Make A Plan, Darling

Just like that the power went off. The TV, the lights, the microwave heating up his crappy TV dinner all down for the count. He glanced at the air conditioner in the window as if somehow he would find it working. Nope. His heart rate quickened thinking of the extreme heat outside that would be seeping in and taking over. 

“Dammit.”

All those past due notices piled up and then in a moment of frustration thrown into the garbage. How was he supposed to take care of his bills and HER bills with one paycheck? He stood up slamming shut his useless laptop and paced back and forth feeling the sweat begin to make its ugly appearance.

He pictured her laughing, lying on one of those annoying giant blowups in her pool. Was she with HIM right now? Are they sipping cold drinks floating along in bliss or perhaps toasting each other with sparkling champagne?

She’s not sitting in a dark studio apartment, that’s for damn sure.

He grabbed his keys from the hook and stormed out. No use calling the power company; he didn’t have enough to make the minimum payment. Definitely not in the mood to hear “Sorry, sir, I wish I could help.” 

Snippets of other people’s lives swirled around him as he made his way down the echoey hallway. He knew his neighbors by their music, TV shows and aroma of home cooking rather than by their names and faces. 

Reaching the staircase, he let his hand hover inches above the railing cringing to touch it but not trusting his footing with the anger he felt brewing. Stepping over garbage bags thrown haphazardly down the steps he reached the landing and pushed the door open. Instead of the relief of fresh air he was hit in the face with the thickest humidity known to mankind. August in New York City. Welcome to the baking Big Apple.

His thoughts went back to HER. Is she perhaps enjoying a mani-pedi right now, women leaning over to massage her feet before painting her toenails? Sure, that’s cool. Enjoy your evening.

Man, he could use a cigarette right about now. He pictured the relief he would feel lighting it up and inhaling, then slowly releasing the smoke along with the stress of the day. It had been years since he quit, an accomplishment at the time, but now he didn’t see the point of denying himself the pleasure.

He started his car, hands shaking with frustration, always trying to do the right thing, always getting the short end of the stick. Now this.  His last penny had been given to HER rather than the electric bill. She literally took the air out of his life, the last drop he had. 

Beep, beep, beep. The low fuel signal taunted him as he started his crappy car. Looking at the needle on E his level of agitation grew. He thought he had maxed out on anger but realized that can always be topped off when adding another drop. Forget 7-Eleven for a pack of cigarettes, he would be lucky if there was enough gas to get to work in the morning. Already putting the car in reverse, he couldn’t admit to another failure so drove to the end of the complex parking lot for some much needed shade where he could sit for a minute with the windows down praying for the slightest breeze.

The Cat Lady. No freaking way. He just couldn’t deal with her on top of everything else. He felt another wave of hot rage coming. All he wanted was to sit in the shade for a few minutes before going back into the oven. She pulled in and parked a few spots away, also in the shade. The cats appeared out of the brush one after another until they surrounded her car. She opened the door, sweat glistening on her forehead, hair pulled back, and stepped onto the steaming blacktop. “Come here sweeties. How are my babies today?” She made kissy noises, leaning over to extend her open palm. “Who’s hungry?” She opened her trunk and began unpacking, starting with a lawn chair then shopping bags and jugs of water. Crap.  She was setting up camp. 

The buzzing in his head got louder, his skin crawling at the tone of her voice, his heart rattling with rage.

“We have to make a plan, darling.” 

“Excuse me?” He blurted out, disgusted.

“Oh no, I was talking to Beauty here. We have to find you a home before winter, isn’t that right, Beauty? It’s all about making a plan, right? If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Who said that? I believe it was Benjamin Franklin…”

Lunatic. He started his car and drove away from her babbling voice and sea of cats.

***

Lying on top of his sheets in the stifling apartment there was not a chance in hell he would find relief. Perhaps even worse than the temperature, the lack of AC allowed the sounds and smells of the strangers surrounding him to enter his space. It was going to be a long night.

“Make a plan.” Cat Lady’s annoying voice came into his head. “Make a plan, darling.” Fucking Cat Lady.

Zero in the bank. Zero in the gas tank. His mind drifted to the office, realizing that in a few hours he would be at work. One more day before the boss was back from vacation bringing with him additional stress and deadlines. Make a plan, darling.

As if in a fever dream he pictured himself at the desk in his office, alone with his pile of applications. Before SHE came into his life he was on track at the bank moving up from teller to loan officer quickly. He had earned enough to buy her the diamond ring she handpicked from the selection at the jewelers not even considering the price. Was she wearing it when she met HIM? The room began to spin. 

His mind went back to the paperwork waiting for him at work. The ever growing pile of applications. Stamp approve, stamp deny. Add to this pile, add to that pile. Move money from here to there. Make a plan. Make a plan. Hit any key to continue. Add account. Transfer funds. Approve? Click yes to continue. Tossing and turning, with the nauseating stench of his anonymous neighbors, he took Cat Lady’s advice and made a plan.

***

His hand hovered over the mouse. Click to make the transfer. Click for electricity. Click for food. Click to get the hell out of town. He sat in complete silence lost in thought. His heart was pounding. Click for a new life.

CLICK

He looked up startled when he heard his office door click shut. He hadn’t heard his boss come in. He wasn’t supposed to be back yet. Quickly switching screens to pull up his work email, the transaction sat undone, pending on the abandoned screen where it would, no doubt, time out. 

“Can I see you in my office, please?”

Shit. He knew. He definitely knew. What’s the worst that will happen? He’ll lose his job for sure. Will there be jail time? He hadn’t hit enter to continue, hadn’t completed the transfer. The massive amount was still in the customer’s account safe and sound while his account was still empty. It was all good, he reassured himself. Never was he so relieved to have a zero balance.

“Sure thing.” He stood, straightened his tie, and followed his boss, picturing how THEY would be laughing their asses off when he got fired.

***

Driving home with the AC cranking and a full tank of gas, he called the power company. “Paid in full,” the customer service representative said after he dictated his card number through the dashboard speakers. Paid in freaking full. He realized all of his appliances were left on and the apartment would be nice and cold when he arrived back home. Note to self, throw out the Hungry Man dinner in the microwave; it’s definitely past it’s prime along with everything in his fridge. It’s time to do some shopping.

Arriving home with bags of food he drove past his usual spot to the very back of the parking lot. Cat Lady was deep into the feeding frenzy, being swarmed by the masses. Handing her a bag of canned cat food and overpriced treats he asked if Beauty still needed a home by winter. She would be his reminder to not only make a plan but to make the right plan. The near disaster at work, the transaction seconds away from going through would haunt him forever. Sick at the thought of the consequences of those actions, he decided instead to focus on his promotion and raise.

“Come here, Beauty,” he said kneeling down. He had always wanted a cat, but SHE was allergic. “Let’s get you home.”