Chapter 7 - Fallout
Stuart stood staring at the closed door.
'Where's Alice gone?' asked Raj from behind him.
'She's gone to a business dinner,' Stuart said, trying to convince himself it was only a business dinner. Images of Jasper leering at Alice over the tablecloth sneaked into his mind.
'Without you? Aren't you partners?'
Raj's questions stung Stuart. 'I couldn't leave the store,' he answered without turning around.
'So, why didn't they schedule it for when you could attend?' Raj persisted.
Stuart swung round to face him.
'Showing more of your tact?' enquired Howard, sauntering over. 'I wouldn't let my woman go out for dinner with another man.' Showing just how much tact he had.
Raj saved Stuart the effort of a put down. "I'd like to see you stop Bernadette," he said.
"I'd just put my foot down," Howard told them, putting his hands on his narrow hips.
Raj giggled. "And Bernadette would stomp all over it in her dinky little stilettos before she went out to dinner."
Stuart had had enough of the dynamic duo and moved back to the counter where he could brood more satisfactorily.
After everyone had left and he had closed up the store, Stuart flung himself on top of the camp bed in the store room behind the main store. The night had gone well, very well but it was all ashes in his mouth.
What was Alice doing at this very moment? He pulled out his cellphone and looked at it. It would be entirely reasonable for him to ring her, her told himself. After all, it was a business dinner so of course he should ring to see how it was going. To see if it was over. To find out where she was. He tapped in her number. It connected and rang. And rang. And rang. Finally the answerphone kicked in and he stared at the cellphone, wondering what message to leave. He left it too long, the answerphone went off and he had to put her number in again. This time, as soon as he got the answerphone, he said, " Hi Alice, it's Stuart. Just wondering how the business dinner went or is going. Let me know. It's Stuart." He moved the cellphone away from his ear. "Oh, I already said that," he mumbled to himself and realised the answerphone might have caught that. He pressed the end button and dropped the cellphone as if it was hot.
Then he thought she might not be able to hear her phone so he texted her. Several times. Then he thought Alice might already be home. She might have switched her cellphone off. So, he rang her home phone. He got her voice. "Hi, this is Alice. Leave your name and number and I'll get back to you. Or don't and I won't."
"Hi Alice, just wondering if you're home. How'd it go? Call me." He'd ended the call before he realised he hadn't said who he was. He rang back to say it was Stuart. Then he rang her cellphone to say he'd left a message on her home phone. Then he rang her home phone to say he'd left a message on her cellphone.
Stuart thought about going around to Alice's apartment and waiting to see when she got home. He got up off his camp bed and started to move toward the doors then thought he had no idea what time she would get home. And what would she say if she caught him lurking? And worse, if she didn't spot him, what if he saw her and Jasper, arms around each other, going into the building? What would he do then? Would he punch Jasper on the nose? Unlikely. More like Jasper would punch him. He flung himself back on the camp bed. Which promptly buckled and collapsed, dumping him on the dusty floor. He straightened out the camp bed and got onto it, more carefully this time.
Stuart tossed and turned on his camp bed, unable to sleep. Thoughts of Alice and Jasper together tormented him. Why would Alice prefer him to Jasper? What did Alice see in him. He texted her again. And again.
His cellphone rang at 11.00. He snatched it up from the counter where he had been pretending to look at a stock inventory.
"Yes?"
"Stuart?" It was Alice's voice.
"Hi Alice."
'Don't you 'Hi Alice' me. Do you know how many texts you left on my cell last night? And how many voice messages?" Her voice was very angry.
'No," he mumbled.
"Sixty seven. What is wrong with you?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to know how the evening went."
"Don't give me that, I'm not stupid. You were checking up on me."
"No!" he protested guiltily.
"Yes, you were. You don't trust me."
"Of course, I do." It was Jasper that Stuart didn't trust.
Stuart heard Alice sigh. "Nothing happened."
Stuart meant to say "ok," he really did so he didn't understand why he said, "Really?"
Alice exploded. "How dare you! Don't you believe me?"
"No, I do, I do. It's just that you're so pretty, I can't believe Jasper didn't make a play for you."
"We're just friends. And even if he did, what makes you think I'd be interested?'
"So, he did make a play for you," Stuart said slowly.
"Are you listening to me? Oh God." Alice sighed then said, "Maybe this is a mistake, mixing business with pleasure. Maybe it would be better if we just worked on the comic together and didn't let romance get in the way."
"No!' Stuart said, panicked. "No, I'm sorry. I was being a jerk. Forget it."
"But I can't forget what you said, Stuart. And sixty seven texts and phone calls. That's not normal."
"Please Alice," Stuart began but was interrupted by her saying, "I'm sorry, Stuart but I think it's best if we're just friends. I'll speak to you tomorrow about the comic. Bye."
"Alice!"
But the screen showed the call had ended. Stuart immediately tapped the recall button but he couldn't get through. She obviously wouldn't take the call. Stuart dropped the cellphone on the counter and stared at it. What had he done?