Graceful Disaster

There were a few phone calls that morning and all were asking the hours of the shelter. Soon after each call, a person would walk in and ask where they could view the animals. I, of course, pointed down the hall and watched them walk away.

It was incredibly easy, for good money too. About twenty dollars an hour. I began to wonder what kind of place this was until I also realized that it was a shelter/animal hospital. Luckily, there hadn’t been any emergencies today and Julie promised to train me on how to handle those the next day. So, at around six o’clock I stood up and stretched, handing off the chair to the night receptionist.

The sky was still lit by the sun when I stepped out of the building. My little Honda Civic was still parked where I had left it. I pulled the keys out of my purse and strolled with a bounce in my step after a successful day. Then, it went down the tubes.

“Oy! Alice!” And like an idiot, I turned around in response.

Crap. “Hey Louis!” I put on my professional smile. He jogged over to me in a pair of jeans and a loose blue plaid flannel shirt. I must say that he looked absolutely handsome. Not hot. Not sexy. But handsome in that classic Sean Connery/James Bond kind of way. In fact, why isn’t the word “handsome” used anymore? It was all “He’s so hottt” and “Ohmigod, he’s so effin’ sexy!”

What happened to the classic, “He’s handsome” and where did chivalry go for that matter?

“Hello?” I focused on the hand waving in my face.

I shook my head and snapped at him. “What?”

A look of amusement passed over his face before the arrogance returned. “You were staring off into space. I didn’t know my looks could paralyze.”

A snort of laughter escaped me. “Alright there, Narcissus, don’t fall into your reflection.”

“You know myths?”

“I’m an educated human being.”

“Who is also capable?”

I felt my face color. “Farewell, fair cruelty.” I turned on my heel and walked to my car.

“‘Adieu,’ she cries, and waved her lily hand.”

My progress stopped. I thought for a moment, “When words are scarce…”

“They are seldom spent in vain.”

I whirled around and eyed him suspiciously. “You are an educated human as well.”

“It seems so.” He bowed deeply.

“So why are you here?”

He stopped coming up from his bow for a split second before gracefully continuing the movement. “I work in the building over there.” He pointed at the one I had seen him stand in front of the other day. I stared at the building and felt my mouth open slightly. Louis reached over and shut it for me. That was when I smacked his hand away childishly. “Right. I forgot you were a capable human being.”

I glared at him and walked to my car despite his protests and apologies. The key slid into the ignition without a problem and the engine turned over melodiously. It was when I looked into the rearview mirror that I felt slightly guilty.

He was staring after me, hands shoved in his pockets, looking put down. I looked at the road quickly and then returned my gaze to the mirror where I saw him kick the ground sullenly. Regretfully, I guessed.

I drove home worrying my lip.