Very impressive words, I thought, but they sounded like polished excuses. “Partnerships… with perfume?” I murmured, the irony not escaping me.
He was already moving down the hall, the front door slamming shut behind him. The house fell into a heavy silence that seemed to press against my ears.
I watched the clock. One minute. Two. Five. I sat at the kitchen table, hands folded, waiting. Ten minutes. Exactly ten minutes.
The Collapse
Then a shout cracked the quiet. “DA:MN IT!” It came from outside, ragged, desperate.
I stepped onto the porch, my expression as innocent as I could manage, the smile practiced to a perfect line. He was climbing out of his sedan, his face contorted, one hand clutching his stomach as if he were trying to outrun a wave.
He rushed toward the house, his voice hoarse. “What did you put in that coffee? I’m not going to make it!”
