Dreamland

Falling Like a Ton of Bricks

I'm working in a dusty old factory, we make bricks, blocks, and pavers. I'm pretty tired at the end of the shift so instead of walking the long way through the factory, I decide to take the shortcut out the back exit. You're not supposed to, because you have to squeeze by a big pile of bricks and blocks, but some of us do it anyway.

We call the pile "The Cinderblock Project", an inside joke. The factory owner's son has some big degree in engineering, and he worked for the company for a couple months after he got out of school. He designed these fancy shaped blocks that were supposed to have better "structural integrity", or something. Then he had us stack them all up in this pyramid pattern with spaces in between. I guess it proved something, but he couldn't get any big accounts interested in buying them.

So Junior went off to work for GE, Dad left the big block pile standing as a monument to the kid, and five years later we're still selling the same old blocks and bricks we always did.

So I'm trying to get past the block pile and I see some of the pieces have fallen and the exit is blocked. Rather than turning back I decide to climb up over the top of pyramid to get out on the other side. As I'm climbing the pile is shifting, and by the time I get to the top the whole thing gets so unstable it comes tumbling down with a big roar, with me sitting on top.

All the workers come running out, and once they see I'm not hurt they start laughing. The boss calls me into the office and gives me hell, but he doesn't fire me, at least.

After that I'm walking through the factory towards the front exit and Elaine walks up alongside me. She's one of the secretaries, a real down to earth girl. I enjoy talking with her whenever I see her outside for smoke breaks. "I heard you knocked down Junior's Cinderblock Project, it's about time somebody got rid of it!"

"It wasn't on purpose, believe me. I'm lucky the old man didn't fire my ass."

"No, you're lucky you didn't get your ass killed!" she says.

She puts her arm around me and leans into me with her hip suggestively, "I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

I'm somewhat surprised, and it shows.

She takes her arm away. "I'm sorry, I guess with the way we're always talking I thought you might really like me... you know, might want to be more than just friends."

"Oh Elaine, I like you just fine, and I definitely would like to be more than just friends with you. But the thing is, I'm married."

She puts her arm around me again, and whispers in my ear, "Well then, we'll just have to be careful."

I put my arm around her, and we walk through the parking lot past her car and towards my truck. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but something about her makes it hard to resist. I lean over and say, "There's a little motel up the highway a couple exits past town."

She nods, smiling, accepting the offer.

As she's getting into my truck I ask, "Do you want to stop and have a drink first?"

She says "Maybe next time, but I gotta be home before six, that's when my husband gets home..."