--Chapter 2--

We get to our destination after a short ride. It's a beautiful colonial style house on a quiet tree filled street with a six foot privacy fence covering the rear. It's the kind of house I want to own, but it way beyond my current means. I can dream though. One day...

"Wait here." Gary interrupts my thoughts. He just jumps out of the cab with the pool net in his hand. I shift into park and wait, being that I still have his wallet, and the meter is still running. He heads towards the house, but disappears from my sight through the gate. He could have at least left the paper.

I begin to drum my fingers against the steering wheel. Boredom is getting the better of me, and I've yet to get some coffee. What is the deal with this guy?

I hear a woman scream, and have serious thoughts about pulling off. I mean, I still have Gary's wallet. That's more than I make in a week. I should just go. Call the cops and just go. He's got to be some sort of nut. Who runs into a person's yard with a pool net in their hand? And it's the middle of October. It's too cold to go swimming. Does this house even have a pool?

Gary finally emerged from the yard. Okay... he wasn't muddy anymore, but now he completely soaked. I'm guessing he must have fallen into a pool? So the house does have a pool. I don't know. He doesn't have the pool net with him either.

"Um... look... I..."

"I know, I'm sorry... I'll pay you extra for messing up the backseat with the mud and the water and all..." He says wring out the front of his shirt. Gary climbs back into the rear seat and sighs loudly. He's about to tell me our next destination, but a beautiful redheaded woman in her bathrobe, holding a wet puppy runs towards us from the yard.

"Wait! Hold on! Stop please..." She screams urgently.

She jogs toward the cab, and stuck her head through the rear passenger side window.

"Wait a moment," she says. "I don't know why you were in my yard, but I wanted to thank you for saving my Pookie! I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her. And sorry for screaming at you. You just startled me, being in my yard and all."

Gary blushes, grinning he says, "No problem, Miss. Just keep a better eye on the puppy in the future."

"Thank you. I will." She heads back to the house.

I'm beginning to like this guy. He's probably the most interesting passenger I've ever had. Even more interesting when I drove Oprah. Most of the time my fares act like I don't exist. One time I had this guy pick his nose through the entire ride like I couldn't see him. And let's not get into the late night fares after the clubs close. You wouldn't believe the stories I could tell.

"Where to, boss?"

"Back to the Blackstone. I need to change."

I took the 1-90 back towards the Blackstone. When we arrive Gary climbed out of the cab and enters the hotel, leaving me with his wallet, and the fire extinguisher and the burgers are in the back seat.

I watch the meter tick away adding ten cents every few seconds. Yaaaawwwwnnnn. It's eight-thirty and I've yet to have my first cup of coffee and my stomach feels like its going to eat self. Gary is taking too long.

I rest my head on the steering wheel. I really need coffee.

"It's about time..." I hear a passenger climb into the cab.

"The Sears Tower and make it snappy!" A feminine voice orders.

I look up at the rear view mirror and realize that it's some woman in my cab and not Gary.

"Hey lady. I have a fare." I tell her.

"I don't see anyone in the cab! Get to driving. I'm late for my meeting."

"Get out!"

"How rude!" She climbs out of the cab in a huff. She has mud on the back of her skirt, but I'm not inclined to say anything. She climbs into another cab and gives me the finger as she pulls off. I can't help but laugh.

I go back to staring at the meter, watching it tick away.

73.50... 73.60... 73.70. My stomach growls again. I think about eating the burgers in the back seat. Man, what's taking Gary so long...?

Someone tapping on my window interrupts my meter watching. A traffic cop. "Hey buddy..." He motioning for me to move away. "Hurry, before I give you a ticket."

He doesn't have to tell me twice. I notice that's there's an open space across the street and quickly pull off to park in it. After I stop the meter, I climb out. Gary will have to wait a bit. I'm hungry. I'm sure he'll understand.

I walk into a small coffee shop and order two coffees and four donuts. When I exit the store to see Gary standing at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change.

"Hey Gary! Where are you going." I walk towards him.

"I thought you left," he says.

"Naw, I just wanted to get some coffee. I didn't want to leave the cab double-parked. That's how I get most of my tickets. Besides, I still have your wallet. Come on."

Gary got back into the cab and settled himself into the backseat.

"I got one for you. You look like you need it..." He gladly accepted the cup and two of the donuts, and for the first time today I saw him smile.

"So where are we off to now, boss?"

TBC