Charlotte, North Carolina, although a lovely town, had given Mark a busy business week of commuter hell. For starters, he’d nearly lost his job and was then reprimanded for a lack of productivity during the “About to” phase of being fired. He appeared to be staring at his 70 year old boss’s bulbous silicone breasts. They were hard to miss, like a fist fight. The blouse she wore to the sidewalk cafe working breakfast was translucent enough to show the horrid fuzzy detail, firm but a crumpled shell where her bra was not. He wasn’t looking, though. He had fallen asleep wearing sunglasses during the crème brûlée of discussion.

            Mark’s clocked sixteen hour days since that Sunday morning meal, aside from all the lectures about professionalism. Now, Friday night is only a couple of ticks from tock. The only thought he has the energy for is getting back to his car in, “The second closest space of the F.P.P. lot at BNA.” His mouth forms the words with jubilation. His face shines in silent celebration. This was the closest he’d ever been to the prized first space. Nashville International’s Frequent Parker Program saves time and limits unnecessary exposure to the dirty others. That asshole Steve, the fertilizer company owner, had already snagged the coveted space twice this quarter, though. His Porsche snickered itself cool as Mark walked by before the sun did on Sunday. “Shit shoveling dung runner,” he mumbled.

            The branch of Mark’s thought snapped. His mind whisks him back to the object of his current obsession—his car and what it meant. He’ll drive straight to his favorite haunt for a pint of camaraderie speckled with a few clenching shots of the night’s special liquor. Then, he’ll happily leave his car again because he can stumble across the street to an unsoiled safety wrapped in the plush slumber of his own bed.

            The prospect of waiting another hour or two creeps in as he floats. It turns all six foot three of his mountainous frame into the roof of a sink hole wanting collapse. He stops for a moment of hydrating stabilization, takes in a slow volume of air, and continues through his exhale.