Just a Walk in the Park: Chapter 2
Thank you for all your editing help, Incredimeters.
"You sure this is the right address kid?" asked the Uber driver as we pulled up to a house that looked like it belonged to a governor or CEO of some major company.
"It's the address on his calling card," I said, showing the guy the card.
"Wow. Talk about old school. That is like 19
th
century shit. Up to you, I got time to take you home quick, before my next pickup but only if we leave right now," the driver asked.
"No. I'm good. Thanks though," I said as I got out.
The truth was I was not good. I was scared shitless that this was some kind of joke or misunderstanding and the moment I walked through the gates I would be set upon by guards or dogs or both. I walked up to a call box and pressed the button. It buzzed and the voice cracked like someone crumpling leaves in their hands. I am not sure what the person said but the gate started to open and I didn't see any Doberman Pinschers appear, so that was a good sign.
I got to the front door, a large oak thing that could probably withstand a shell from a Sherman tank. I looked down at myself. I was wearing what I normally do to a job interview. Black pants, black shoes, with a white shirt and tie. I probably looked like a bible salesman. I touched the bell and waited. Several minutes went by and once again I started to think I had the wrong house when finally, the door opened. "Well, this is a surprise, Riya. You have never been early before. We may even get to see a preview."
I saw who opened the door and I knew I had to have the wrong house, because I was standing face to face with Sandra Bullock. No kidding she truly looked like Sandra Bullock. She was 5'7' about 115 pounds. She had pale skin with a few freckles across her nose. Her long straight brown hair framed her face and set off her dark brown eyes. She had full lips and a brilliant smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry I thought you were someone else," she apologized. "Arthur is going to kill me for not checking the camera first again," she said to no one in particular.
I said the first thing that came to mind as she ushered me in. "I love your movies."
"Oh, I am not her. But don't worry, I get that a lot," she answered in a thick New England accent. "I'm Judith Class and you are?"
"At the wrong house," I said as I shook her hand, my mind whirling. This must be Arthur's wife. What was I supposed to say, 'I am here to see and have sex with your husband?'
She was so nice and smelled of Red Door perfume. My mother also loved to wear Red Door. "What address are you looking for? Perhaps I can help. If it's close, I might even be able to give you a lift."
Without thinking I pulled out Arthur's card and she saw it. I was then further incriminated when Checkers, Arthurs black and white cocker spaniel came out of nowhere, ran up to my feet and started begging for a scratch. I found her favorite spot to be scratched, right behind her ear, and her tail waged so fast it became a blur.
"Well, Checkers seems to know who you are and that card in your hand is one of my husband's, so I am pretty sure you have the right address. You wouldn't be Jason Swift by any chance, would you?"
"Yes ma'am. I am," I answered feeling so guilty I could not look her in the eye.
"My, my. You are handsome." I froze as she walked around me. She was eyeing me like a side of beef and Lord it felt good. "My husband has impeccable taste. I'll give him that."
"Ma'am," I started to say but she cut me off.
"Judy, sweetie." She paused at my look of confusion. "I get called ma'am all day at the office. In my house I am just Judy."
"Yes ma'... Judy." I corrected at the last minute. Then my conscience got the better of me and I blurted out everything I was think in a flood of disjointed phrases. "What I meant to say is that I never meant to fall in love with your husband. It just sort-of happened. I am so sorry if I have caused the destruction of your marriage. You would be well within your rights to order me to leave your house immediately and never return. I'm such a horrible person. I will try to stay away from Arthur if I can, but I am not sure if I will be able to as I like him and I am pretty sure he likes me."
"Oh, he definitely likes you." My heart almost skipped a beat at hearing that Arthur liked me from someone other than him, "or he wouldn't have invited you here tonight, to give you 'the speech.'"
"The speech...?" I began to ask but was cut off by the doorbell.
Judith held up a finger to stop me from talking, or moving or even breathing that much. Judith walked over and opened the door to a very attractive dark skinned Indian woman. She had jet black hair that was pulled back into a braid that hung down her back almost to her waist. She walked in saying. "I did it Judy. I'm two minutes early. Aren't you proud of me?"
The new comer stopped talking the moment she saw me. I was sweating bullets by then. She looked at Judith and asked with her beautiful brown eyes, and a couple of black eyebrows, 'Who's this?' Judith leaned over. She had to lean over as the new comer was a good half a foot shorter, even in leather boots, and whispered in the new woman's ear. I was pretty sure the new comer mouthed the words "Him? No?"
Judith walked back over to me with her friend, solidarity in numbers I guess, and said, "Now young man, I would like you to repeat what you just said to both of us." I did. Or at least most of what I said, if perhaps in a slightly different order as I was not sure how the other order had gone. They were silent.
"He is such a jerk to not have told him," the Indian woman said.
"I think it's because he thinks it's funny and we will all have a good laugh about it later," Judith purposed.
"In either case the kid's so sweet," the Indian woman commented, I assumed me. "I can definitely see why Arthur likes him." I was once again charged by hearing that Arthur liked me.