Today Is My Day

1226 words

    It was one of those days that held promise. The sun came out brilliant after three cloudy days of off and on rain. Ruby hurried down the steps of her brownstone. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk with the rhythmic tones of haste. She checked her watch, again and then huffed at the time.

  At the corner she turned sharply in front of a dog walker creating a traffic jam of tangled leases as poodles and beagles took the opportunity to run in circles.

  “Sorry,” she called over her shoulder as she entered her favorite deli. She needed coffee.

  “Morning, Ruby.”

  “Hey, Earl,” she didn’t bother to look up from her purse searching. “I need a cup of coffee, fast.”

  “Coming right up,” Earl spun around to the back counter and started her order.

  “Finally got an interview,” she told him, still searching her purse for money.  Her fingers kept finding the extra nicotine patch she carried for emergencies. Damn cigarettes. She wished she had never started but now, with the loss of her last job she had to give up and cut back. Finally, she located the five she had stuck in the bottom of her purse with scotch tape.

    “Ah, Ha,” she presented the bill with a sense of showmanship.

    As she raised her arm with the money her elbow caught a passing customer leaving with his coffee order. The coffee he was blowing on to cool bumped from his hand and spilled on the lapel of her jacket and down the front of her white silk blouse.

  “Stupid!” She flashed a gaze up at the offender and quickly frowned at him. He looked just like Steven. Impossible, Steven left months ago with another woman. She shook her head to clear the image. Damn patches. Every since she put the first one on the plaque of nightmares and hallucinations weighted heavily against the justification of need. It might be better to smoke.

  She grabbed her coffee and hurried out. She didn’t hear the clerk wish her good luck; she had a bus to catch. She might make it. The bus was doing good, making the green lights, few stops, she checked her watch again-- she just might make it. She studied the appointment card given to her by the Career Day Services.

  Printed neatly were the instructions: Homeland Securities, third floor offices at the Dunn and Bower building on fourth and Madison downtown, nine-thirty a.m. on the twenty-third. Today is the twenty-third, isn’t it?  She pulled her checkbook out and checked the calendar. Yes, yes it. Right day, coffee in hand, patch on shoulder, breathe easy, this appointment is going to be the one, this time the job was hers.

  She stepped off the bus and hurried to the revolving door and into the lobby where she came to a screeching halt. Are you kidding me? Is everyone going for a job interview here today? She peered around the shoulders of those in line at the guard running security. She checked her watch, again. This is not good. This guy looks like he’s eighty-four and moving like he’s dead. Who is that anyway? Is that the guy that used to play on Fresh Prince of Bellaire? Didn’t he have a game show? She sighed. Everyone is out of work these days.

  The line moved ahead three people. She checked her watch and absent mindedly tapped her foot on the tile lobby floor. She was getting closer but not fast enough. She thought about making a run for the elevators. After she got the job she could always flash her badge at the guard on her way out. Two more people cleared the check point and now she was only one person away from meeting her tormenter in the blue uniform.

    The woman in front her was large enough to block her view occasionally. She smelled like dead fish and tobacco, maybe she needs a patch, she definitely needs a bath.

    The woman moved forward quickly being cleared by the guard as an employee with the cleaning crew. It was her turn. She would make it after all. She held her appointment card out for the guard to see but was pushed back suddenly with the appearance of black suits.

  Where did they come from?

  Two men in front flashed their badges at the guard, as two other black suited men behind them held another man by the arm. That one’s face was covered. Is this a spy movie? What the hell? Who are these guys, homeland security or the men in black?

    “Hey,” Ruby grabbed the arm of one of the men holding onto the guy with his face covered. “You need to get to the back of the line.” She pulled hard on his arm, twisting him slightly.

  It pulled his coat open and revealed he was armed. The force also pulled him against the man he was holding making that guy’s mask slip enough for Ruby to catch a glimpse.

  Whoa! She released her grip and quickly stepped back. What she saw made her gasp. Men in black for sure, delivering their latest catch no doubt. She saw that kind of face before, on the TV show V; an alien invader from the lizard planet.

    The men showed their credentials and were ushered through the line and into a private elevator on the left of the lobby. Ruby finally cleared the line and headed for her elevator to the third floor. The music was soft, relaxing, her heartbeats slowed with the reassurance that she would make it. She thought about the guy in line. Probably just my patch again, the poor guy probably just had an allergic reaction to something, hell; it could be just another brain burp.

  She decided after she got the job she’d celebrate by taking off that damn patch and having a smoke. She’s earned it.

  “Ruby Sterling to see Mr. Cummings,” she announced herself to the receptionist on the third floor.  The girl scanned her making Ruby concerned.  What? Something unbuttoned? “This is just coffee stain from a clumsy dude..”

    She didn’t have a chance to finish her explanation.

  “This way,” She was being shown to a room past the reception area by a man in a black suit. He walked in front of her leading the way. He seemed familiar.  Oh, yeah, the dude with the lizard man, the one with the gun under his armpit.

    He opened the door to the small room barring a table and two chairs. Looks like a police interrogation room. Wait a minute; it really does look like an interrogation room. She quickly looked at the man. He had led her to the room and now stood in the doorway glaring at her.

  “I’m here for an interview,” she explained. Cat got your tongue? Say something lizard catcher, at least blink. “What?” 

  He said nothing as he pulled the door shut. She was alone. Ruby looked around the room, realizing that the walls were sort of padded. At least there are no two way mirrors. Maybe that’s not a good thing? A lightly padded room, and no windows or mirrors for anyone to see what is happening; that might not be a good choice. She decided if she ever got out of that room again she was buying a carton.