By Ben Beach (Writer’s Choice)
It’s gonna rain today, he thought, looking out the window of his office. Second-floor balcony overlooking East Sixth and a run-down insurance agency across the street. This was his view. All day. Every day. It’s gonna rain today, he thought again. It’s getting darker and it’s gonna rain.
He took his keys from the drawer and stood, starting down the stairs. “I’m going for lunch, you want anything?”
“No thanks,” said Judy, the secretary he shared with two others, along with the office.
“I’ll try to be back before it rains.” He opened the door.
“It won’t rain today,” her reply as he closed it behind him.
It’s definitely gonna rain today, he thought, glancing at the dark clouds as he started down the sidewalk.
When he got to the little café, his favorite booth was already taken so he chose a stool at the far end of the counter.
“You think it’s gonna rain today?” asked George as he set down the plate with a burger and sweet potato fries.
“Yeah, I think so, but Judy says no.”
“Well, we sure could use some,” George offered as he moved back down the length of the counter.
We sure could, he thought, as he started the fries. Taking a bite of his burger, he noticed a girl at the other end of the counter that he had not seen in the café before. She looked professional but young, like she was just out of college. She smiled when she noticed him looking. I like her smile, he thought, and turned back to his food.
He had finished his burger before he looked in her direction again, and she was already gone. I liked her smile, he thought. Finishing his fries, he considered ordering a piece of carrot cake to take back to the office, but then he thought of his wife. “Just the check,” he said to George.
Walking back to the office, he looked at the clouds again. It’s gonna rain today, he thought. Then he thought of the girl in the café and her smile. I should have gotten a piece of cake, he thought, looking at the clouds. Judy says it won’t rain, but it will.
Turning up the walk to the office, he saw a girl drive past and remembered the girl in the café. I liked her smile, he thought.
“You left your phone here, again,” Judy said when he walked in. “It rang a couple of times. Still no rain, huh?” she asked, as he walked up the stairs to his office.
He closed the door behind himself and dropped his keys back in the drawer, picking up his phone to find three missed calls and no messages, all from his wife.
I should have gotten a piece of cake, he thought, dialing his wife. As he listened to it ring, he walked to the window and looked up at the clouds. It’s definitely gonna rain today, he thought.
It’s gonna rain today, he thought, looking out the window of his office. Second-floor balcony overlooking East Sixth and a run-down insurance agency across the street. This was his view. All day. Every day. It’s gonna rain today, he thought again. It’s getting darker and it’s gonna rain.
He took his keys from the drawer and stood, starting down the stairs. “I’m going for lunch, you want anything?”
“No thanks,” said Judy, the secretary he shared with two others, along with the office.
“I’ll try to be back before it rains.” He opened the door.
“It won’t rain today,” her reply as he closed it behind him.
It’s definitely gonna rain today, he thought, glancing at the dark clouds as he started down the sidewalk.
When he got to the little café, his favorite booth was already taken so he chose a stool at the far end of the counter.
“You think it’s gonna rain today?” asked George as he set down the plate with a burger and sweet potato fries.
“Yeah, I think so, but Judy says no.”
“Well, we sure could use some,” George offered as he moved back down the length of the counter.
We sure could, he thought, as he started the fries. Taking a bite of his burger, he noticed a girl at the other end of the counter that he had not seen in the café before. She looked professional but young, like she was just out of college. She smiled when she noticed him looking. I like her smile, he thought, and turned back to his food.
He had finished his burger before he looked in her direction again, and she was already gone. I liked her smile, he thought. Finishing his fries, he considered ordering a piece of carrot cake to take back to the office, but then he thought of his wife. “Just the check,” he said to George.
Walking back to the office, he looked at the clouds again. It’s gonna rain today, he thought. Then he thought of the girl in the café and her smile. I should have gotten a piece of cake, he thought, looking at the clouds. Judy says it won’t rain, but it will.
Turning up the walk to the office, he saw a girl drive past and remembered the girl in the café. I liked her smile, he thought.
“You left your phone here, again,” Judy said when he walked in. “It rang a couple of times. Still no rain, huh?” she asked, as he walked up the stairs to his office.
He closed the door behind himself and dropped his keys back in the drawer, picking up his phone to find three missed calls and no messages, all from his wife.
I should have gotten a piece of cake, he thought, dialing his wife. As he listened to it ring, he walked to the window and looked up at the clouds. It’s definitely gonna rain today, he thought.