After surfing the web for awhile, scanning the news and watching stocks, Ben got up from his desk and got ready to have lunch with this Mr. Tooki. He put on his suit jacket, The Revenue was a classy place. On his way out he ran a finger along the glass on the picture frame and brought it to his lips. He took a breath and went out the door.
As he passed Anita's desk she looked up at him and smiled. Those eyes, that face, so pretty. Today something was there he'd not seen before. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something in her eyes touched him. Today, he'd tell her. He'd buy that trashy honky tonk bar and he'd tell Anita about everything. Everything.
"Ben! Oh, Ben!" Anita spoke up after he passed her.
She handed him a small slip of paper. "I kept getting this call in the night. Didn't recognize the number. Thought you might."
He glanced at the number written on the paper. No, he didn't recognize it, and this was very strange. Anita didn't get calls for him in the night. Her phone was set up for that, true, but she never got a call. Unless he'd had too much to drink, that was. He put the paper in his pocket.
"Hurry up. You'll be late."
--
Lunch was dull. Mr. Tooki wanted sponsorship for something or another. Ben tried to focus on the overpriced dull food. The lesser of two dullnesses. After Mr. Tooki finished his over practiced monolog, Ben excused himself to the restroom.
Before he left the Men's Room. He took the slip of paper out of his pocket and looked at the number again. He had recognized the area code, Collin's County. Still, the number itself didn't ring any bells. He put the paper back in his pocket, next to the cell phone he used to call those numbers. Of course, Anita had that number now. It was okay, he would tell her.
When he returned to the table Mr. Tooki started up again. Ben wished he'd heard that twinge of desperation in Jack's voice. Oh well, he could afford what Jack wanted.
"No, Mr. Tooki. I don't think Avalon is interested in making an investment at this time. Thank you, and have a nice day."
Ben left the restaurant. He didn't go back to the office. He told the driver to take him to a little coffee shop on the other side of downtown. An hour later he sat at a table by the window in The Daily Grind. He took the cell from his pocket and wondered who he should call first: Jack, this mystery number from the same area, Anita?
He didn't like this confusion. He thought about the picture on his wall. He thought about the fields and hollows out there in the middle of nowhere. He opened his phone and dialed Anita. She said she knew the coffee shop. The limo would be dropping her off in thirty minutes. Okay, one down. He knew the call to Jack. He knew exactly how it would go. He wanted Anita there. He wanted her to a part of this thing now.
"Hello?" half-asleep, and whoever this was sounded like they had a mouthful of marbles. "Who is this?"
"Well, I was hoping you could tell me who you are. My assistant got some calls in the night from this number. That's very strange and unprofessional. What is it I can do for you?"
"Ben?" surprise, this guy was awake now. "Ben, thank god. Ben I'm sorry, I know you're busy. This is Uncle Henry, from Sowell Pike. I really need to talk to you."
"Uncle Henry?" Ben put his head down in his free hand. "Have you been drinking again? You know I've offered to pay for help Henry. You have to let go of Margret. You need help."
"No... I know. Yes, I need help. Bring me in to the city. Put me in rehab. I just need to see you. It's important Benjamin."
"Oh god. If I fly you in this weekend, you're going to a hospital Monday. That's the deal, the end of it."
"Not this weekend. I can get to the airport in a few hours. Now, Ben. Now."
"What the hell is it Henry? You're losing it."
"Adam, that's what."
Henry might be drunk but he wasn't crazy. Ben knew that name. The phone fell to the tile floor and split in pieces. Some of the customers turned to see - what was that? in a small town like Sowell Pike everyone in the coffee shop would talk about this for several days, but in a big city like this, no one cared, those that looked forgot before they looked away - still, Ben put on his best smile. He wasn't the head of one of the largest companies for no reason. Why did this shake him up so bad? That was the question. He left his coffee alone.
Don't Worry. He thought of the birds outside his kitchen window.
Be Happy.
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