Chapter Two :

I woke up from the sunlight steaming through the windows , and the damned telephone was ringing off the hook.

I reached out , tried to find the godforsaken contraption . I finally managed to get my hand on the receiver , after pulling it towards my ear I managed to growl out " What . . . . "

" Hey , " came the voice at the other end of the line . " You're late . You were supposed to be here an hour ago to open the office . I had to have the building super open it again . " came the voice on the other end of the line . It was a voice that could wake any man from a dead sleep , but it didn't sound good enough to drive away the irritation of being woke up . " Christ , Eileen . Do you have any IDEA what kind of night I had ! " I barked into the phone . " Well , " she said , after a pause . " You went in , didn't you , you stupid sonofabitch . You know better than that . You know better than to get too close to the mark ! What the hell's wrong with you ! " Boy , was she fired up . That was one thing I loved about Eileen . No matter what I did , she would put me in my place when I screwed it up . And , boy did I screw it up . I tried to rub my eyes into working , got one of em' there , but the other refused to open . " Eileen . . .get a pot of coffee going , I'll be in in a few minutes , " I told her .

" Fine , " she replied . I hung up the phone . I figured I should take a shower before heading out to work . I cranked on the hot water faucet and walked out of the room , lighting a smoke on the way to the closet . By the time I found cleaner clothes , the water MIGHT be hot .

Aaaaahhhhh . I love that first butt in the morning . I took a deep drag , held it in . I savored the smoke as it seared my blackened lungs . I rooted through the closet for a clean -er- suit than the one I had on . I finally decided on the charcoal grey double-breasted job , with a navy colored shirt and silver tie . After putting it all on one hanger , I carried it with me to the bathroom and hung it on the hook . After tossing the now-dead smoke into the toilet , I stripped down and let the hot water scathe my pain-wracked body . I leaned against the wall , letting the steam fill up the room and the hot spray nail my back . I have problems with my back . The doctor says it's stress related , but that's also the same doctor who's been claiming I should be dead for five years now . I sighed . Enough screwing around . Time to go to work . I shut off the water and got out of the shower , towel-drying in a rush . I put on the shirt and suit , ran a comb through my hair and left the bathroom . I didn't have time to shave , the clients would have to just deal with the two days of stubble I'd grown . Yeah , like I'd have new clients today . Lighting up , I walked out the door , locked it , and began the five mile hike down the stairs . Christ , I wish they would fix the damned elevator sometime this year .

While I was walking out to the car , I noticed that some asshole had keyed it on one of the few panels that still had original paint .

Yep.

It was gonna be one of those days , alright .

I stopped at a Horton's on the way to the office , grabbed a coffee to go . I drank it in about three swallows . God , I hate Horton's coffee . I put my cigarette out the window and lit another . The drive downtown wasn't too bad , I made it in less than half an hour . I parked in a no parking zone in front of a dilapidated four-story office building , walked up to the second floor and into the office .

Eileen was pleased to see me , even if she had sounded pissed off when I talked to her this morning . She was wearing that low-cut blouse , and lemme tell ya' , she had all the curves to fill it out . It made my blood boil when she dressed like that , and the little minx knew it . I made a point of ignoring her on my way in to the office. Tossing the trench onto the coat-stand , I sat down at my chair and turned on the computer . Taking a last drag on my cigarette , I crushed it out in the antique ashtray on the desk .

Eileen sashayed into the room , her auburn hair done up real nice . She set a coffee cup in front of me and leaned over low to pour it . She didn't need to lean over that low . I shook my head . " What , do you want a raise , or something ?" I asked her . She always wanted something when she was being this nice . All women do .

" No , Frank . I was just wondering why you haven't taken me to dinner after work yet . Three weeks ago you promised me . Maybe you just don't think I'm pretty enough anymore ," she pouted . I shook my head again ." Idiot . When have you ever seen me with a pretty woman outside of the Job ," I asked her .

" Never , " she replied ." And when have you ever seen me with any other woman , outside of the Job ? " Never , "

she answered again . " SO , What makes you think that I even got time enough for a broad in the first place ? You know how many hours I put in , how focused I am on my work . I don't have room in my life for a girl , " I told her . This was a repeated discussion . . . one that I was getting tired of . It's not like I wasn't interested , Eileen was a helluva girl . She was smart , witty , damned near as sarcastic as I am ( a trait I admire in anyone ) , and she was an absolute knockout to boot .She just couldn't get it through her thick damned head that I was a married man . . . . . married to my job . Or , at least , that's what every broad I'd ever gone out with has told me .

" Ya' know , Frank , " she said , as she slid onto the desk , " mebbe if you let the right girl in , you wouldn't hafta work so hard at this job . We're in this together ." She leaned in closer , crawled across the top of the desk and tugged at my necktie . She smelled good , real good . " I got no-one at home tying me down , and neither do you ." she continued . " If it's paying me for the extra hours, don't worry about it . I make enough in tips at O'Halloran's Pub that I can afford to help you out . "

Hmmph . That's the thing I respect most about Eileen . Once she has her mind set on something , it's as good as hers . The girl had absolutely NO backdown , and one of these nights , it was gonna cause me a whole package of trouble .

I lit up another cigarette , and she did the same . I blinked in surprise . "When the hell did you start smoking ?" I asked her . "Well , since you smoke so damned much , Frank , I figure I might as well smoke too . It's better than inhaling your second-hand exhaust anyway . Screw it , you only live once ! " she exclaimed . I shook my head and sipped my coffee . That Eileen , she was a girl to ride the river with , that much is for sure . One of these days I'll have to put a claim on her , before one of those skells from the neighborhood does . . . .

One of these days . . . . . .