raised my eyebrow at him. He gave his cash to her as well. I turned to the woman with the working smart phone. "Obelisk. Look it up." I spelled it for her.
She punched away at the phone, stared at it for a minute, then began laughing. "An obelisk is a square, tapered structure with a pyramid-like shape at the top." She turned to him. "You got owned by a girl, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
She leaned over and high-fived me.
"Feed the obelisk, Jeremy," she said. She turned her phone to face him. "Here's a picture if the words are too complicated for you."
I took my check back from Andrea and slipped it safely into my purse. Jeremy glared at me , especially when Andrea walked to the obelisk an d one by one inserted the bills, making a big show of tapping the last one through the slot.
Jeremy grabbed his girlfriend's arm and stormed off. Andrea returned to my side, and I clutched her arm again.
"I'm sorry," I said. "He made me angry."
She looked down at me. "I am so proud of you."
"Man," said one of the men. "I hate that guy. That was beautiful, Felicia."
"The part that is really going to get him," said the other man, "is when he realizes he used cash and didn't get a receipt. He can't write it off on his taxes."
"It was stupid," I said. "To pick a fight over something so simple. Any third grader knows that."
"I didn't," said the woman who had looked it up. "I was willing to let him call it a pyramid."
The conversation continued for a while longer before we moved on.
"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," I told her.
"You didn't. Were your questions serious?"
"Yes," I said.
"They provide water bottles with built in filters. One bottle costs a few dollars and can produce enough water for one person for several months. I don't remember the details."
"Oh. This check is a little rich for my blood, but I could write a smaller one."
"As far as I am concerned," she said. "You just gave them a thousand dollar donation. It isn't like Jeremy was going to donate anything to them. He comes to these to let people think he is a charitable guy. Keep your check book in your purse."
Throughout the evening, we encountered more people Andrea knew. "Is this the woman who owned Jeremy?" One woman asked. "I heard about that."
"Everyone has heard about it," said her husband. He shook his head. "So stupid. Any third grader knows that."
"That was my point," I told him. At that point we each recognized a kindred history buff spirit, and we spent the next ten minutes dominating the conversation over vague facts regarding some of the more intriguing obelisks around the world.
"All right, you two," his wife said eventually. She looked at Andrea. "He could go on for hours if he finds a willing audience." She looked at me. "It was nice meeting you, Felicia. I hope to see you again."
"Have someone call me next week, Andrea," the man said. "We may have some business."
* * *
After the event, she drove me home.
"Was that what you meant by 'date'?" I asked her.
"Yes, although I wasn't quite expecting you to steal the show."
"I'm sorry," I said.
She laughed.
* * *
Dream Petra was laughing as she stroked my arm. I curled my fingers and tried to catch her hand, but only the hand worked, not the entire arm, and I could not catch her. Finally she laid her hand in mine and I squeezed gently.
The kiss she gave me left me breathless.
Or maybe it was the pair of cats sitting on my chest when I woke up.
* * *
"Thank you for inviting me last night," I told Andrea when I saw her on Friday. "I've never been to an event like that."
"You're welcome," she said. "And thank you for joining me."
She sent me home early that afternoon. "It's Friday. Go home. Enjoy the weekend."
* * *
My dream with Dream Petra that night was long and lovely. It started the same as always. I was on my back, naked, and unable to move. She was humming and speaking her unknown words, kneeling over me, smiling.
I looked into her green eyes and felt like I
She punched away at the phone, stared at it for a minute, then began laughing. "An obelisk is a square, tapered structure with a pyramid-like shape at the top." She turned to him. "You got owned by a girl, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
She leaned over and high-fived me.
"Feed the obelisk, Jeremy," she said. She turned her phone to face him. "Here's a picture if the words are too complicated for you."
I took my check back from Andrea and slipped it safely into my purse. Jeremy glared at me , especially when Andrea walked to the obelisk an d one by one inserted the bills, making a big show of tapping the last one through the slot.
Jeremy grabbed his girlfriend's arm and stormed off. Andrea returned to my side, and I clutched her arm again.
"I'm sorry," I said. "He made me angry."
She looked down at me. "I am so proud of you."
"Man," said one of the men. "I hate that guy. That was beautiful, Felicia."
"The part that is really going to get him," said the other man, "is when he realizes he used cash and didn't get a receipt. He can't write it off on his taxes."
"It was stupid," I said. "To pick a fight over something so simple. Any third grader knows that."
"I didn't," said the woman who had looked it up. "I was willing to let him call it a pyramid."
The conversation continued for a while longer before we moved on.
"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," I told her.
"You didn't. Were your questions serious?"
"Yes," I said.
"They provide water bottles with built in filters. One bottle costs a few dollars and can produce enough water for one person for several months. I don't remember the details."
"Oh. This check is a little rich for my blood, but I could write a smaller one."
"As far as I am concerned," she said. "You just gave them a thousand dollar donation. It isn't like Jeremy was going to donate anything to them. He comes to these to let people think he is a charitable guy. Keep your check book in your purse."
Throughout the evening, we encountered more people Andrea knew. "Is this the woman who owned Jeremy?" One woman asked. "I heard about that."
"Everyone has heard about it," said her husband. He shook his head. "So stupid. Any third grader knows that."
"That was my point," I told him. At that point we each recognized a kindred history buff spirit, and we spent the next ten minutes dominating the conversation over vague facts regarding some of the more intriguing obelisks around the world.
"All right, you two," his wife said eventually. She looked at Andrea. "He could go on for hours if he finds a willing audience." She looked at me. "It was nice meeting you, Felicia. I hope to see you again."
"Have someone call me next week, Andrea," the man said. "We may have some business."
* * *
After the event, she drove me home.
"Was that what you meant by 'date'?" I asked her.
"Yes, although I wasn't quite expecting you to steal the show."
"I'm sorry," I said.
She laughed.
* * *
Dream Petra was laughing as she stroked my arm. I curled my fingers and tried to catch her hand, but only the hand worked, not the entire arm, and I could not catch her. Finally she laid her hand in mine and I squeezed gently.
The kiss she gave me left me breathless.
Or maybe it was the pair of cats sitting on my chest when I woke up.
* * *
"Thank you for inviting me last night," I told Andrea when I saw her on Friday. "I've never been to an event like that."
"You're welcome," she said. "And thank you for joining me."
She sent me home early that afternoon. "It's Friday. Go home. Enjoy the weekend."
* * *
My dream with Dream Petra that night was long and lovely. It started the same as always. I was on my back, naked, and unable to move. She was humming and speaking her unknown words, kneeling over me, smiling.
I looked into her green eyes and felt like I
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