been separated six months, and she clearly wasn’t coping. Every time he crossed paths with her she seemed grey and stressed, and the lines on her face were getting deeper. Can’t think what I ever saw in her, he thought. But I’m a decent guy, I’m prepared to do right by her. Besides, it’s a nightmare finding good childminders in this city.
Vernon took up his position next to the barrier by the sliding doors through Customs. He looked at his watch; twenty after one. The flight had landed on time, at 1.05, he’d called on his cellphone to check. So they ought to be through in another ten, fifteen minutes, once they’d collected their bags. He wondered how long it would be before he and Kate had their first argument; they’d probably be quarrelling by the time they reached the turnpike. Maybe sooner, maybe by the time he’d turned onto I-90. It never usually took long for her to blow a gasket over something or other. Plus, she’d probably be depressed from seeing the nutso old aunt of hers.
Vernon couldn’t understand the point of dragging Jack across the Atlantic to celebrate the hundred and fiftieth – or whatever – birthday of some old crust who’d probably scare the living daylights out of him with her toothless sunken face and grabbing claws. OK, so she’d been important to Kate – he understood that – but really, Jack was too young to appreciate it, and Lil was totally past it. She’d been senile for years now, staring out her days in an old folks’ home; incontinent, almost speechless, no marbles left whatsoever. Vernon shuddered. Just shoot me before I ever get like that, he thought to himself. Kate would probably pull the trigger, too. And she wouldn’t wait till I was old, either. Ha.
Forty minutes later Vernon was still waiting. He called Kate’s cellphone, but it went straight to voicemail. He exhaled with irritation. She’d obviously forgotten to switch it on again after the plane landed – typical. Then his own phone rang.
‘ Yeah – hello?’
‘ Hi baby boy,’ cooed the voice on the other end, and Vernon’s face relaxed into a smile.
‘ Hey, Shirl, missing me already?’
‘ You’d better believe it, big boy.’
Vernon blushed slightly, and ran a finger around the inside of his collar, turning away so that the large Jamaican family waiting at the barrier next to him couldn’t hear the conversation.
‘ So when will I see you again?’
‘ I told you, hon, lemme sort things out this end, and clear a window for us, say, at the weekend?’
He could hear the pout in Shirley’s voice.
‘ It’s been so nice, baby, havin’ you all to myself this week, is all.’
This was the reason he hadn’t put up too much of a fight when Kate told him she wanted to separate – unfettered access to the voluptuous Shirley. The excitement of sneaking around had been sexy at first, but he’d quickly grown sick of musty motel rooms and all the tedious lies he’d had to tell. Shirley was a little clingy, certainly, even more so now she could smell his divorce and, God forbid, a possible impending marriage; but it had been like a breath of fresh air, being with a woman who appreciated his talents and accommodated his sexual appetites the way she did. She was so in awe of his intelligence that she would try and keep up by using lots of long words, usually in completely the wrong context. Vernon found it quite endearing, for the short-term anyway.
‘ Yeah, it’s been good. Listen, Shirl, I gotta go. I’m picking up my boy from the airport and he’ll be through any minute. I’ll call you, OK?’
‘ OK sugar. You take care now. Kissy kissy kissy.’
‘ Kissy kissy kissy,’ Vernon muttered back, as quietly as he possibly could. A little Jamaican boy of about seven still managed to overhear, though, and mimicked him with glee.
Vernon glared at him, putting his cellphone back in his jacket pocket, and glancing at his watch again. Where the hell were they?
A young black couple
Vernon took up his position next to the barrier by the sliding doors through Customs. He looked at his watch; twenty after one. The flight had landed on time, at 1.05, he’d called on his cellphone to check. So they ought to be through in another ten, fifteen minutes, once they’d collected their bags. He wondered how long it would be before he and Kate had their first argument; they’d probably be quarrelling by the time they reached the turnpike. Maybe sooner, maybe by the time he’d turned onto I-90. It never usually took long for her to blow a gasket over something or other. Plus, she’d probably be depressed from seeing the nutso old aunt of hers.
Vernon couldn’t understand the point of dragging Jack across the Atlantic to celebrate the hundred and fiftieth – or whatever – birthday of some old crust who’d probably scare the living daylights out of him with her toothless sunken face and grabbing claws. OK, so she’d been important to Kate – he understood that – but really, Jack was too young to appreciate it, and Lil was totally past it. She’d been senile for years now, staring out her days in an old folks’ home; incontinent, almost speechless, no marbles left whatsoever. Vernon shuddered. Just shoot me before I ever get like that, he thought to himself. Kate would probably pull the trigger, too. And she wouldn’t wait till I was old, either. Ha.
Forty minutes later Vernon was still waiting. He called Kate’s cellphone, but it went straight to voicemail. He exhaled with irritation. She’d obviously forgotten to switch it on again after the plane landed – typical. Then his own phone rang.
‘ Yeah – hello?’
‘ Hi baby boy,’ cooed the voice on the other end, and Vernon’s face relaxed into a smile.
‘ Hey, Shirl, missing me already?’
‘ You’d better believe it, big boy.’
Vernon blushed slightly, and ran a finger around the inside of his collar, turning away so that the large Jamaican family waiting at the barrier next to him couldn’t hear the conversation.
‘ So when will I see you again?’
‘ I told you, hon, lemme sort things out this end, and clear a window for us, say, at the weekend?’
He could hear the pout in Shirley’s voice.
‘ It’s been so nice, baby, havin’ you all to myself this week, is all.’
This was the reason he hadn’t put up too much of a fight when Kate told him she wanted to separate – unfettered access to the voluptuous Shirley. The excitement of sneaking around had been sexy at first, but he’d quickly grown sick of musty motel rooms and all the tedious lies he’d had to tell. Shirley was a little clingy, certainly, even more so now she could smell his divorce and, God forbid, a possible impending marriage; but it had been like a breath of fresh air, being with a woman who appreciated his talents and accommodated his sexual appetites the way she did. She was so in awe of his intelligence that she would try and keep up by using lots of long words, usually in completely the wrong context. Vernon found it quite endearing, for the short-term anyway.
‘ Yeah, it’s been good. Listen, Shirl, I gotta go. I’m picking up my boy from the airport and he’ll be through any minute. I’ll call you, OK?’
‘ OK sugar. You take care now. Kissy kissy kissy.’
‘ Kissy kissy kissy,’ Vernon muttered back, as quietly as he possibly could. A little Jamaican boy of about seven still managed to overhear, though, and mimicked him with glee.
Vernon glared at him, putting his cellphone back in his jacket pocket, and glancing at his watch again. Where the hell were they?
A young black couple
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