Hidden Sanity

Chapter 14 - Midst

Jack moved around his office. He felt so hot. Might be because of the tension with him by trying to fight himself before losing his sanity. He was beginning to wish he'd worn a tank top and shorts to work. Of course, he didn't look a bit overheated. He was still wearing his suit jacket. He wanted to talk to Alice. Now if only he could get up the courage to call.

He took a wheezy breath. The heat bothered him a little. He tugged at the collar of his white long sleeve. He might have to take a medication but he was so far from his apartment. He left his pills there.

He got his phone from the table. He stared at the number in his phone for a moment. Then he dialed and listened to the hum of the dial tone, feeling a little dizzy. He called Alice. But Alice had hung up on him immediately.

That's a little ungrateful.

He walked away from his office. He started walking fast down the sidewalk toward his apartment, head down.

It was hot. Really hot. Although it's cold outside, he felt hot. He could feel the heat going off his body, spreading across his face. His long sleeve was stuck to his chest and back, damp with perspiration. And there was that buzzing in his head that he hadn't heard for a long time. It was a loud buzzing, like having a big fat bumblebee in his brain, but somewhere in the buzz he could hear Alice's voice. I looked up to you! I hope you knew that. He could almost feel the sting of the sweat that ran across his bare nape.

Jack hurriedly hitched up a cab and shuffled up the street. He pushed the imaginary bee out of his head. Pushed Alice out of his head. He wasn't stupid. He didn't care what she said. A man who had done the things he had done and gotten away with them couldn't be stupid.

Why would she hang up on me? I was trying to explain, he thought. But that wasn't it at all. Of course not. He realized that he had just shocked Alice to what she saw from him.

Jack immediately started to rationalize. That was how he calmed himself, kept himself in control. He was just caught off guard by Alice. That was all.

He wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd go back to this apartment and make some ice water then drink his pill. He'd park himself in front of the TV and watch.

But in the meantime, Joe and Alice were out together for another date.

They walked their way to the restaurant.

Alice spoke, "I'm sure this isn't a dirt-cheap restaurant. Is it?"

Joe laughed. "I accept your irony but I won't take a beautiful girl like you to an inexpensive restaurant."

"Oh, then that's great."

"What foods do you like to eat?"

"I eat everything."

"Even goat's brain?"

"Eww. Was that even a food?" She looked disgusted by the thought.

Joe laughed and Alice laughed with him. Joe said "People nowadays like to eat exotic foods that aren't actually foods back in the ancient times."

"So what are you trying to say? I'm from stone-age? Joe, people normally eat animals back in the ancient times. It's just that, nowadays, people add more preservatives to make it look like and sound like delicious. But it's disgusting, I don't eat meat, fresh meat, I mean."

"But you like fried chicken? And fried fish?"

Alice looked at him and stopped walking. "Do you really want us to eat? 'Cause you know, if not, I'll go back... I'm really craving for fried chicken tonight!"

"So that's the food that you want. Finally, you answered." He smiled.

She sneered in amusement. "Jesus, how could you be so smart to figure that out? Really? Goat's brain? That's a brilliant idea to make the whole thing go to my answer. Bravo, Joe, Bravo!"