thought. I don't know how waterproof these old suitcases are and they're too heavy for me to carry all the way to the door.
"Wally?" Kali called into the living room. "Can you come here, please? I need your help."
Kali looked around her room, trying to make sure she didn't forget anything.
"Wally?" Kali repeated. What's keeping him? she wondered.
Curious, she returned to the living room without her suitcases.
Lying on the couch, holding a box of tissues in one hand and a handful of tissues under his nose with the other; Wally looked miserable. His eyes were watery, red and puffy, his face was pale and blotchy and he was coughing and sneezing into the tissues.
Kali was speechless. She had never seen such a thing as this happen to anyone. Wally looked like he had come down with a full-blown case of the flu in 10 minutes. She rushed to him and felt his forehead. He was very warm. She knew she had to get him down to his own apartment.
"Can you get up?" she asked, pulling him onto his feet.
He was dead weight. How was that possible? He wasn't asleep.
She looked at him; he had an odd expression on his face. He looked almost confused. If she didn't know better, she'd say he looked shocked, even.
Kali pulled one of his arms over her shoulder and managed to help Wally make his way to the entrance of her apartment. He seemed fully aware of what was going on; but he was of little, if any, help. She felt like she was trying to help an infirm, elderly man to walk.
As they made their way to the elevator, Wally seemed to gain some strength and was able to bear his own weight. By the time the elevator reached his floor, his face and eyes had cleared up and his nose had stopped running. Kali was amazed at the miraculous recovery. Within those few moments, Wally's health had completely returned to normal.
"Kali," Wally said, quietly. "Thank you."
Twelve
The first thing Wally noticed was that his head hurt. He had no idea what time it was and as opened his eyes to find out, he was surprised to find that he was lying in bed, dressed in his pajamas. The clock read 1:30. Judging from the dark sky out his bedroom window, Wally surmised that it was still late in the evening.
He looked around his room, trying to remember what happened. He remembered the dinner with Kali and walking with her to her apartment… But that was it. Wally couldn't remember a thing past that. Was he able to help her get to Marty's house? he wondered. He wished he could remember coming home and changing his clothes. He looked down at the pajamas he was wearing, hoping for a clue that would jog his memory. Nothing came.
Wally wished he had some aspirin in the house for his headache. He climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth. As he wiped his face on the towel in the bathroom, he heard sounds coming from the other room. It must be C.J. cleaning up the kitchen ceiling, he concluded, removing his pajamas and turning the shower on.
The water pounding rhythmically on his back, felt soooo good, he didn't want to get out of the shower. He stood there with his eyes closed and just let the water wash over his body. His mind wandered back to the restaurant with Kali. He could still see her sitting across the table at the restaurant. Everything about her was amazing: her smile, her laugh, and especially those hypnotic blue eyes. He wished he could remember how it all ended, and wondered if he had gotten a kiss in the end. What a bummer, not to remember such a thing, he thought. Why couldn't he remember anything?
He shook his head as if to clear his mind, but it didn't help. In fact, his headache seemed to worsen and he felt a wave of dizziness come over him. He grabbed the shower curtain for support, but ended up ripping the shower curtain off the rod, as he lost his balance and fell in the tub.
"Oh just great!" he said aloud, lying there with the torn shower curtain over his head. He could hear the water raining down on top of him and onto the floor.
"Are you okay?" called a voice from the other side of the bathroom door.
"Yeah, I'll be just fine," Wally yelled back, pulling the curtain off his head. Now the water was raining on the top of his head and dripping down his face.
"Want some breakfast?" the voice asked.
Breakfast? Since when did C.J. make breakfast for his tenants? "Uh… sure, and I could use a couple of aspirin. Have you got any I can borrow?" Wally asked, expecting that C.J. would have some.
"Let me run out and pick some up. I'll be right back with food and aspirin. Do you need anything else? Are you sure you're okay?" the voice repeated.
C.J.'s voice sounded funny, Wally thought. It must be the shower. "I'm okay, but the shower curtain isn't doing so good."
Wally heard giggling. "C.J.?"
Silence.
Wally shrugged. He must have gone down for some aspirin, he thought.
Wally slowly reached up to turn off the shower. He wished his headache would just go away! He threw the torn shower curtain aside and reached for a towel to dry himself off. Slowly, he rose from the tub and stepped out, mindful not to step onto the shower curtain and risk another fall. He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door just in time to see the door to his apartment swing open and Kali walk in. She was carrying several packages and completely unaware of Wally's presence and headed directly into the kitchen.
What is Kali doing here? What happened last night? Wally wondered. Why can't I remember anything?
He decided that he needed to get dressed, and fast! Going at his fastest super-speed, he raced into his bedroom, threw on some clothes, and quickly combed his hair. Now ready to see Kali, he returned to normal speed and opened his bedroom door.
He was anxious to see Kali again and find out what happened last night; but first, he REALLY wanted to take an ASPIRIN!
"Hey, Kali!" Wally said, smiling broadly as he walked into the kitchen.
Kali was putting away some groceries she had purchased for him at the store. A look of relief washed over her face as she looked up from what she was doing.
"I'm so glad you're feeling better, Wally," Kali said warmly. "Why don't you sit at the table and I'll dish out some nice chicken soup I picked up? My mom always said it's the cure for all ailments."
Wally nodded and obediently slid into a seat at the table. He had the perfect seat to watch her. He had only met her yesterday and already he felt like he'd known her a lifetime. "Need any help?" he asked knowing she wouldn't.
Kali turned and smiled at him, "It's okay Lancelot, I can handle this one," she said teasingly.
Wally laughed; he liked this.
Kali stirred the pot of soup as it warmed on the stove and suddenly she began moving faster and faster. In a blink of an eye, she was seated in front of him with two bowls of soup on the table. A second later, her bowl was empty and she was back at the stove for seconds.
Wally felt like he was moving in slow motion. He stared at the spoon in his hand and tried to bring it closer to his mouth, but it barely moved. It would take 3 hours to get a spoonful at this speed, he realized. He tried moving faster, but it didn't help.
He looked up at Kali. In the time it took for him to dip his spoon into the soup, Kali had finished her soup, washed her dish, and returned to her seat across the table from him. She had this odd expression on her face.
Wally looked sadly into Kali's sweet face, 'How are you doing this?' he asked. She didn't seem to hear him; she took his spoon from him and started pouring spoonfuls of soup into his mouth one right after another. What was she doing, trying to drown him? he wondered. He started choking and she quickly stopped.
This makes no sense, Wally thought as he glanced at the clock in the kitchen. It had gone haywire! The minute hand was moving much too quickly and if it were accurate, minutes were passing as quickly as seconds were. Wally had slipped into a super-slow time warp! Normal time was super-speeding by!
Thirteen
"Are you okay?" Kali asked Wally repeatedly, rubbing and patting him on his back. It was all she could think to do. Finally, he stopped gagging. He had this confused and sad expression on his face. It was only a small spoonful of soup! she thought. Why can't he swallow? What's wrong with him?
She felt his forehead. It was only slightly warm, if anything. Better take his temperature, she thought. "I'll be right back," she said as she left him to go look for a thermometer in his medicine cabinet.
As she walked into the bathroom, she was surprised to find the shower curtain lying on the floor beside the tub. It had been torn from the curtain rod. How odd, she thought. The room was otherwise neat and clean. She opened the medicine cabinet and looked inside.
On the top shelf was a disposable razor, can of shaving cream and after-shave lotion. Curious, she uncapped the after-shave to have a sniff. Mmmm, this smells nice! she thought and recapped the bottle. Moving onto the second shelf, she saw a packet of cinnamon-flavored waxed dental floss and mint-flavored tarter control, extra-whitener mint gel toothpaste. She smiled at his selection of flavors for his dental care products. On the bottom shelf, there was a plastic container of grape flavored mouthwash, two unwrapped bars of soap, and a tube of Chap Stick.
That's odd, Kali thought. Not only were there no prescription medicines, band-aids, or antiseptics, but there was no thermometer either. Didn't this guy ever get sick or injured? Everyone has that kind of stuff in their medicine cabinet! Maybe he had a medical kit or something beneath the sink, she thought.
Bending down, she opened the vanity door beneath the sink. There she saw a trash container, assortment of cleansers, a roll of paper towels, and a toilet plunger. He has a toilet plunger, but no thermometer?
She closed the door and looked around to make sure she wasn't missing anything. No bathroom closet, nothing else in here, she confirmed. Maybe he kept this kind of thing in his bedroom? Perhaps it is handier by his bed, she reasoned. After all, if you don't feel well and live alone it would be perfectly reasonable to keep that kind of thing right beside the bed.
She walked into the bedroom and looked around. The room was neat and clean. There was nothing lying on the dresser or night table. As she approached the night table, she felt a pang of uneasiness. It was one thing to go through the man's medicine cabinet, but going through the bedroom drawers felt a little invasive.
The night table drawer was only inches away, and this was a matter of life and death, she reasoned. But, what good is privacy to a sick man? She decided anything she could do to help him was worth some minor infraction of privacy. Besides, what could she possibly find that he would object to; a girlie magazine?
Bending down, she pulled open the night table drawer, promising herself not to look at anything that didn't look like a thermometer. Everything slid forward as she pulled the drawer. There wasn't much in there to look at: an address book, pad and pencil, a few comic books? Never mind, she said, brushing them aside. Farther inside was a slim 'pen' flashlight and a small packet of tissues. There was no thermometer, nor medical kit.
She stood up and looked around the room again. Would he keep a medical kit in his dresser drawers or bedroom closet? she wondered.
One of the sliding mirrored doors to the closet was slightly open. Curious, she opened the door and looked inside. There were shoeboxes, yearbooks, and photo albums neatly stacked atop of one and other on the shelves above his hanging clothes. There was no sign of a medical kit.
She was about to slide the door closed when something caught her eye. The top photo album was not neatly in line with the others, as though it had been recently viewed and hurriedly tossed back onto the pile. She reached up and pulled it off the pile. Kali was curious to see what kinds of photos Wally took. He had such beautiful landscapes hanging in his apartment, could he be an amateur photographer?
She opened the book to the first page. It wasn't a photo album at all, but rather, a scrap book. There were several magazine and newspaper articles clipped and taped to the pages in this book. As she turned the pages, she was amazed to find that every one of these articles were about Flash. It contained everything Flash had done in the community. Clipping after clipping showed pictures of people he had saved and criminals he caught. One clipping, in particular, caught her eye. It was a caustic letter printed in the opinion section of the local paper. The writer had complained that Flash was nothing more than a publicity seeker and that his appearing in television commercials proved it. Curious who would write such a scathing letter to the paper, she glanced at the author's name, 'Sarah Monocello'.
Fourteen
Wally was about to jump out of his skin. The clock on the wall was still racing at super-speed and he was crawling like a snail with a bellyache! What must Kali think of all this? Where did she go? He decided to try to get up. Maybe if he started moving now he could reach the telephone sometime this year! He had to call the Justice League for help, but with Kali around, there was no way he could use the direct line on his communicator.
As he began to get out of his seat, Kali zipped by. She appeared to stop in front of him, wave her hands as if she was trying to tell him something and then super-speed push him into his bed in his bedroom. Before he could say anything, she flew out of the bedroom and disappeared once again.
He could just scream! He had no phone in the bedroom! Now he had to get out of bed and walk all the way back into the kitchen! At this rate, that would take an eternity! Wally leaned back against his pillow in disgust and watched the neon numbers on his bedside clock change.
About an hour later, Kali returned. She waved her arms as if she was explaining a long complicated procedure of some sort. Wally could not make any sense out of the short blrps and fshups she seemed to be saying. It was like watching a video tape on the fast-forward setting. He just closed his eyes and prayed the end of the world would come!
When he opened his eyes, Kali was gone and saw his friend Marty seated on his bed beside him. There was another man in the room, but Wally could not make out who it was because he was facing the other direction.
Wally didn't care about the other man, he was so happy to see Marty, he wanted to kiss him!
Marty scribbled something on a pad of paper and pushed it into Wally's hands. It said, "Wally, Kali called me. She had to go to CCU for an important meeting today. She was a bit frazzled, but don't worry, I didn't tell her anything about your other identity. Your secret is still safe with me, old buddy.
I called the emergency number in your address book, like you told me. J'onn J'onzz sent a doctor over to help you. He has taken some blood samples and is going to run some tests back at the Justice League Watchtower. From what he can tell so far, what you have is not life threatening and not contagious. Most likely it's just an allergic reaction to something you ate or perhaps a bug-bite, but whatever it is, it is very, very unusual."
Wally took the pen and began writing his reply. He knew it would take an hour or so, but he was counting on the fact that Marty would wait for him. "Marty," he began, "You're the best! (besides me that is!) I don't know what's wrong with me except I am in a super-slow time warp. Everything around me is moving at super-speed. I don't know what could have caused it, but I don't think it was a bug bite. My most recent meals were-the 5 Turkey-subs from Pizza by the Pound, whichI ate the day before yesterday. I had the leftover piece this evening before tonight's trip to Hamburger Haven where I ate 5 cheeseburgers, 4 French fries, 3 super sodas and 11 chocolate chip cookies. I also ate a pot of the chef's special Pasta Picante and the Veal Parm combo plate at Pizza by the Pound.
Ask the doctor if this could be an allergic reaction to the kitchen ceiling caving in. A kitchen pipe burst in Kali's apartment upstairs and my ceiling collapsed on me. (I know- haha you're laughing WITH me not AT me, right?)
This snail's pace is driving me crazy and I can't even speed up to normal! Please ask if there isn't something the doc can give me. My head is killing me. Can I have an aspirin? Remember, I need to take it myself or you'll drown me! And NO, you can't 'try it just for fun'!" Wally handed the pad back to Marty.
Marty sped over to the doctor and in no time, he had scribbled the answer on the pad and handed it back to Wally. It read,
"Glad to see you haven't lost your appetite, old pal! What's with the Pizza by the Pound? Is that the new Italian place down the road? It sure sounds like a glutton's heaven! Perfect place for you, huh? As for the aspirin, sorry Wally, the doctor said you shouldn't take anything that would significantly affect your blood fluids until we know what caused this. I noticed you don't have much in the apartment, so I'll run out and pick up some food for you- I know what a glutton you are! Don't worry; I'll pick up some chocolate chip cookies and a few containers of those canned chips you like so much! I also have to stop at the house, but I'll try not to be gone too long. Kali should be stopping by in the meanwhile, so don't worry if it takes longer than expected. Oh yes, the doctor had to leave, but should have answers for you before 9:00 tonight. Just take it slow and easy! (I HAD to say that 'ol buddy!)"
Wally looked up in time to see Marty wave. He must have done that in mock slow motion for Wally's benefit. Wally tried to wave back, but by then, Marty had vanished.
Wally decided there was nothing to do but sleep. Unfortunately, sleep refused to come. After tossing and turning, to no avail, he grabbed his favorite comic book from the night table drawer. Completely absorbed in the latest adventure of his favorite hero, Wally didn't notice the arrival of an unexpected visitor.
Wally felt something yank his comic book out of his hand. He couldn't make out who it was that was super-speeding around his room this time. Suddenly he felt his hands being forced together and bound together at the wrists. Though he couldn't make out the facial features of this person, he could tell that it was definitely a blonde haired female. Then he felt his legs being pulled apart and tied separately to the two bedposts at the foot of the bed.
Tied, and slowed down, Wally felt totally helpless. Who was this woman and why was she doing this? He moaned in frustration.
He felt her open his mouth and squirt a drop of cold bitter liquid under his tongue. Everything around him began to slow down. As the woman's image slowly came into focus, he realized that she looked familiar. He KNEW her; she was the waitress from Pizza by the Pound! "Sarah?"
"Well, I'm flattered that you remembered my name, Flash!" She sauntered around his bed. "My, my, don't YOU look different without your red mask. I must say, you are a rather handsome looking fellow."
Wally watched her pace around his bedroom. She clearly did not recognize him as Wally. "What do you want?"
"Hah!" Sarah said sarcastically, "Now THAT's a laugh. Someone asking the waitress what SHE wants."
Sarah stepped closer and had a seat on the bed beside him. She placed her hand under his chin and turned his face towards hers. She leaned toward him, studying his face as if inspecting every centimeter. "What a shame; we could have been such good friends."
Sarah was enjoying this too much, Wally thought. "What do you want from me?" he repeated.
Sarah's smile faded. "Flash. Mr. Fastest Man Alive, right?" she said, sarcastically. "You and your precious Justice League think you're so special. You fly in and 'save the day' take the credit, steal the show, demeaning all the good hard work our real heroes do. The REAL heroes are those unheralded dedicated individuals whose services go unrecognized, criticized, ridiculed, and, at best, taken for granted. You know them as those nameless servants on our police force, fire brigade, emergency dispatch teams. These men and woman risk their lives every day for nothing more than a measly paycheck. They don't get the news reporters chasing after them begging for the least little bit of information for the prime time news segment or front page news. No, they risk their lives everyday, day in and day out. If they're lucky, they'll finally receive their belated recognition in praises and tributes at their gravesites.
On the other hand, you 'super-heroes' with your special powers and flashy costumes are held up to receive public acclaim. You, Flash, are the worst of the Justice League super-heroes. You are Central City's biggest hero. The town worships you. The citizens eat what you eat and where you eat, hoping for the slightest chance to meet you. What do you do for them? You 'grace' them with your presence. You entertain your little pets. That's what they are to you, you know. You spend time playing with them, granting them wishes for autographs and pictures, only to leave them for those bigger and better things in your own life when you tire of their adoration. Yet, in reality, you give them nothing more than a masked, faceless hero who glamorizes breaking the law to accomplish what he will. You don't play by the rules and yet you receive praise for it!" She looked him straight in the eyes, "You aren't even the least bit ashamed of it either; are you?
So, 'what do I want from you', you ask? I want nothing more than what is expected of anyone else. Live by the rules. I want you to come clean. Stop playing the vigilante and start abiding by the laws and procedures we all live by. You're making it harder for those true public servants to do their job by robbing them of their dignity. They look foolish when they don't 'do what it takes' to get things done, like breaking the law. And if they do break the law, they are punished for it. My husband was a police officer who served the public valiantly. He couldn't bring a drug bust down legally, so he 'bent the rules' by breaking into the drug dealer's headquarters without a search warrant. Oh, he got the proof he needed, but the reward he got for it was not the first page photo tribute you get for doing the same thing. My husband didn't have a mask to hide behind, like you do; he lost his job. Now he's working as an assistant in a mortuary. He lost his ambitions and dreams. Now he's the dead preparing the dead.
Wally listened to her sad story and thought about what she was saying. There was some truth to to it, but she was twisting everything. He wasn't like that, he really did care about people. He wasn't hiding behind a mask; he was using it for protection; it wasn't any different than an undercover cop.
Sarah continued, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm merely going to set the playing field straight. I'm going to take your picture and splash it around town for everyone to know just what The Flash looks like without his mask. I'm going to find out who you really are and publish it around town. If you want to be a hero, you're going to come by it honestly. It's the least you can do for the citizens of Central City. You wanted your picture in the paper, then smile nice and big, honey, I'm giving you your ultimate photo-shoot!"
She adjusted the blanket to cover Wally's bound wrists. "You'll want to look good for your picture won't you?" she asked as she removed a small plastic comb from her back pocket and began combing his hair.
"Sarah, you don't have to do this," he said gently, so as not to further upset her.
"Wally?" a voice called from the bedroom doorway.
Wally immediately recognized Kali's voice.
Sarah quickly leaned forward and forced her lips against Wally, preventing him from speaking.
Wally was pinned down and couldn't move or speak with Sarah pressed against him in what looked like a passionate kiss. He tried to push Sarah off him, but with his legs tied down and Sarah leaning on his hands; it was impossible.
Sarah pulled back and turned to face Kali.
"Wally!" Kali cried, running from the room.
"Kali!" Wally called after her, struggling to loosen his ties. His heart sank as he heard the apartment door slam shut.
Sarah jumped up and ran from the room.
Fifteen
Kali couldn't get out of there quick enough. Tears were streaming down her face. How could she be so wrong about Wally? He seemed like such a nice guy, but in reality he was nothing more than a Casanova.
She pressed the elevator button three times, hoping to hurry the thing up. Why must there be only one elevator? she wondered.
Kali heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see who was coming.
"Excuse me! Miss?" called the blonde running toward her. She appeared to be teary-eyed as well.
Kali pushed the button again, hoping the elevator would arrive before the woman reached her.
"Miss, please wait!" Sarah ran as quickly as she could to catch up to Kali.
"Why would I want to talk to you?" Kali said annoyed.
"Because I need some answers from you," Sarah said, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Answers?" Now Kali was curious. The elevator doors opened.
"Can we talk?" Sarah begged, wiping her eyes with a tissue.
"About Wally?" Kali asked. "Obviously there is nothing to talk about."
"No, please," Sarah pleaded. "Let me treat you to some coffee at down the street at Pizza by the Pound."
"Pizza by the Pound? You're that waitress, aren't you?" Kali said.
"Yes, I remember you, the 'Pasta Picante' meal. I still can't believe Wally brought you there! What desperate men won't do to make a woman jealous! I guess he didn't tell you about us. Hmm, it's not surprising, under the circumstances. At least it shows that Wally knew I meant business!"
"What are you talking about? Meant business about what?" Kali knew she should just walk away from this woman, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Sarah took a deep breath. "Listen, Wally and I have been going together for some time now. We were engaged to be married, but last week, when I found him in the arms of another woman, I broke off our engagement. Since then, he's been calling and sending me flowers everyday asking me to take him back. I hadn't been able to forgive him; that is, until today. He told me that couldn't live without me and promised me there'd never be another woman in his life. I guess I just wanted so much to believe him. You know those piercing green eyes can positively make a girl melt."
Kali looked away. She didn't need to be reminded of Wally's good looks. Her heart was breaking as it was.
"Anyway, the man is nothing but a liar, if he's been courting you too! I need to know for sure, has he?" Sarah asked, looking directly into Kali's eyes.
"Has he been courting me?" Kali asked, shocked that Wally could be engaged to this pushy woman. "Of course not, we're just friends. I only met him yesterday for goodness sakes!"
"But he did take you out to dinner at my place," Sarah explained. "Everyone else says he did that to make me jealous, but I need to know for sure before I walk down the aisle with him."
"I suppose it worked then, because you obviously have him now!" Kali said, turning away and pressing the elevator button.
"Oh, thank you so much, sweetie!" Sarah said, giving Kali a big hug and running down the hall back towards Wally's apartment.
Just as Sarah disappeared around the corner, the elevator doors opened. Standing in the otherwise empty elevator, holding two bags of groceries, was Kali's Uncle Marty.