The Sleeper
By Maximillian Excaliber
6:15 PM
Lian Chang hears the sound of the front door knob rattling. Quickly, she grabs her purse from the end table next to her and removes the 380 automatic inside. She toggles the weapon's safety to the fire position and points it at the front door. "Jasmine? Is that you?" Lian, who is 42 years old, is armed because she knows her petite, 5'2" frame is no match for an intruder.
"Who else would it be, you trigger happy heifer?" Comes a voice from the other side of the door. The voice belongs to Jasmine Browne, her border and best friend. Jasmine is 5'8" tall and has the appropriately ethnic full figure of a woman her races, which are Asian and Negro. Jasmine is 45.
Lian recognizes her friend's voice, toggles the safety again and returns the firearm to her purse.
After a few seconds of fiddling with the lock, Jasmine opens the door and enters the house.
The yellow skinned woman picks up her book and resumes reading. "I thought you said this was your night to get lucky. What happened?"
"He stood me up!" Explains her black haired woman tenant, then goes to the minibar in the dinning room and fixes herself a large scotch on the rocks.
While Jasmine is doing so, Lian asks, "That's twice in a row; think he's trying to tell you something?"
"He's paranoid." The dark-chocolate skinned woman replies as she sits her shapely curvy frame on the couch next to her friend.
Lian looks at her questioningly. "What makes you say that?"
Jasmine takes out her cellphone, taps the keypad a few times and hands the phone to Lian.
There is a text message on the screen. Lian reads the message. It says... 'Ms. Browne, I'm sorry but I do not feel it is appropriate for me to see you socially while we are both employed at Acme.' "He thinks you're setting him up for a sexual harassment suit." She tells Jasmine and hands her back the phone.
"His loss." The mocha woman replies. "All I just wanted was to get fucked." She is frustrated and broods a minute before turning to her friend and confiding. "I don't get it. It's been six months since I've last got laid and I'm just about ready to fuck the first guy whose willing to drop his pants. You haven't had a date since you and Jerry broke up eighteen months ago and seem happy as a lark. How do you do it? Have you found God or something?" The last is a joke. They both know Lian is a practicing Budahist.
Lian plays ignorant. "Do what?"
"Go without!" Demands Jasmine.
The asian woman teases. "Go without what?"
"SEX!" Jasmine yells in frustration.
The Asian woman's next words surprise her friend, "Oh, that. Who said I've been going without?"
Lian likes to play mind-games.
6:25 PM
Before Lian can answer, Frank Simons opens the front door and announces to them that he is home. Frank, who is Lian's other boarder, is 56 and very fit for a man his age. He and Lian goe to the kitchen where Lian hands him a warm of hot mint tea, which he gulps it down quickly and heads straight to his bedroom.
Lian smiles and watches him walk down the hall. "You almost got shot dumb ass!" She calls to him even though she knows that there wasn't even time for her to get her gun out.
The sound of Frank's bedroom door closing echos down the hall.
The momentary distraction gone, she and Jasmine resume their conversation.
"When did you start dating again?" Asks Jasmine.
The Oriental woman answers, "I haven't." and turns a page in her book.
"Hold that thought. I have to go the little girl's room." Announces Jasmine and rushes down the hall to the bathroom.
6:30 PM
Five minutes later she returns. "So, are you doing someone at work?"
Lian turns a page in her book again and replies nonchalantly, "Nope, I'm not doing anyone at work."
"Who is it then?" Inquires Jasmine, who has become both intrigued and filled with curiosity.
Lian lowers the book she has been trying to read, turns to look at the inquisitive woman and opens her mouth as if about to say something but decides otherwise. "I can't tell you. It's a secret."
Not excepting no for an answer, Jasmine spends the next five minutes tossing names out at Lian and attempts to guess who the woman is seeing.
"Don't you trust me?" Asks Jasmine, changing tactics and thinking that whoever Lian is seeing must be married.
A car backfires on the street. Both women jump and laugh about it then Lian confides, "I've been wanting to tell you for a while anyway. I'm just not sure how you'll take it. That's all." She appears hesitant. In reality, Lian has already made up her mind to tell her friend. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone... especially Frank."
"Frank? What's he got to do with it?"