Chapter 1: Quite a Surprise
It's the year 2304 and quite a few things have changed.
She really surprises me at the doorway.
My drive home was a long, ugly brood. Up for the promotion to Assistant Regional Sales Manager. Big deal. After eight years of busting my hump. Definitely better money. And a nice office. The competition? Ed Farley and Jason Blue. One a drinker. The other the laziest man in the company. My numbers were better three years running. Maybe not by a lot over Ed, who, even half in the bag, had a way with customers. Way better than Jason's, who happened to be the big boss' brother-in-law.
I've known it for years. I have to be twice as good to get half the attention Roger pays them. It isn't fair (ha!), but it is reality. I would just deal with it. Keep my head down and deal with it. I'm pretty good at dealing with reality, even when it gets me down or angry. I can hide the anger and just keep trying.
Still, I feel in my heart that it is pointless. Color and class are what matter. All three of us are middles, but I'm the wrong color. Maybe I shouldn't say it, but it's true. And that's that. Again. Eight years. Down the drain.
I get close to the house and figure I better cool it. Don't want to go in with one of my nose-bleeds.
In the doorway Alicia jumps into my arms, her face glowing. Shining. Kissing me. Happy. Murmuring. Kissing my neck. Her tongue is warm in my mouth. Comes up for air to ask: "Did you hear?"
I'm jolted out of my gloom. Have to, correction: want to, take care of business here, here with the one I love, the one I adore.
I use my smiley face. "Ummmm...oh yeah. So cool. Good for them."
Some of the shine goes out of her face. She looks perplexed. "What? Who?"
"Yeah. Frank called me this morning. Told me the good news."
Frank and Beth, she's Alicia's older sister by six years, have been trying to conceive for three years. They were on the verge of laying out big bucks for fertility treatments. Then Frank calls with the news. Not only has it happened, happened naturally, but Beth is through the first trimester. They kept it secret till today. Made me wonder when Alicia would be ready to try.
Alicia gives a wince and makes an apologetic face. She's still in my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist, arms around my neck. My hands cradle her soft butt, I'm leaning back against the door to support us both. She's in this little summery dress we both love. "Oh, yeah. It's so awesome." She kisses my mouth. Says, "I'm so happy for her, I mean, for them both..."
We pause. She has something else on her mind.
"What?" I ask.
"No...ummm...I thought you would have heard. The radio or something. I tried calling. Twice."
Alicia searches my eyes for recognition. But I have nothing.
"They're coming to North Porter."
She ends with a sly, happy grin. But I have nothing.
"Who? Frank and Beth?"
"No silly. She's not getting on a plane now. You know her. Them. You really didn't hear?"
"No, I..."
I'm about to explain the brooding, maybe get some sympathy. I never turned on the radio, had the phone on silent.
She squeezes in tighter for another deep kiss and I can feel her breasts on my chest. "Them. The scouts. And I'm like 'OhhhhβmyyyyβGod', and kind of, you know, we all are." There's more kissing and I'm totally into it. But very confused.
Alicia slides out of my arms to the floor. Still in the hallway with my dark suit on. Her in that perfect dress. She slides, smiling up at me. To my feet. She grins like I hadn't seen since our honeymoon. She begins to unzip me. "They're coming. Announced it right at 5:30." She fumbles with the belt, once, twice and then frees it. "Like every station. People are furrrrβeaking out."
What the hell is going on?
She's tugging down my pants, my boxers. "The talent scouts. They go to these different towns. Have a competition. The girls have to come from someplace."