face. “You can’t hold your liquor at all,” the
cat said. “You passed out before Marty McFly even got to the school dance.”
“What the hell was I doing?” Oliver’s
memory was failing him. He remembered drinking with Sally, but he hadn’t
realized he’d had so much.
“You kept going on about how you had
a time machine. It got pretty annoying.”
“Where’s Sally?”
“She left right after you conked out.
She said she had stuff to do, and thanks for the movies. And then she said you
should fry up some sausage for my breakfast.”
Oliver doubted very much that Sally
had said that last part. He squinted at the wall clock. “At least I’m not late
for work. I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’m going back to sleep,” Jeffrey
said, lying back down. “Put some music on for me, will you? Maybe some smooth
jazz.”
“Really?”
“Of course not. My playlist.” The cat
had spent a great deal of time picking out his favorite songs to listen to
while Oliver was at work. He’d insisted on having a remote control available so
he could turn the stereo on and off whenever he wanted. His playlist was heavy
on old Michael Jackson albums.
Oliver got cleaned up, took two
aspirin, and caught the train for the financial district. He was still having
trouble remembering everything that had happened the night before. Oliver
hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he didn’t really drink; in hindsight, he
probably shouldn’t have started off with a pail of margaritas. It had felt like
a pail, anyway. If he didn’t know better he’d have thought Sally had slipped
something into his glass. That really wasn’t her style, though, and even if it
had been what motive could she possibly have had? If she wanted him knocked out
she could just have punched him in the head. She’d done it before, and Oliver
wasn’t too proud to admit that Sally could have wiped the floor with him using
no more effort than he did swatting mosquitos.
Oliver bought a large black coffee at
a shop across the street from his building and then caught the elevator up to
the 41 st floor. “Good morning, sunshine!” Bruce called as he passed
the reception desk.
“Do I look that bad?” Oliver asked.
“You’ve sure looked better.” Bruce
nodded at the water cooler. “You’re going to want some of that. Hydrate
yourself.”
“I’ve got coffee.”
“You’re going to need more than
that.”
Oliver retreated to his office. He
was beginning to wish he’d brought the bottle of aspirin along from home. He
could always make a run to the drug store for more, if need be. There were only
about six different Walgreen’s within walking distance of the office.
The first earthquake hit about half
an hour later. At first Oliver thought it was just in his head, but after
fifteen seconds he realized the entire building was swaying, not just his own body.
It was far from the largest earthquake he’d ever felt in San Francisco, but at
that moment he’d have greatly preferred the ground to stay where it was
supposed to. His stomach felt like it might decide to empty its contents into a
trash can at any given moment.
Tyler passed by the door to his
office a minute after the earthquake had ended. “That was a good one, huh? What
do you think? A five?”
Oliver would have said the earthquake
felt more like a 14, but he knew the scale didn’t go that high. “Yeah.”
Tyler took a good look at him. “Long
night, buddy?”
“There’s a reason I don’t drink. I
guess I needed a reminder.”
Tyler laughed. “You seen Sally? She’s
not in yet.”
“Not since last night.”
Tyler’s eyes widened. “Holy shit,
really? You two ? Wow. I can’t say I never saw you guys getting together,
but I didn’t think it’d actually happen…”
“Not like that,” Oliver snapped. Then
what Tyler had just said registered in the part of his brain that was still
capable of processing language. “Wait, what ? Me and Sally?”
“Why not?” Seven
cat said. “You passed out before Marty McFly even got to the school dance.”
“What the hell was I doing?” Oliver’s
memory was failing him. He remembered drinking with Sally, but he hadn’t
realized he’d had so much.
“You kept going on about how you had
a time machine. It got pretty annoying.”
“Where’s Sally?”
“She left right after you conked out.
She said she had stuff to do, and thanks for the movies. And then she said you
should fry up some sausage for my breakfast.”
Oliver doubted very much that Sally
had said that last part. He squinted at the wall clock. “At least I’m not late
for work. I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’m going back to sleep,” Jeffrey
said, lying back down. “Put some music on for me, will you? Maybe some smooth
jazz.”
“Really?”
“Of course not. My playlist.” The cat
had spent a great deal of time picking out his favorite songs to listen to
while Oliver was at work. He’d insisted on having a remote control available so
he could turn the stereo on and off whenever he wanted. His playlist was heavy
on old Michael Jackson albums.
Oliver got cleaned up, took two
aspirin, and caught the train for the financial district. He was still having
trouble remembering everything that had happened the night before. Oliver
hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he didn’t really drink; in hindsight, he
probably shouldn’t have started off with a pail of margaritas. It had felt like
a pail, anyway. If he didn’t know better he’d have thought Sally had slipped
something into his glass. That really wasn’t her style, though, and even if it
had been what motive could she possibly have had? If she wanted him knocked out
she could just have punched him in the head. She’d done it before, and Oliver
wasn’t too proud to admit that Sally could have wiped the floor with him using
no more effort than he did swatting mosquitos.
Oliver bought a large black coffee at
a shop across the street from his building and then caught the elevator up to
the 41 st floor. “Good morning, sunshine!” Bruce called as he passed
the reception desk.
“Do I look that bad?” Oliver asked.
“You’ve sure looked better.” Bruce
nodded at the water cooler. “You’re going to want some of that. Hydrate
yourself.”
“I’ve got coffee.”
“You’re going to need more than
that.”
Oliver retreated to his office. He
was beginning to wish he’d brought the bottle of aspirin along from home. He
could always make a run to the drug store for more, if need be. There were only
about six different Walgreen’s within walking distance of the office.
The first earthquake hit about half
an hour later. At first Oliver thought it was just in his head, but after
fifteen seconds he realized the entire building was swaying, not just his own body.
It was far from the largest earthquake he’d ever felt in San Francisco, but at
that moment he’d have greatly preferred the ground to stay where it was
supposed to. His stomach felt like it might decide to empty its contents into a
trash can at any given moment.
Tyler passed by the door to his
office a minute after the earthquake had ended. “That was a good one, huh? What
do you think? A five?”
Oliver would have said the earthquake
felt more like a 14, but he knew the scale didn’t go that high. “Yeah.”
Tyler took a good look at him. “Long
night, buddy?”
“There’s a reason I don’t drink. I
guess I needed a reminder.”
Tyler laughed. “You seen Sally? She’s
not in yet.”
“Not since last night.”
Tyler’s eyes widened. “Holy shit,
really? You two ? Wow. I can’t say I never saw you guys getting together,
but I didn’t think it’d actually happen…”
“Not like that,” Oliver snapped. Then
what Tyler had just said registered in the part of his brain that was still
capable of processing language. “Wait, what ? Me and Sally?”
“Why not?” Seven
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