Sequel: "You Can't Stay a Saint in This City" ›
Status: Complete ... For Now
Lost In Pacific Time
All That I Know Is That I Don't Know, How To Be Something You Miss
“I’m very proud of you Amber, you really stepped up” Greg says as he walked into my office holding something behind his back.
“Thanks” I’m replying to some emails on my Macbook “so what do you have for me?”
“I have a treat.” He says placing the plastic container on top of my stack of papers.
“Aw Greg, I love it” I say as I peel back the wrapper take a bite of the vibrant red cake.
______
I went over to my parents’ house for an extra early breakfast on Sunday, well for them it was extra early for me it was 10:00 am EST. My brothers came and when we walked into the dining room I could see Amber sitting at the table with her legs dangling from the chairs.
______
She came to every one of the Giant’s playoff games and everyday I would drive her back to my house together to do homework.
“I don’t know why we’re still doing this” she said as she thumbed through her AP Calculus textbook. She and I are sitting at the dining room table in my house with my parents in the next room watching the ten o’clock news “it’s not like either of us are planning to become Physicists or even going to University.”
“So what are you planning to do Amber?” I ask as pull out a fresh piece of lined paper to plan an English essay.
“I don’t know,” Amber replied as she doodles in the margin of her Calculus homework. Most of the girls at school wanted to be Marine Biologists or Psychologists, I was sure most of them just went with what their friends said but Amber was one of the few who were honest. It drove our career counsellor crazy. Mr. Thompson just didn’t mesh with Amber; he couldn’t understand why Amber didn’t have a career plan. Her grades were good and good enough for her to go into whatever field she wanted at university. Amber had applied to a couple of universities because that’s what her parents wanted but she had hidden all the acceptance letters under her bed as soon as they came in the mail.
“Well you can always stay with me, wherever I get drafted to” I tell her. I mean it; I can’t imagine life alone without my family or Amber. If I could I’d take them all with me to where I’m going. That didn’t really seem like a practical idea but taking Amber with me did. The idea of living alone in a new city was exciting especially with Amber by my side.
Amber didn’t seem as excited “Why? I don’t want to be holding you back.”
“I want you with me because I love you” I say without realizing the magnitude of what I was saying.
“Oh” Amber says kind of quiet, like I wasn’t supposed to hear it.
We’ve been dating for over a year and I had felt that way ever since I got to know her better when she began tutoring me in math. The last time I had said those three words it was three years ago to Cindy Marsh and basically it was because I wanted to get in her pants. This time I meant it.
Amber looked up at me through those long dark lashes “I love you too” she whispered with a smile on her lips.
______
I watched a group of trophy wives walking to their cars, their arms ladled with bags from Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. Our offices were just off Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, so this wasn’t an uncommon sight, but I wondered if I could be one of them. Surely I would get more satisfaction out of shopping than sitting here on my computer rearranging virtual furniture but I knew I’d also feel guiltier spending money I didn’t make myself. Besides I certainly felt better when I saw the looks on people’s faces when I redecorated their homes than when I bought a new pair of slacks at Saks Fifth Avenue. Besides it could be worse I could, hate my job. Speaking of which…
“Tyler do you hate your job?” I asked him, he was sitting in the chair next to me filming my computer screen as I moved the virtual rug a couple of inches to the left. Perfect.
“Amber you do realize I’m working right now, right?” he asked
“Yeah so?” I asked
“So if I said yes I would probably get fired,”
“Oh,” I replied “We’ll do you enjoy documenting the exciting life of Amber?”
“Lets just say I’ve had worst jobs” he replied. “Jobs where we didn’t have a lunch room stocked with fresh baked goods and a thousand dollar cappuccino machine.”
It always amazed me that he could talk to me without any shaking from the camera.
“You could always leave me to become one of those camera men on TMZ, did you know I could walk to their offices from my house?”
“Amber I didn’t take five years of art school so I could become a glorified paparazzo.”
I laughed and stretched my arms above my head, causing all the silver bangles to jingle their way down my arm.
“How about you Amber? You seem to like your job.” He says as I put my arms back down.
“I love it,” I replied instantly “what’s not to like?”
“I don’t know it just seems really demanding, like you have to drop everything to make people happy”
“I mean we’re here in your office on a Sunday.” He says.
“I don’t mind. I was never a religious person besides everything closes early on Sundays.” I put the finishing touches on my virtual home and it’s ready for tomorrow when I have to set it up at a plastic surgeon’s Malibu home “what’s better than making people happy with your awesome taste in headboards and comforters.”
“Thanks” I’m replying to some emails on my Macbook “so what do you have for me?”
“I have a treat.” He says placing the plastic container on top of my stack of papers.
“Aw Greg, I love it” I say as I peel back the wrapper take a bite of the vibrant red cake.
______
I went over to my parents’ house for an extra early breakfast on Sunday, well for them it was extra early for me it was 10:00 am EST. My brothers came and when we walked into the dining room I could see Amber sitting at the table with her legs dangling from the chairs.
______
She came to every one of the Giant’s playoff games and everyday I would drive her back to my house together to do homework.
“I don’t know why we’re still doing this” she said as she thumbed through her AP Calculus textbook. She and I are sitting at the dining room table in my house with my parents in the next room watching the ten o’clock news “it’s not like either of us are planning to become Physicists or even going to University.”
“So what are you planning to do Amber?” I ask as pull out a fresh piece of lined paper to plan an English essay.
“I don’t know,” Amber replied as she doodles in the margin of her Calculus homework. Most of the girls at school wanted to be Marine Biologists or Psychologists, I was sure most of them just went with what their friends said but Amber was one of the few who were honest. It drove our career counsellor crazy. Mr. Thompson just didn’t mesh with Amber; he couldn’t understand why Amber didn’t have a career plan. Her grades were good and good enough for her to go into whatever field she wanted at university. Amber had applied to a couple of universities because that’s what her parents wanted but she had hidden all the acceptance letters under her bed as soon as they came in the mail.
“Well you can always stay with me, wherever I get drafted to” I tell her. I mean it; I can’t imagine life alone without my family or Amber. If I could I’d take them all with me to where I’m going. That didn’t really seem like a practical idea but taking Amber with me did. The idea of living alone in a new city was exciting especially with Amber by my side.
Amber didn’t seem as excited “Why? I don’t want to be holding you back.”
“I want you with me because I love you” I say without realizing the magnitude of what I was saying.
“Oh” Amber says kind of quiet, like I wasn’t supposed to hear it.
We’ve been dating for over a year and I had felt that way ever since I got to know her better when she began tutoring me in math. The last time I had said those three words it was three years ago to Cindy Marsh and basically it was because I wanted to get in her pants. This time I meant it.
Amber looked up at me through those long dark lashes “I love you too” she whispered with a smile on her lips.
______
I watched a group of trophy wives walking to their cars, their arms ladled with bags from Chanel, Gucci, and Prada. Our offices were just off Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, so this wasn’t an uncommon sight, but I wondered if I could be one of them. Surely I would get more satisfaction out of shopping than sitting here on my computer rearranging virtual furniture but I knew I’d also feel guiltier spending money I didn’t make myself. Besides I certainly felt better when I saw the looks on people’s faces when I redecorated their homes than when I bought a new pair of slacks at Saks Fifth Avenue. Besides it could be worse I could, hate my job. Speaking of which…
“Tyler do you hate your job?” I asked him, he was sitting in the chair next to me filming my computer screen as I moved the virtual rug a couple of inches to the left. Perfect.
“Amber you do realize I’m working right now, right?” he asked
“Yeah so?” I asked
“So if I said yes I would probably get fired,”
“Oh,” I replied “We’ll do you enjoy documenting the exciting life of Amber?”
“Lets just say I’ve had worst jobs” he replied. “Jobs where we didn’t have a lunch room stocked with fresh baked goods and a thousand dollar cappuccino machine.”
It always amazed me that he could talk to me without any shaking from the camera.
“You could always leave me to become one of those camera men on TMZ, did you know I could walk to their offices from my house?”
“Amber I didn’t take five years of art school so I could become a glorified paparazzo.”
I laughed and stretched my arms above my head, causing all the silver bangles to jingle their way down my arm.
“How about you Amber? You seem to like your job.” He says as I put my arms back down.
“I love it,” I replied instantly “what’s not to like?”
“I don’t know it just seems really demanding, like you have to drop everything to make people happy”
“I mean we’re here in your office on a Sunday.” He says.
“I don’t mind. I was never a religious person besides everything closes early on Sundays.” I put the finishing touches on my virtual home and it’s ready for tomorrow when I have to set it up at a plastic surgeon’s Malibu home “what’s better than making people happy with your awesome taste in headboards and comforters.”