1-March-2010 6:20AM

You’ve been away JB.

“Yeah?”

You miss me?

“Sure.”

Hmmm. That’s not a very convincing response.

“What do you want me to say? It’s early, and the fog between the ears belies every sentence that escapes through my mouth.”
She smiled with an impish countenance.

“What?” he said.

Oh, you know. That particular sentence did not. Sounds like the fog had nothing to do with it.

“Well, it must be since you’re here then. That has to be it.”

You still don’t get it. Do you? After all this time?

“Get what?”

Oh, now you want me to explain it, again?

“There’s no need to get like that. After all, I thought that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’?”

Indeed JB. Indeed.

“You know, you’ve been away for far too long.”

No JB. No. A girl just needs to get away for a while on her own. Especially after working overtime a few months back. Those late nights, the endless stream of Seventies rock bands from twilight to morn, those prodigious hikes through the areas of questionable tact in that downtown arena. Honestly JB. Nerve you may have, but a relenting spirit you lack.

It was his turn to smile. He did so with a tenacious temper as if holding back.

JB, you would be wise to stifle that provocation. Remember, consider who I am.

“Yes of course. So you must know then that I have realized that you have not brought me anything as of late.”

As you say about ‘absence’ JB. It’s time.

At Spring and Third the bus rolled to a stop. She kissed him on the cheek and swiftly backed herself out of the row.

“Hey!” he said.

She placed her index finger over her closed lips then proceeded down the gangway to down and out. Instead of her typical fading away into the early Seattle morning, she turned and stopped. As the bus groaned to that customary urban cruising speed, she waved by wiggling her fingers at him through the bus window. He gazed on at her with a contemplative frown, with an ominous emerging insouciance.