All we have is now, and the arc of your brow

billygean ♦ July 16, 2009 ♦ 4 Comments

“Hello,” I say to MindReader.

We’re meeting for lunch. I gesture to the bag I’ve brought containing pasta and pesto. I’m culinary, me.

MindReader passes me a Starbucks and kisses me. He pauses a moment and strokes the side of my head.

I flinch and dodgy away.

“Wha?” He says.

“Oh, please don’t touch my hair,” I say.

“What?” MindReader says. He sits down and tugs my hand.

“I think,” I say, leaning forward, “that I am probably losing my hair.”

MindReader rubs his slightly receeding hairline and smirks at me. “I don’t think so.”

“No no, LOOK,” I say, and lift up a piece of hair just by my hairline, revealing – honestly – a BALD PATCH.

“You have ALWAYS had that,” MindReader says, which doesn’t help that much. “No – maybe…” He says, frowning and staring at my hair.

“WHAT WHAT WHAT,” I say, standing up and covering my hair with my hands.

“Calm down,” he says. “Naughty. Your hair is fine!”

I sit down and open my (corn!) pasta. “How was your morning?” I say, trying to ignore the broad smirk on MindReader’s face.

A wasp lands next to me.

“ARGH!” I say, getting up and flapping about. “OH MY GOD.”

“BILLYGEAN!” MindReader says, standing up too.

“Can we just walk around?” I say. MindReader looks around beautiful St Phillips Square. Everybody is sitting on the grass.

“Sure.”

“Sorry you were saying?” I say.

“Oh, just boring – file closing,” MindReader says. “Can we sit?” he says, gesturing to a monument with little steps.

We sit.

An earwig wanders onto my leg.

I jump up again.

MindReader rolls his eyes and eats his pasta while I scratch my legs and dance around.

“It’s ten to two,” he says, “I have to go now.” He smirks. “Thanks – for coming,” he says. “It was great!”