One
“I never wanted to tell you this but I stopped doing those yoga videos.”
“What?”
“You know how I go downstairs after dinner and do those videos?”
“I know, your yoga.”
“You always say it’s good for me.”
“But I hear it on, that gay guy telling you to breathe.”
“Yeah it’s on, I put it on. I just don’t do it. I lie down on my mat and do nothing.”
“That’s good for you Beth, that’s meditation.”
“It’s not meditation. I stare at the ceiling at all that chipped paint and that stupid light fixture. That nasty piece of gum stuck in the corner. I know Steven stuck it there, that time he stayed with us when he was on his way to Nevada. He had sex down there you know that right? He had sex with that girl, the one from the video store. Anyway, the point is that I’m not doing yoga.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“I don’t know. I’m just sick of it. I’m sick of all of it.”
“Come here, baby.”
“No.”
“Get over here. Sit down. Listen. I don’t give two shits that you hate yoga.”
“I don’t hate yoga.”
“You know what I mean. You think I’m sitting up here thinking my wife is so cool for doing yoga? No, I’m not thinking that. You know what I’m thinking?”
“No.”
“Ask me what I’m thinking when you’re downstairs not doing yoga.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I’m so fucking lucky. I just had a delicious dinner with my beautiful wife. My daughter’s got a great job in the city and just bought herself a car. My back hasn’t acted up in awhile, I’m sleeping good, life is good.”
“Oh Brian.”
“Don’t oh Brian me. I’m just being honest. You want some tea? I’ll make you some tea.”
“I’ll get it.”
“You’re not getting anything. You’re gonna sit there and have some tea. And then you know what we’re gonna to do? Ask me what we’re gonna do.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re gonna leave those dishes right where they are, and then we’re gonna go upstairs and go to bed. And tomorrow we’re gonna throw out that yoga mat and go see that fancy dresses movie you’ve been bugging me about.”
“Oh my god. You are ridiculous.”
“I’m ridiculous? Sit down. Breathe.”
Two
“I always knew that someday I’d see you again.”
“Come on.”
“No I’m serious, Jess. When was that time? Three, four years ago? I stopped in to return that video from my uncle’s house. Some yoga thing. I thought no one was here. You were putting movies back on the shelves. You called out from back there. You were wearing that stripey sweater and those cute black glasses. You said I couldn’t possibly imagine how many people were asking for that Demi Moore movie. You told me to guess, I should guess how many people. Just in that one day.”
“How can you possibly remember that?”
“You asked if you could help me with anything. I was just returning my uncle’s video but I stayed to look around. You showed me the new releases section and I think it was like Dances with Wolves or something like that. My aunt was like why did you rent this. I don’t even remember watching it, cuz all I could think about was you and how I was gonna go back the next day to return the movie even though it was a two-night deal.”
“I was glad you came back.”
“Yeah me too. We had fun that night.”
“Even though your uncle’s basement was freezing. My god Steven, you remember how cold it was? You thought I was being shy but I was freezing. My tits were literally frozen.”
“You just didn’t want to take your shirt off.”
“You’re insane.”
“You were chewing gum.”
“You made me spit it out.”
“When I got back in town the other night. I asked my uncle if that cute girl from the video store was still working there. He said as I matter of fact she still is.”
“How long are you in town for?”
“Depends.”
“I manage the store now.”
“You were basically doing that before, weren’t you?”
“No but for real now. The old manager left so they asked me to do it. About a year ago.”
“Good for you.”
“I get to decide on all the signs, make the schedule. I get to hire people. And you know… I need someone to cover this one girl’s shifts for a while. She just had a baby.”
“I like movies.”
“Name ten movies right now.”
“Kiss me.”
“Ten. Go.”
“Star Wars.”
“So predictable.”
“Shut up. Star Wars, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark… that crocodile movie, the one with that knife guy… Rambo, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard…”
“Holy – Name one foreign film.”
“Oh come on.”
“Then how about a movie with a female lead?”
“Shit.”
“I don’t remember that one.”
“Shut up, I’m thinking.”
“Don’t hurt yourself.”
“Demi Moore! That Demi Moore movie!”
“You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Am I hired?”
“Will you stay for awhile?”
“If you keep looking at me like that.”
______
(Inspired by Catherine Lacey’s Stepping Into Fiction workshop at the Perth Writers Festival last weekend. Our assignment was to write two stories: one that begins with, “I never wanted to tell you this but…” and another that begins, “I always knew that someday I’d see you again.” Catherine is the author of the wonderful novel Nobody Is Ever Missing.)
