Over slices of pie, Don talked about the minor stresses of working the back room of a drug store and Amanda complained about the stresses of geriatric patients. It was clear by her venting about technical medical subjects that she spent a few years in school and most of the things she said went over his head.
In the restaurant light, he was able to see Mandy clearer.
She didn't look like a Mandy, but he didn't care because she looked good none
the less. She wasn't magazine “hot” or anything like that, but he most
defiantly wouldn't kick her out of a bed. She was a little shorter than he who
stood at 5’7 with shoulder-length dark brown hair. He decided that she was…
pretty, but still rough around the edges.
He thought she was fit by the way she carried herself;
possibly from walking throughout a large hospital all day, but it was hard to
tell under her baggy clothes. Baggy like a skater, or a snowboarder. Maybe she
liked hitting the mountain, he thought. Maybe both of them could head up
sometime. Maybe he could get her out of those baggy clothes afterward. And
maybe he should stop daydreaming about a girl he just met and finish his slice.
He also notices a small scar on the tip of her nose that
looked old but permanent, though he refrained from asking about despite the fact
that she made no effort to hide it. All and all, he wasn’t sure if she was
really his type, not like Don had a type, but he decided to play this one cool, not come on too strong and see where it led.
He asked her questions about herself. Normal bullshit stuff
he knew girls liked, but most of her answers fell short of his expectations:
she didn’t have time for T.V. or movies and preferred books he’s never heard
of. She listened to music he wasn’t interested in. She wouldn’t touch politics
and refrained from religion. It’s like he was shooting in the dark to get to
know this girl.
She abruptly opened up when he circled back around
about her work and led Mandy to the fact that she was taking time off to deal
with some issues “so what is it like, family problems?” Everyone had family
problems. Take Don for example; he had an uncle that worked in the adult
industry that was killed by a crazed fan of a co-star he used to bang in
movies earlier that year. You can’t even make that shit up! No one could possibly know what it’s
like to be the nephew of Tony Cannon. It even made news in L.A. No reason for
people in P-town to give a shit about a dead porn star though, so he kept that
gem to himself.
Amanda kind of glared at him and nodded “yeah, family
problems.” She took a bite of pizza and then a weird expression came across her
face “Don, have you ever heard of a misanthropic rhizome?”
“No sounds alien though,” and what if it was. Or better
yet, what if it was some kind of biological weapon. He saw this shit on the
Discovery Channel about biological warfare and these gasses they have that can
melt your flesh.
“It’s a parasite that infects your nasal septum. It causes
you to bleed profusely through your nose and prevents the blood from clotting,
kind of like hemophilia. It basically can cause you to bleed to death from a
bloody nose without the nasal septum even being agitated,” she took a deep
breath and let it out “my grandfather had a nose bleed a few nights ago and
went to the hospital by his home in Seattle. It turns out he has this condition
and may not have long to live."
Don decided it must be something rare and
he didn't follow everything she was saying, but being a nurse
and all, she must have known what she was talking about “man! Whoa! That’s
crazy, right? So… like what are they going… or how are they…?”
“Treating him? Well, it’s a rare case, so the only thing
they can do is release him back home and tell him to keep his nose plugged with
something super absorbent. That’s why I came to your store tonight Don: to get
some tampons for my grandfather’s nose.”
All Don could do was stare wide-eyed at Mandy with his
mouth open which he quickly closed once he realized he was in mid-chew “so, do
you think he’ll be ok?”
“I don’t know, only time will tell,” Amanda said and
finished her slice “well Don, thanks for the grub, it really hit the spot, but
I have to get going. I've got chores to finish up before my trip and
I still have to pack.”
"Oh, ok, yeah I guess you have a lot to get done, but
Seattle; should be a short flight right?"
"Probably, except I'm taking am Amtrak," Mandy
stood up and grabbed her jacket "it was nice meeting you Don, take
care," she gave him a smile that shook his core. It was like being smiled
at for the first time. It made his heartache. Then she turned and headed to
the door.
Don decided he couldn't let it end there. He met a lot of
ladies but this one was different. He felt that this one was his destiny.
Granted he's told several women that they’re his destiny, but rarely felt it.
Plus, he figured that even though they just met, there was something more going
on behind those eyes and he had to figure out what it was "hey nurse
Mandy... uh, so can I get your number and give you a call when you're back from
your trip?"
She smiled again but shot him down "I don't think so
Don. I've got too much going on to involve someone else in my crazy life right
now, sorry. You were sweet to take me out to dinner though. Maybe I'll see you
at the store sometime."
"Wow, it usually takes a lady like... two weeks to
tell me that," he meant it as a joke but she didn't laugh “but I
understand, with your grandfather and his… nose. Have a safe I guess,” he went
in for a hug but she withdrew and extended her right hand which he shook with
his own.
“Thanks Don. Get home safe,” Mandy walked outside, got in
her car, and drove away. Don sat back down and had another slice of pizza and
wondered if he would ever see her again. Those eyes, that smile. He pulled out
his phone and looked up Amtrak departure times for the following day and some author Mandy mentioned named Douglas Coupland.
"Pull It" by Asher Roth
