A pleasant residential block, clean-cut and bright, like a good many others in this quiet suburb of Houston. Except this particular block was packed at the moment with mobile television units, police cars and even a snack wagon. Cameramen, reporters, and technicians filled the streets in front of the house, awaiting the emergence of Janice Kirk.535Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtTi4nAPI7
Robbie Cox, clutching a freshly acquired plastic cup of coffee, lowered himself to the curb and sat. Glancing to his right, he said, "We've got to stop meeting like this."
Abby Rojas said, "Go spritz up a rope."
Cox gave a hollow chuckle. "Very good, Abby, pretending to hate me. No use letting all those other turkeys know how deeply we feel about each other. None of ABC's business, or PBS' or...."
"Why didn't you shave this morning?"
"I always shave. I'm always immaculately groomed, Abby. Around the corridors of NBC I'm called Dapper Ron." He rubbed tentatively at his cheek. "Didn't stand close enough to the razor this morning. Buzzing unsettles me."
"More macho propaganda," remarked Abby, taking a sip of coffee.
"How terrible is the coffee?"
"Not too."
"Means it's godawful."
"Then don't drink it."
"Have to. I'm useless without my morning java," Cox said. "I'll bet this stuff isn't even as good as what they give out free to storm victims." After some preliminary fiddling he got the plastic lid off his cup. "Everything nowadays has to be either unwrapped or opened."
"Um," said Abby.
"Seems like I'm always unwrapping things. Wake up, take the cellophane off the drinking glass, take that funny waxy paper off the Howard Johnsons soap. Even my toilet has a paper band over it, to tell me I'm the first one to sit on it this time around. A virgin toilet. I have a fear that if I stay in the sack too long, they'll come and wrap me up in Saran Wrap."
"You poor thing."
"I'm serious. After awhile you forget what city you're in. It could be Houston, Cincinnati, or Cairo. Everything's the same, including most of the people. There's got to be a factor, someplace secret, where they make Howard Johnsons waitresses."
"Maybe you should get into another line of work. My first cousin started a chicken ranch out in Loma Linda and he..."
"No, Abby, this is my calling, my life's work," said Cox. "What I'm saying is things would be a lot more bearable if I were going through this with someone I cared about, someone who could share all these dehumanizing things with me, someone to stand by my...."
"Bullshit!"
"That's not quite what I had in mind."
"Oh, get a new act, Ronnie. This one's so damn old, I think you've even pulled it on me before."
"Act?" He struck at his chest with his free hand rolled into a fist. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, there was Ruthie Hess in California, during the primary out there. You did the plastic society business with her, plus your both being witnesses to the unfolding-of-history bit."
Cox gave a lopsided shrug. "It worked!"
"Anything works in California."
"But really, Abby, I'm sincere with you. I honestly feel..."
"Bullshit, if you'll forgive my repeating myself."
"You wouldn't know sincerity if it ran over you."
"Not if you were driving it."
Cox gazed heavenward. "Why, God, did I have to fall in love with a wise-ass broad?"
"Probably because we're both witnesses to history unfolding," suggested the blonde.
"I give up." Cox tried his coffee. "Dang!"
"Don't give up so easily. Just change your approach."
"Oh, so?" Carefully he dumped the coffee into the gutter. "What kind of approach would you suggest?"
"You need to be a lot more direct----and honest," Abby told him. "I admire a guy who just comes out and says, 'Hey I'd like to screw you!'"
"You think that would work?"
"Stands a better chance than the stuff about sharing a meaningful life together."
"Okay," said Cox. "I'd like to screw you."
"Go screw yourself."
A modest commotion commenced around them. Cameramen scrambled to their feet, reporters grabbed their mikes. The front door of the house had opened and Janice Kirk had stepped out into the morning.
Cox bounded over to his soundman and retrieved his microphone. "Good morning, Mrs. Kirk."
Another newsman asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Are you excited?"
"Do you get much sleep?"
"I'm sorry you have to wait outside the house like this so much," Janice began. "There's not much I can say, except that, yes, I'm very excited. Everything seems to be going very smoothly, for which I'm very thankful. Dr. Roddenberry called me to tell me Jim and the crew are in good spirits."
"How has all this," asked Abby, "disrupted your family routine?"
Near the girl's ear Cox murmured, "That's a good question."
Abby jabbed him in the vicinity of the heart with her elbow. "Not as sparkling as your 'Good morning, Mrs. Kirk,' but not bad."
".....the kids will continue to go to school," Janice was saying. "We'll try as hard as we can to have a normal life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back inside. I just came out to say hello to all of you, and to thank you for being so very patient."535Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHQOaNJ7Cb
