Predictably, Jess spent the entire day prior debating with herself whether or not to call this trip of theirs off. She can think of more good reasons to go than to bail, and when she brought it up as a possibility to Malcolm, several days earlier, he claimed to be okay with the idea. She plans to slip her key under his door on her way out. If he's smart, he'll open up the office and take an easy case or two while she's away. Pocket the cash for himself. Yeah, she decided before passing out drunk, do it for Malcolm. You fucking saint.
She passes out early in the morning and sleeps until nearly noon, when a surge of noise from the street knocks her awake. Lying to herself about being undecided, and drinking a lot, instead of packing was a bad idea both in hindsight and at the time. Jess only regrets the lying part. While putting together a duffel bag, she realizes not for the first time that she doesn't really know what to bring to a cabin. Despite living in them for over a year.
Whatever. If she needs anything she doesn't have, there isn't time to get it, and her standard wardrobe got her through most seasons in the villages. She grabs sweatpants and extra t-shirts for pajamas, and scatters in every pair of clean underwear. His particular style of parking announces him before his knock (and Rocky's clacking paws) can. In the interim, as he ascends to her floor, she scrambles to grab shampoo and a toothbrush and shit she's not even sure she'll need.
"Almost," she calls back, her voice too dried out for enthusiasm. She's positive she's already overpacked yet plenty of room remains in her bag. Half that space she fills with sweaters and socks and a spare pair of jeans. Slung over her shoulder, she flicks lights off as she trudges down the hall with the duffel. In the office, Jess dumps it on her desk and leans down to give Rocky a brief scrub on the head. Then she crosses to the coffee table, the bottles on top of which still contain some liquor.
He looks like he's been up for hours, of course. She drones to him, "I haven't had coffee."
no subject
She passes out early in the morning and sleeps until nearly noon, when a surge of noise from the street knocks her awake. Lying to herself about being undecided, and drinking a lot, instead of packing was a bad idea both in hindsight and at the time. Jess only regrets the lying part. While putting together a duffel bag, she realizes not for the first time that she doesn't really know what to bring to a cabin. Despite living in them for over a year.
Whatever. If she needs anything she doesn't have, there isn't time to get it, and her standard wardrobe got her through most seasons in the villages. She grabs sweatpants and extra t-shirts for pajamas, and scatters in every pair of clean underwear. His particular style of parking announces him before his knock (and Rocky's clacking paws) can. In the interim, as he ascends to her floor, she scrambles to grab shampoo and a toothbrush and shit she's not even sure she'll need.
"Almost," she calls back, her voice too dried out for enthusiasm. She's positive she's already overpacked yet plenty of room remains in her bag. Half that space she fills with sweaters and socks and a spare pair of jeans. Slung over her shoulder, she flicks lights off as she trudges down the hall with the duffel. In the office, Jess dumps it on her desk and leans down to give Rocky a brief scrub on the head. Then she crosses to the coffee table, the bottles on top of which still contain some liquor.
He looks like he's been up for hours, of course. She drones to him, "I haven't had coffee."