Debbie had never seen her so upset. In fact, she had never seen Nicole display this much emotion before. (Uh-oh. Scary, messy emotions!)
"I don't know. Wait a minute, I'm thinking. I'll tell you in a minute." She drew in her breath.
"You had a date with "H," right? And now, Alex is coming over?"
"Well, sort of. What should I do?! 'H' is so nice. And Alex just called. He'll be here in five minutes!" she exclaimed, as if just remembering.
"Can you go out with both?"
Nicole, in her bewilderment, yet remained stunningly beautiful, her yellow hair pinned up in a ponytail that spilled across her forehead, her eyes bluer than usual, reflecting her alarm. Her black leather micro mini stretched perfectly across her small waist, the striped sailor tee a perfect topper.
"I'm going to call 'H.' I'll tell him I'm tired."
She returned from the bedroom turned dressing room.
"I feel so bad! H is so nice! What should I do? Should I tell Alex no? Should I tell him to leave?"
"You could try. It's worth a try." Debbie tried, without success, to ease her roommate's jangled nerves.
"He said, I know you have a date tonight; I'm coming over with a bottle of champagne."
Debbie flung herself from her hot soothing steam bath. She could not stand this any longer. She wrapped herself in the thick blue towel, the bubbles and suds still clinging to her soaked skin. She could hear Nicole, just outside the door.
"Would you please just let me go? Please." She pleaded to the plastic yellow banana.
"Nicole!" Debbie emerged from the bathroom, dripping wet. "Go out with H. This guy is a JERK," she whispered loudly, pointing to the living room. Nicole looked at the ceiling in distress and sighed.
The alarm went off promptly at 6:45. Debbie dragged herself out of her stolen sleep, and made her way toward the shower.
She was just about to leave the apartment for a hectic day at the office when she saw the envelope. It said "Nicole" and it was torn in half. She took two more steps, toward the door and then, by the mechanized banana, lay the note.
Dear Nicole:
I must apologize for the foolish and very immature way in which I reacted last night.
It was very selfish of me and I hope you will forgive my impatience.
I know how you must be feeling, and that you are very confused about everything that is happening
in your life. And I really do understand how you feel. Again, I hope you will forgive
my thoughtlessness because I do care about you.
Please do not come over to say goodbye to me tomorrow morning.
It would hurt me too much to see you for a few brief minutes
before leaving for Japan.
It would make the next two weeks very difficult for me.
I ws hoping to spend my last night here with you.
Just remember that I really do care about you and I love you.
H
"See? We're just good friends --," Nicole was saying and as Alex read the last line, she gasped.
"I don't believe it! Someone normal who cares about me! Do you know, Alex, I am so touched by that?! I am so touched! Will you be leaving soon?"
Alex stood up. He walked to the marble and gilt-edged end table. He picked up a small piece of paper.
"Very clever, aren't you? Isn't it so easy just to run away," Alex read. He looked at Nicole and walked toward the door. But he mistakenly opened the door to the back bedroom where Vladmir was asleep.
Nicole giggled deliriously and shrieked.
"I'm going to leave now. It looks like you've got a little too much going on in your life."
"I'll try to fit you in," Nicole promised with a smile.
The leather couch was vacant. The envelope lay on the floor, the note rested by the phone, and the cord of the banana stretched toward the door. Debbie had only one guess about Nicole's final decision last night.
0843D
Well...I think that's enough for today, don't you???...* * * :) (Denise...Denise Dances...at the Surf Club...1988)
