Page 39 of Absorbed

She grabbed several paper towels and tossed them on top of the mess, then looked for Murphy. After checking under the kitchen table and behind the couch, she called out “Murphy” repeatedly, her panic rising when there was no response and the space under her bed was bare. Finally, in the corner of her mom’s closet, behind long coats and dresses, Stacey found her dog curled on the floor, panting and shaking.

“Oh, Murph, it’s okay.” Stacey’s voice cracked with relief. She sat on the floor beside the closet and rubbed Murphy’s ears and neck.

Murphy whined, backing further into the corner.

“Shhhh… You’re okay. I’m sorry you were all alone. I’m here now.” Stacey’s eyes misted as her dog looked up at her, still too afraid to inch out of the closet. “Come on, girl. You’re okay. You can come out now.”

Slowly, Murphy staggered to her paws, her legs unsteady, then sat again, shaking, with long dresses draped around her head.

The closet was humid as Stacey leaned in, wrapping Murphy in a hug, and feeling the dog’s heart pounding against her own chest. Stacey closed her eyes, inhaling the damp scent of dog breath, and continued to make shushing sounds.

“Arwoooo,” Murphy yawned, ending in that high-pitched squeak that sounded more dolphin than dog.

The phone rang on her mom’s bedside table and Murphy jolted backward, shaking more frantically. Stacey ignored theringing and held her mouth next to Murphy’s ear, making calming shushing sounds. After the rings stopped, Murphy’s panting slowed, and she stood again. Stacey backed out of the closet. Murphy stepped her front paws out, but kept her body close to Stacey’s.

“Good girl,” Stacey cooed, running her fingers through Murphy’s long golden fur. Still trembling and panting, Murphy gently licked Stacey’s cheek, then climbed into Stacey’s lap, bumping her head against Stacey’s temple, as if encouraging Stacey to embrace her again.

Several minutes passed before the fireworks ended.

“Come on.” Stacey gently shifted Murphy’s weight off her lap, then stood and patted her thigh. “You need some water, sweet girl.”

Murphy trotted close beside Stacey’s legs and they made their way in tandem down the hall to the kitchen. Stacey filled the dog bowl with fresh water and set it down. Murphy began lapping it up.

Stacey stretched, arching her back. The wall clock read 11:15 and the answering machine was blinking. She clicked play and the familiar robotic voice reverberated off the Formica countertop. “You have two messages. Message one.”

Music and a man’s laughter erupted from the machine before Stacey heard her mom’s voice. “Heyyyy, honeeeey.” She was giggly and slurring. “I’m gonna stay here ta-night.”Here? Where’s ‘here’? Who is this guy?’“Call Suuu-sie if ya need any-thing,” she said loudly over the party, then hung up.

“Lovely.” Stacey eyed the mess on the carpet and pressed delete.

“Message deleted,” the machine announced. “Final message.”

“Uh, hi Stacey.” Gabe’s voice dragged, sounding irritated. “It’s like ten-thirty. I figured you’d be home by now. I’ve gotta work early tomorrow but I finish at noon. Maybe if you’re freebefore you go out with your work friends we could go to Tower Records or something? Gimme a call.”

Stacey bit her bottom lip and hit delete.

“You have no more messages.”

Sorry, Gabe.

Chapter Thirteen

At seven the next morning, Stacey leapt out of bed. She was eager to see Jessie at work and finalize the details of their date. Crunching into her buttered toast, she watched the clock, willing time to move faster. She had a clear vision of their date in her mind: holding hands while lying on the hood of her car, she would wish on a shooting star, then they would kiss. She’d struggled to fall asleep the night before, imagining the details. Now that it was finally morning, all she wanted was to see him again.

I should have offered him a ride,she thought, as she drove, turning from her street onto Jessie’s.It would be too weird to knock on his door now, right?She drove slowly and saw no signs of life out front.That would definitely be weird.Stacey pressed hard on the gas pedal and sped in the direction of the pool. She could pick him up if she saw him skateboarding along the way. She arrived at an empty parking lot at 7:50, wondering if she’d made the right decision.

Within five minutes, Bob’s blue Pathfinder pulled into the parking lot followed by Melissa’s red convertible Mercedes.Great. A whole day with Miss Self-Absorbed.Stacey willed herself to get out of the car. She dragged her feet as Bob unlocked the doors and flipped on the facility lights while Melissa chattered on and on about ASU.

“So, I’ll need a few days off to go to orientation weekend in August,” she said.

“We’ll figure it out,” Bob replied, swinging his heavy lanyard of keys as he walked out the back door to the pool and chemical room.

“I call hosing the deck,” Melissa announced to Stacey, following Bob out the door.

“Cool,” Stacey muttered over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the clock. She stood beside her locker, hoping to catch Jessie alone.

At exactly eight o’clock, Jessie pulled the front door open slowly, as if it weighed a ton. His eyes were red and his eyelids heavy. Stacey pulled all her hair over one shoulder and leaned against the plywood locker door beside his, staring at him and smiling as he entered the guard shack and crossed the room.

He walked straight to his locker and set his towel and wallet inside without acknowledging her.

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