Tim overhears a mysterious conversation between his co-workers
Tim saw Caleb, the assistant manager that day, come down the stairs that led to the theater’s second floor. He strode over and stopped in front of the candy case, sweeping his hand over his hair and making the spikes stand straight up. He was dressed in a powder-blue sports jacket, a shade of blue that Tim had only seem in one other place, the counters of his grandparents’ kitchen in Iowa City. When he reached the snack bar, he swept his arms forward and his hands met in a loud clap.
“Okay,” Caleb said. “How’s it going back here?” Before Tim had a chance to say anything Caleb was already saying more. “The counters,” and Caleb ran his finger over the glass, “are clean. Very clean. I almost feel like eating off of them. But I won’t,” and the words came out so quickly they sounded like an ejaculation.
“Yeah,” Tim said. “W e washed them.”
“Brilliant. Cups are restocked, candy straightened, popcorn made. You guys make a great team.”
Tim nodded, accepting Caleb’s praise. He hadn’t done anything outside of the normal routine. His praise made Tim feel uncomfortable. For the first time, he wondered how serious Caleb was. Like maybe it was some kind of inside joke that Tim wasn’t a part of. Tim glanced at Darren, but seemed to be taking it at face value, smiling and bobbing his head.
Without saying anything more, Caleb turned and walked quickly to the end of the snack bar. Tim watched, wondering if Caleb would try to manage August and April the same way. He didn’t. Instead, he began talking to them quietly. August sat in the cashier’s stool, rotating herself every few seconds, while Caleb and April leaned against the counter.
Tim pulled out the sports section that he had retrieved from one of the lobby benches earlier. He only pretended to read, as listened to Caleb, August and April’s murmuring, hoping for a conversational opening that would allow him to join them.
He wasn’t able to discern much, but he did manage to end of Caleb’s next sentence: “–but only ten.”
“Why only ten?” August said, in a louder voice.
Caleb shushed her, and at the same time turned his head and looked down the snack bar. His eyes met Tim's. Tim shrugged and returned his attention to the baseball standings, after which Caleb said something in a lower voice that was inaudible to Tim.
“Caleb!” came the voice of Pete from above. Caleb, August and April’s conversation ceased.
The Santa Zita Movies I & II manager’s office was located above the men and women’s bathroom on the Theater I side. The office had a large open window in it that looked over the lobby. Pete leaned on the gold railing and Caleb pointed up to him.
“No, I’ll come down,” Pete said, and left the railing. A moment later, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Caleb left the end of the snack bar and strode over to meet him halfway. Pete stopped and scratched his forehead right under the curly black hairs. He fingered the knot of the black, green and white tie he had worn that day.
“I forgot what I was going to say,” Pete said, smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He ambled over the snack bar and took lid of the one of the straw dispensers.
“So, Pete, why so dressed up today?” Darren asked Pete.
“That’s right!” Pete said, shutting the dispenser and turning back to Caleb. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. All day, I’ve had the strangest feeling that Bob Burrows might pop by. It would be just like him to show up out the blue.”
Caleb nodded and said in a low voice, “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Who’s Bob Burrows?” Tim asked Darren quietly.
“Oh, he’s the regional VP for Santa Zita County. No one ever sees him. I’ve never seen him, and I’ve worked here for two years. But from what I’ve heard, sometimes he visits theaters without warning, and if they’re not in good shape, the manager gets in deep doodoo.”
“So, gang, let’s make sure everything’s ship-shape, just in case.” Pete glanced around the lobby, opened his mouth, closed it and scratched his forehead again. “And April,” Pete finally said, “You might want to polish the brass, too.”
“Sure, Pete, I'll do that after my break,” April said. She retreated from the tip of the snack bar and sat down on the couch between the two potted Ficus trees. Tim caught her eye, smiled and nodded at her, as if in approval. She smiled back uncertainly, before looking away and staring at the space in front of her.
“Okay,” Caleb said. “How’s it going back here?” Before Tim had a chance to say anything Caleb was already saying more. “The counters,” and Caleb ran his finger over the glass, “are clean. Very clean. I almost feel like eating off of them. But I won’t,” and the words came out so quickly they sounded like an ejaculation.
“Yeah,” Tim said. “W e washed them.”
“Brilliant. Cups are restocked, candy straightened, popcorn made. You guys make a great team.”
Tim nodded, accepting Caleb’s praise. He hadn’t done anything outside of the normal routine. His praise made Tim feel uncomfortable. For the first time, he wondered how serious Caleb was. Like maybe it was some kind of inside joke that Tim wasn’t a part of. Tim glanced at Darren, but seemed to be taking it at face value, smiling and bobbing his head.
Without saying anything more, Caleb turned and walked quickly to the end of the snack bar. Tim watched, wondering if Caleb would try to manage August and April the same way. He didn’t. Instead, he began talking to them quietly. August sat in the cashier’s stool, rotating herself every few seconds, while Caleb and April leaned against the counter.
Tim pulled out the sports section that he had retrieved from one of the lobby benches earlier. He only pretended to read, as listened to Caleb, August and April’s murmuring, hoping for a conversational opening that would allow him to join them.
He wasn’t able to discern much, but he did manage to end of Caleb’s next sentence: “–but only ten.”
“Why only ten?” August said, in a louder voice.
Caleb shushed her, and at the same time turned his head and looked down the snack bar. His eyes met Tim's. Tim shrugged and returned his attention to the baseball standings, after which Caleb said something in a lower voice that was inaudible to Tim.
“Caleb!” came the voice of Pete from above. Caleb, August and April’s conversation ceased.
The Santa Zita Movies I & II manager’s office was located above the men and women’s bathroom on the Theater I side. The office had a large open window in it that looked over the lobby. Pete leaned on the gold railing and Caleb pointed up to him.
“No, I’ll come down,” Pete said, and left the railing. A moment later, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Caleb left the end of the snack bar and strode over to meet him halfway. Pete stopped and scratched his forehead right under the curly black hairs. He fingered the knot of the black, green and white tie he had worn that day.
“I forgot what I was going to say,” Pete said, smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He ambled over the snack bar and took lid of the one of the straw dispensers.
“So, Pete, why so dressed up today?” Darren asked Pete.
“That’s right!” Pete said, shutting the dispenser and turning back to Caleb. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. All day, I’ve had the strangest feeling that Bob Burrows might pop by. It would be just like him to show up out the blue.”
Caleb nodded and said in a low voice, “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Who’s Bob Burrows?” Tim asked Darren quietly.
“Oh, he’s the regional VP for Santa Zita County. No one ever sees him. I’ve never seen him, and I’ve worked here for two years. But from what I’ve heard, sometimes he visits theaters without warning, and if they’re not in good shape, the manager gets in deep doodoo.”
“So, gang, let’s make sure everything’s ship-shape, just in case.” Pete glanced around the lobby, opened his mouth, closed it and scratched his forehead again. “And April,” Pete finally said, “You might want to polish the brass, too.”
“Sure, Pete, I'll do that after my break,” April said. She retreated from the tip of the snack bar and sat down on the couch between the two potted Ficus trees. Tim caught her eye, smiled and nodded at her, as if in approval. She smiled back uncertainly, before looking away and staring at the space in front of her.
Works
Recent Writing
- 1989 A Novel: Tim and Caleb go to get coffee
- 1989 A Novel: Tim overhears a mysterious conversation between his co-workers
- 1989 A Novel: Tim first notices April
- 1989 A Novel: Morning at Holly Street
- 1989 A Novel: The world wakes up