What's-His-Name

"Now, when we meet him, remember, you introduce yourself and get him to do the same."

"Okay. Okay."

"Just remember."

"Fine! What if I can't though--you know--get him to say his name."

"Look, he introduced himself to me a while ago. Too long ago. And now I can't remember. And I can't ask him! How would it look?"

What If

I spent most of the day thinking of things that never had a chance of happening, then I thought of decisions I would have to make if those things happened. For example, I wondered what I would do if I won the lottery. Then I thought about what I would do with the money, then how fast I would quit my job. Then I wondered how I would leave. Would I treat my fellow cubicle dwellers? I would look cheap if I didn't, but what was appropriate. Something proportional to the payout? But I didn't want to do too much work to set up something, which is the whole reason to having money--not working.

In the end, I decided it might be better to forget the hassle and forgo lottery fantasies. The money wasn't worth it. Then I wondered how stupid I was to let something like that to get in the way of a multi-million dollar jackpot.

Surprise Visit

Bradley woke up to urgent knocking at the front door downstairs. He ignored it at first. Whoever it was probably had the wrong house, would realize it, and leave. But it wouldn't stop. He ran down and threw open the door.

"What!?"

A woman, young, grabbed onto the door frame panting. Her hair was in disarray and she had a wild look in her eye like a cornered animal.

"Brad."

"Do I know you?" A moment of clarity came to him. He saw the woman for who she was now, without the wild look, without the tangled hair. He remembered her five years younger, when she used to share his bed.

"Che-Cheryl?"

"We have to go. Now," she said.

"But--"

"Now," she repeated with earnest, grabbed his hand, and dragged him barefoot into the dead of night.