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Pillow Talk
1210 East Walden Ave.
Her thin pink lips parted and made a faint smacking noise. This was always an indicator to Wallace that Rebecca
was ready to have a serious talk, but hadn’t quite formulated exactly what she wanted to say.
Wallace eyeballed the alarm clock on the bedside table and it read 9:45 p.m.
Jesus, he thought, can’t I just finish reading this chapter and go to bed, I don’t have the right kind of head tonight for one of Boop’s weighty chats.
“Wally baby,” Rebecca yawned, rolling over on her stomach, “What are you reading?”
She definitely wanted to have a serious talk. The evidence was in her eyes. They were
somber despite her front of indifference. She rubbed her two big toes together and swung her legs
from side to side. Wallace loved when she wore pink polish on her toenails,
but tonight they were clear and he could see calluses on her feet from her recent
go at the gym. He couldn’t remember the last time she had wore the pink polish.
“Boop,” Wallace started with a frustrated tone, “you know what I’m reading, it’s the same book I’ve been reading the past two weeks, The Brothers Karamazov. What’s really on your mind?”
“Sooooorrrry. Jeez, I didn’t know, thought you might be reading something else.”
Rebecca flexed her butt and picked at her nails. She always had to be moving or talking,
she loathed being idle. Wallace admired her shapely backside covered by a thin layer of lace.
She was wearing a pair of red panties that he had never seen. Blood pumped to his nether regions.
He wanted to touch her, but knew it would get him nowhere.
“I can tell you want to say something, so just say it,” Wallace said, closing his book.
“I don’t know. Nothing really, just thought we could talk. We haven’t really talked much lately.”
Wallace sighed and propped his pillow underneath his head. He put his hand on his stomach and didn’t like what he felt.
It was about 20 pounds on the heavy side. He made a mental promise that he would go to the gym the next day.
“We talk a lot baby. I am just trying to finish this chapter, and I’m tired. I don’t mean
to be rude, but tonight I just feel like being in my own head.”
“OK, no prob.”
He watched her walk out of the room and noticed she was wearing one of his old college t shirts.
He secretly loved when she had a piece of his clothing on. He closed his eyes but could not get
settled. He knew any minute she would come back in the room for more.
“Baby,” Rebecca called from down the hall.
Wallace closed his eyes harder and pretended not to hear her. She was in the laundry room folding clothes.
He could hear her humming and singing some top forty hit. He imagined she was doing that ridiculous dance
she was famous for – booty shaking and head bobbing all around.
“Baby? Are you sleeping?”
Wallace opened his eyes and Rebecca was standing in the doorway. Her auburn eyes were full of light
and her smile was immaculate. Fuck, he thought, she is beautiful.
“No, was just resting my eyes a little.”
She crawled on the bed and straddled him. Her face was in his face and a couple of strands
of her hair tickled his cheek. He hoped he had used enough Listerine earlier to eliminate
the smell of cigarettes on his breath.
“Wally, why can’t we just get married?”
She kissed his cheek and rubbed his chest endearingly.
“We can babes, and we will.”
“You always say that Wally. We have been together for three years now. Don’t you
think it’s about time? I mean, I’m thirty two, you know. I want to be young and beautiful for my wedding.”
Rebecca climbed off of him and grabbed a pillow to put on her lap. Spare change turned over in
the drier and made a horrible clacking noise.
“You will always be beautiful Boop. I don’t understand what the rush is. I mean,
were perfectly happy now. I don’t want to be one of those cliché couples that get
married and then hate each other.”
“Why would you even say that? You know we wouldn’t be like that Wally.
Our love is different. It’s sacred. I just want to get married to sanctify it.
I want the whole world to know that you are my man forever.”
“I know all that baby, and I promise we will. It’s just a big decision, and a scary one.
And, you know, we seem to fight a lot.”
Oh shit, Wallace thought, she is pissed. Her eyes always gave her away, and there
was an anger storm brewing.
“Jesus, Wally. Why are you so afraid? I can’t believe you have all of these reservations.
Yeah, we fight sometimes, but everybody fights, that’s just how it is. We move on
from it, we always do, and it makes us a better couple.”
“Babe, I know, it’s just…”
“Wally, fuck, that really hurts my feelings that you feel that way. I thought you were sure
about us. I know I am.”
Tears of mascara streamed down Rebecca’s face. She walked into the bathroom and slammed the
door shut. Wally knew he fucked up. He loved her very much, more than he had ever loved anyone.
He wasn’t sure why he was so afraid. He did want to marry her, he just needed to
let go. He needed to trust in her, and himself. The sobs grew louder from behind the bathroom door.
“Boop? Let me in, let’s talk.”
“No. I just want to be alone.”
Wallace rested his hand on the bathroom door and laid his forehead on his fingers.
He looked over at the nightstand and noticed that Boop forgot to return the movies again.
He turned around and let his back slide down the door and landed on his butt. He knew he was in for a long night.
Timothy J. Flagg is currently a program director at the Boys and Girls Club of Montgomery County in Crawfordsville, IN.
He designs and implements art and educational after school programs that serve elementary and middle school youth of Montgomery County. He has a passion for serving youth and believes each one of them has the potential to be an extraordinary person and thrives on helping that person manifest his or her greatness.
He writes and paints because the voices inside his head tell him to. Really though, he makes art because it makes him
incredibly happy. There is nothing more fulfilling to have an idea come to fruition that before only lived inside your own imagination; and share that idea with others you love and hope to love. He loves art in all of its forms, and is grateful to wake up every day and absorb, create and help others create as much art as possible.
"I live with my beautiful girlfriend and her wonderful son and they inspire me to be a better man everday."
Email: Timothy J. Flagg
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