Short Fiction Complete by Grania Davis

Author:Grania Davis [Davis, Grania]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Dick Evans crept sheepishly to the back door of Annie’s white woodframe bungalow and knocked softly several times. Finally the door opened and Annie stood there in her flowered robe, long dark hair streaming down her shoulders. A look of surprise (with a touch of annoyance?) flooded her face.

“Dick!” she cried. “Darling, are you still here?”

“Regrettably, yes,” he said. “Haven’t you heard about the damn electronic barricades that have blocked the intersections? There’s no way I can get out.”

“Of course I heard about them,” she said grimly. “There’s no way I can get out either. The whole neighborhood is talking about nothing else. My boys haven’t come home and neither has John. I’ve been all alone here with no radio or TV, and only neighborhood gossip and hysteria on the phone. I’m so glad to see you! Come in quickly so nobody notices. I thought you got out before this thing started.”

“No, I literally ran into it after I left your house. I’ve been hanging around the intersection all afternoon, listening to your dumb neighbors, getting soaked in the rain, worrying myself sick—and hoping the damn thing would let up for a minute so I could get home. Jesus, Susie must be frantic. I always come home right after work, or phone if I’m delayed. She must think I’m hurt, and there’s no way to contact her. If she finds out where I’ve been we’re dead.”

“You mean you and I are dead—or you and Susie?” asked Annie with a frown, taking his large hand and drawing him inside.

“You and me, Susie and John. All of us. Now there’s no way to avoid getting caught. We’re all dead.”

“Sit down,” said Annie. “Have a drink. We’ll think of something. You can say you came here to deliver papers to John. Remember, you said that the first time you came here to see me.”

“John will know there were no papers!” he snapped.

“Sit down and try to relax. We’ll work on thinking up just the right thing to say. Let me fix you a drink. You never have time to relax when you come in the afternoon. You always keep one eye on me and one eye on the clock. We never have time to just be together, to talk and enjoy each other’s company. There’s nobody else here, just you and me tonight. All alone together. I’m worried sick about John, the boys and that damn barricade; and you’re worried about Susie and the baby, but there’s nothing we can do except wait for this crazy thing to end. Perhaps it’s a special gift for us, Dick: our chance to be together for a whole night. We’ve never done that before. I’ll make us a nice supper. You can build a fire in the fireplace. We can hold hands and cuddle, talk, and make love—and figure out what to say tomorrow. Let’s treat this as a special, crazy gift, Dick.”

She drew him into her smooth arms, and he began to unwind a bit. Perhaps she was right.

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