Broken Windows by Paul D. Marks

Author:Paul D. Marks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Down & Out Books

CHAPTER 22

The rain drummed Eric’s apartment window. The apartment didn’t seem so small and dingy right now as he lay in bed, looking at Lindsay. The swell of her chest rising and falling in front of him. Someday, he thought, he might be able to get out of this dump. Though it did have its charms, if you lived life at a certain level.

“I think I can hear the ocean,” Lindsay said.

Eric didn’t think so, not with the rain and the window closed. But he didn’t want to burst her bubble. Besides, it was like one of those shells you bought where you could hear the ocean when you put them to your ear. You heard what you wanted to hear. And that was fine right now. Everything was fine for Eric right now.

“You can almost see it from the window.” Almost, he thought. “Especially if you have a good imagination.”

“So what do you plan to do now?”

“Keep on doing my gopher job. It’s not glamorous, but right now it’s as good as being president of Exxon.”

“Do you want to go back to practicing law?”

“I think about it, but I don’t think I can.” He knew he couldn’t. It was hard to say it directly. It had too much of a final sound to it.

“Won’t they forgive you, or whatever it’s called, legally?”

“I can petition to have my license reinstated, but I don’t think they’d do it. I’m a pariah.”

“Well, then, you’re my pariah—whatever that is. It sounds kind of cool.”

“If that’s what you want it to be, then that’s what it is.” In the good old days, he would have scoffed at someone who didn’t know the meaning of the word. His superior scoffing days were over.

“So then, what do you plan to do?”

He ignored the question, wasn’t sure why she was asking. Did she have designs on him, especially if he might be successful again? Could he be successful working for Mike? Did Mike have enough things for him to do to make any decent money?

“My pariah,” she said. “I like the sound of that.” She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. The phone rang. He debated whether to pick it up.

“Hello,” he said.

“Eric, Mike.”

At least there’d be some more work for him now. Maybe he and Lindsay could drive up to Santa Barbara for the weekend the way he and Jennifer used to. Of course, they wouldn’t stay at the Biltmore on the beach, but at a cheap motel. But it would be a nice getaway. And there was something he liked about Lindsay. In one sense she was very smart, street smart. But in another she was very naïve and innocent. It was a captivating combination.

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