It really is the same routine everyday. Wakes up, drinks Ovaltine, stand’s on his head while listening to the stocks, brushes his teeth, goes to the Jonathon Club, swims a bunch of laps, unfortunately pees in the pool, arrives at Meryll Lynch by 10:30 am, works about four or five hours making 13 k a month taking financial “orders”, goes back to the Jonathon Club, kayaks in the ocean or goes to yoga class, then The Pearl Dragon or The Brass Cap for a cranberry juice…and you can say for Cliffy…Life is slow when the groove is on, tripping lights fantastic disco show.
The phone intercom buzzed thru again, “Mr. Slater, it’s that same lady insisting she talk to you. I think she’s called down to Human Resources and filed a complaint about you for not returning her calls.” Lilia is a 23 year old whom Cliff met on the Jonathon Beach Club after he broke a rib while ocean kayaking . This was the fifth time he broke a rib. Cliff was accident prone. The kayake has also hit him in the nose so many times, that his nose has atypical lumps on it. Every other month, he’s had badges across his schnoz or limping from his five time operated on knee as well. Lilia was there to help him on the beach and that’s how they met… after he was struck by an enormous wave, ravaging him immobile to the shore in a painful inability to breathe. Weeks later after some healing, phone conversations while pretending to work from Meryll Lynch and fun times together at The Pearl Dragon over cranberry juice and apple martinis turned into talks about Lilia’s family and their home in Bulgaria.
Cliff pressed 7 for “delete”, “next message, sent at 1:42 pm. Hi. It’s Ann, your wife. I sold $3000 at the antique market, and…”, Cliff pressed 7 again. ”sent at 1:51 pm. It’s Lilia…”, Cliff pressed 7 again. ”sent at 2:02 pm. Cliff, this is Audra in HR. We need to set up a meeting first thing Monday morning at 10 am sharp. Check your email, and respond that you will attend. It’s regarding the phone calls we’ve been getting all day from a heavy accented woman who refuses to give her name. We need to ask you some questions. The Director of Operations will be present. See you Monday.”
Cliff froze. It was Friday. He grabbed his coat dropping a few pills from his pocket. His partner, who happened to be a younger, unmarried version of Cliff and an ex-soap opera actor, guffawed then whispered, “Hey Cliff, your fly’s open…where ya goin so quick? I’m not doing your Online Traffic School until you pay me.”
In the parking garage, Cliff reversed and smashed his tail light against another parked truck’s trailer hitch. ”I guess I’ll have to get that fixed with my side mirror that I smashed last week. Darn.” Driving on the 10 freeway to Pacific Coast Highway, Cliff was excited to tackle the waves in the ocean kayak, and watch the Laker game at The Pearl Dragon.
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