I Am Curious (Thirty)

April 10

It has been so long since I saw him that I answered the phone without even thinking that it might be him. He. Him. Who cares?

I’m rattled. It’s not a familiar sensation. I’ve been in such good shape lately and now I’m uptight again.

It was between two-thirty and three, and the phone rang, and I didn’t even think it might be Eric. I picked it up and said hello with bells in my voice.

“Jan? I want you this evening. Come at eight.”

“I—”

“Eight o’clock.”

“I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I have been out of town.”

“I see. Uh, I have a date, sort of.”

“I know.”

“How do you—”

“With the two queers.”

“They’re not exactly—”

“They are not expecting you tonight, Jan.”

“I don’t follow you.”

“I broke your date for you. To simplify things.”

“How could you do that.”

“I’ll expect you at eight.”

“Who are you?”

“Eight o’clock.”

End of conversation.

And I suppose if I don’t go two huge men dressed in black will come here and lead me to him in chains. And I suppose if I go right now and grab a plane for Timbuktu I’ll get off the plane and step into his arms.

I tried to reach David to break the date. No answer. Arnold would be working now, but I tried his phone to be sure. No answer.

He says he broke my date for me. How?