Relieving

Bad Guys Need Flowers - Part 4
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Girl (responding to the query which ended Part 3): “I guess I am.”

Calvin’s eyes opened wide. If this were true, then what the frak was the girl trying to pull before?

Girl: “I mean, since neither of you boys is gonna take charge, then I will. You may bow to your leader, Midnight.”

Rog (looking at his watch): “I have 6 PM. Unless I’m way off, it’s not midnight.”

Midnight: “No, no, no. My name is Midnight. You may bow to Midnight, not at Midnight. The time is time to bow to me.”

Calvin noticeably began to smile, and Rog began to chuckle quite heartily.

Midnight: “What is it? Is there something on me?”

Calvin: “Your name is Midnight?”

Midnight (defiantly): “Yes. What’s yours?” Rog continued his small fit in the background.

Calvin: “Calvin.”

Midnight: “Too long. I don’t want to say that ‘v’ all the time. Shorten it to Cal.”

Well, she was certainly displaying leadership qualities – quick, irrational decisions. Irrational, though, is not always wrong. The shorter name did have its qualities.

Cal: “I’m to take advice from a girl who calls herself Midnight?”

Midnight: “It’s not so much advice, as it is an order.” And then she flipped on the charm switch again, leaning into Cal in a commandeering, you-can-see-my-cleavage-better-this-way position. “Are you questioning my orders?”

Cal sighed and turned away. He’d liked what he’d seen (not yet having a vasectomy); however, he didn’t like where this was going. Although college degrees are often awarded to social idiots, Cal was not one of them. He knew Midnight was trying to reel him in, so he swam away. Now was not the time to be giving in to unknown power.

Rog, on the other hand, was taking the bait. Hard. At the sight of Midnight’s alluring lures, he’d run over and slid to the ground, bowing as low as he could. “My full name is Roger, but I’ve already shortened it to Rog. Do you approve, master?”

Midnight frowned a bit at the ease of this catch. “Hmm, I don’t really care. I don’t like either option, to be honest.”

“Yes, my liege. Then I will stick with Rog, until you demand otherwise.”

It was Midnight’s turn to sigh and look away.

Cal: “Wait. If you’re in charge, then I really don’t get that thing before…”

Midnight: “I’m only in charge because your inaction put me in charge.”

Cal: “So, you sent me this note?” Cal pulled the meeting note out of his pocket.

Midnight: “No. Otherwise I wouldn’t have this note.” Midnight pulled the same note out of her jeans pocket. Obviously, those were her pants.

They looked to Rog, who was still crouched on the floor, praying to his Midnight goddess. Recognizing the silence as his turn to speak, he peered up. “I got one, too.”

Cal (handing Rog his note): “And it looked exactly like this, correct?”

Rog: “Actually, I don’t think so. Let me go out to my Hummer and check on that.” Rog winked at Midnight, expecting some love for his Hummer. In the midst of re-inspecting her note, she gave no indication of hearing him.

A beat of silence passed as Rog stepped out. Midnight was still looking at the note, sincere doubt developing inside her.

“Cal, what time is it? And don’t make a joke.”

“I don’t have a watch, but I’d say at least 6:15/”

“No one else is coming, are they?”

“I don’t know. I’d think somebody would. The notes have to mean something.”

“They should.”

Another beat passed. Midnight looked up. Staring deep into Cal’s eyes, she tried to convince them both. “We’re going to be okay. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

The all-powerful Midnight, who had essentially proclaimed herself queen, was already succumbing to the inevitable fear uncertainty breeds. For the first time, Cal saw in Midnight someone he could like on a human level. Maybe he would’ve recognized this, too, if he hadn’t been so uncertain himself.