I saw a young guy in a leather jacket and sunglasses. Leaning against the hood of a black Honda, he waved his hand at me and smiled. Looking closer, I realized that it was Steve, the assistant captain.

- Steve! Such a surprise!

- Hello! How do you? He asked as we approached each other.

- Oh, do not ask! See what hole I live in? But what are you doing here?

“I came to see you,” he was still smiling. - The captain gave me your address.

- I'm so glad to see you! Don't you fly with Dan?

- Not this time. I'm on vacation.

- Listen ... I would invite you to visit, but my room ... She ... In short, it is better not to go there.

- Yes, no problem, I'm not asking for it. Do you want to have lunch? I looked out here near the Mexican restaurant. Seemingly bearable.

- With pleasure! - I was delighted. - Honestly, I am broke now.

- Do not worry, I treat.

He opened the car and offered to leave my shopping bag in it. When he put it on the seat, there appeared a bottle of whiskey. Steve smiled:

- You, I will look, do not change.

For some reason I felt ashamed: I remembered how much I began to drink lately.

The restaurant was cozy and almost deserted. Steve barely ate, but I took the opportunity to gobble up a huge bowl of spicy Mexican soup and three big tacos. Having washed it all down with a cup of hot chocolate, I thought, and ordered some more coffee.

“Forgive me,” I justified before Steve, “for a hundred years I did not drink good coffee.”

“Don't worry,” Steve looked approvingly at me as the mother looked at the child when that appetite was good.

I drank coffee almost in one gulp, burning my tongue.

“That's all,” I dried off with a napkin and leaned back on the back of the sofa with a pleased look, peacefully folding my hands on my stomach. - Now I'm quite happy. For some time.

“Your wounds have healed well,” said Steve. “I thought the scars would be bigger.”

- Do not remind me of them.

- How did it happen that you broke? Would you even housing decently found! I can imagine what contingent lives here.

- If it were that easy! - clasping my head with my hands, I leaned on the table. - Honestly, I didn’t save much for myself while working at Murakami, and most of my savings immediately went to a lawyer. Although the sense with it, as it turned out, no.

“Have you been paid for the last flight?”

- Not! These bastards have suspended all payments while the investigation is underway, and it may be delayed for several years. Don't you have a cigarette?

“I don't smoke, sorry,” Steve smiled. “Does Dan help you?”

- Once sent me money, but very little.

- I heard he divorced his wife. He also goes to a lawyer a lot. So he is now not easy.

- Lord, why is everything so bad? - I buried my face in the table.

“Zoe,” Steve patted my hair, “if you let me, I can help you with the move.” I have a bit of free money.

- Thank you, Steve, don't! Save them for your girlfriend.

Steve sighed and then asked:

- What kind of man was with you?

- Yes, just a neighbor.

- Have you been with him for a long time?

- Considering that I live here for only two weeks, you know. But I can't even tell you exactly, we are together or not. Just like spending time together, you know?

- I understand ... - he sighed again. - I was scared that ...

- What?

“Nothing,” Steve brushed aside.

- What is he my client?

- Yeah.

I burst out laughing.

- You know, it's a thought! I can move to a better motel. Or even rent an apartment.

- This is a bad joke, Zoe.

Steve asked for the bill, paid off, and we got up from the table.

“Well, thanks for the dinner,” I said as we approached his car. - I haven't eaten so well for a long time.

“Not at all,” he smiled sadly and shook my hand. - Listen, Zoe. Do you still want to find Trisha?

- Lord, yes, Steve! But I can't leave Earth, understand?

“I've made inquiries here,” he pulled out some piece of paper from the glove box of the car. “Trisha has a mother in Kinsale.” Maybe go, eh?

- Where is it?

- Ireland.

- Yes, for sure, she said that from Ireland - I thought. - You think to learn something from a conversation with her?

- I do not know. But it's worth a try.

- And when can you go?

- Yes, even now, Zoe! I'm on vacation and free as hell!

- Right now I can not. I was planning to go to my parents in Chicago the other day. And then - we can drive.

“Zoe, I'm absolutely free.” I missed the Earth so much that it was not so important for me where to go - Steve's black eyes glittered. - I just drive around the country, visiting friends, admiring nature. Chicago - so Chicago, I can keep you company. And you don’t have to pay the fare, - he proudly pointed to his Honda.

“I don't even know, Steve ... Very uncomfortable.” I think, nevertheless, I somehow myself ...

- Well, okay, I will not impose. Until tomorrow, I'm in the city, so if you change your mind - call.

It seemed to me that Steve was upset that I did not express admiration for his car. But okay, I decided, maybe even have time.

Returning to my room, I turned on the telly again. Automatically opened the bottle, splashed into a glass. Tom will probably drop by at night - at least some entertainment. And before that time, you have to take something up. I looked at the TV set, drank it, ate the sausage, although I was not hungry, I drank it, took a nap, looked at the TV set again, drank it, ate again. Somehow, unnoticed, the whole day passed, and the sun began to roll towards the horizon. At 8:30 o'clock. Taking a bottle of whiskey and throwing it into a glass, I was surprised to find that it was empty. Nehilo: a bottle for half a day. Also all alone. I beat my records. Tomorrow will have to think about it. Come up with a motivation to stop drinking. Tomorrow, when I'm sober.

Damn it, you can die in this hole. I'll die here if I live for another week. I will be killed by either boredom or alcohol. But no, I’ve run out of money before that, and I’ll die of starvation. Need to get out. Tomorrow I'll buy a bus ticket and go to Chicago.

Sitting on a bench near the motel, I spent the sun, and when it disappeared over the horizon, I was tempted to go to the supermarket for the addition of whiskey to somehow brighten up the rest of the evening. Shaking out all my remaining money from my pocket, I began to count: a dollar, two, five ... Ten ... Twenty. Twenty two dollars sixteen cents. Lord, I thought I had two times more! This is not enough for me even to drive halfway from Houston to Chicago on the cheapest buses. Damn this life.

Getting dark. Rising from the bench, I slowly walked to the road. Supermarket to the right. Approaching the turn, I unexpectedly turned to the left for myself and wandered along the roadway. Still save today for a drink. Here began the industrial zone: warehouses, workshops, small factories. After a working day, it’s deserted, and at some other time I’d rather be scared walking around these deserted places. But now alcohol has dulled all my feelings, and I didn’t care about almost everything.

Moving along a deserted road, I did not think about anything, or tried not to think about anything. Why am I here? The moon came out from behind a cloud, then hid again, and I was walking. Why am I coming here? What did I forget here? Okay, stop fooling yourself. I know why I'm here. Here is a strange abandoned building with a crooked pipe, a turn after it, then about two hundred meters to the left, and there on the right side will be the warehouse where Tom works.

Why did I come to this warehouse? Curiosity? Ask better for a bottle of whiskey splashing in my stomach.

It's already dark. A familiar face protruded from the guardhouse window. I was here once with Tom, so I think the keeper remembered me, and I could have asked inside: surely he was aware of the party.But I went further, went into the territory of an abandoned warehouse in the neighborhood and, pulling myself in, looked behind the fence. Jump over ... Read more →