22:41. He picked up the payphone.
"Hello" came her voice from the phone
"Hello Sara"
"Howard. Stop calling me"
"What's the matter?"
"First of all, you've been drinking..."
"So i can't have a drink?"
"... And i don't want anything to do with you after what you did with that woman"
"We didn't do anything"
"I don't believe you Howard"
"Listen Sara, i know i haven't been sweetest but i need you right now"
"Forget it!"
"Sara, Please."
"I said forget it Howard" And she hung up. He slammed the phone back on its handle and staggered out. He had been drinking. He wasn't used to drinking. And he started walking. Just to keep the pain in his chest away. He walked for a good while drinking from his fathers old hipflask. His walking took him across town to a woman he knew. Claire.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She opened wearing a business suit casually well. She invited him inside before he could even ask. "Good evening Claire"
"Hi Howard"
"Sorry for dropping by just like that"
"I heard what happened" She said and Howard winced.
"Yeah well. No one saw it coming"
"Few could. You want some coffee?"
"Make it Irish"
"Thats unusual"
"This day is unusual"
"Irish Coffee it is"
She nodded "So what brings you here? I would have thought you would go to Sara for comfort"
"Sara won't see me"
"So you went to me for comfort"
"For company. You're pleasant company Claire"
"You're too sweet. Even when you're low"
Howard nodded. A silence followed while Claire made coffee. She broke it by asking: "So when are you going to say goodbye?"
"Don't know. Do you know where i can get a cheap suit?"
"Yes, let me write down the adress for you"
As Coffee was done they both drank it in silence. He was not comfortable with the pitying way she looked at him. She stopped looking at him like that later. When their clothes were on the floor. No. She was not pitying him. She was giggling and sighing. It kept the pain in his chest away. He kept going. Losing himself to her. Forgetting the pain in his chest.
Claire woke him up. She had made coffee. Still tired, he took the coffee and drank it without getting out of bed. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the momentary silence.
"I'm sorry i was such a wreck last night. Still am" he said.
"You're going through a hard time"
"I know. I just want to forget that"
"Forget what?"
"That i'm having a hard time"
Claire thought about this
"When my father died my brother took it very hard. He took it so hard that he went drinking for 3 days straight. My sister cried her self to sleep the first two nights after the news. Although, our father was killed by the war. Not some heart attack"
"Whats your point?" He asked.
"My point being that you shouldn't be so hard on yourself"
Howard nodded. "It just feels unfair"
Claire nodded and wrapped her arms around him. His shoulders started to shake as he fought back tears and weeping. He couldn't. Later when he walked out the door with a note in his hand. He noticed that the pain in his chest was fading.
10:23. Howard bought a black suit.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
