Chapter 6
I want life in every word to the extent
that its absurd - - The Postal Service
After another month Abe's apartment had become a different beast entirely. He still had not passed judgment on his new surroundings because there were too many variables to contend with. For one thing the rooms smelled sweeter than they ever had; scents would pause to mingle in doorways and swirl around the hallways with drafts. Some of the new decor was a nice change of pace as well. Abe had always had a passive appreciation for flowers although he had never bothered to pick a favorite or learn more than a few of their names. Johanna introduced dried flora to almost every room in very subtle arrangements that lent the apartment color but saved it from looking like a crafts store.
There were, however, changes that were harder for the newly converted bachelor to contend with. The medicine cabinet, and most of the bathroom for that matter, no longer existed as he had known it. There were bottles and vials and linens and things that Abe was not even sure he was allowed to touch, let alone know what their purpose was. He felt like a timid guest in the bathroom of a seldom-visited great-aunt.
Abe's biggest worry through the whole process was non-existent, to his great relief. He and Johanna got along splendidly; as far as he could tell.
The twelfth of June was Johanna's last day of school. She popped her shoes onto the mat under the old wooden coat rack inside the door of the apartment which was to the point of becoming habit.
"Abe?" He was not in his usual spot, determinately sitting in front of his laptop at his desk trying to become a daytime writer so that he could spend the nights with her.
Johanna did not hear any water running so the kitchen and the bathroom were ruled out. She casually looked for a note but did not see one. She stuck out her bottom lip in confusion because Abe had never not been in his apartment when she came home from work. She supposed that he had no reason to be there any day of the week anyways and a million excuses to wander the streets but-
"You were looking for me. I caught you."
"Abraham! I was not!" Johanna tried to turn but Abe pressed her shoulders to the couch with his forearms. He kissed her neck and lingered with her fading perfume for a moment.
"Hhmm...What are you doing?"
"You're on vacation. I thought that was a pretty special thing, so I made us something." Before Johanna could ask Abe led her into the presumed to be empty kitchen. On the table was a bottle of what Johanna could immediately see was a very expensive bottle of wine and a plate of cheeses, crackers, and pates to compliment the Caberneigh. A diagonal trio of white tea light candles burned between two huge purple irises in the center of the table.
Abe pulled out one of the chairs he had squeezed to one end of the small table and beckoned Johanna to sit. She did without a word and Abe sat beside her. He slid one of the already full wine glasses to her fingertips and took the other for himself. Before she could speak Abe clicked their glasses together and drank. Johanna followed suit.
"What are you doing?" Johanna finally reiterated.
"Just a toast to your year. I wasn't there for all of it, but I hope to be here for the last of it. I thought we could eat until were full and drink a bottle of good wine, then walk uptown and see a movie. If we need something else we can find a deli or something later tonight."
"Abe, you don't need to..."
"I just forget to tell you how much I like you sometimes. I'm trying to catch up."
"You tell me that all the time, Abe," Johanna felt tears welling.
"Not as much as I should."
There was no stopping the dew from collecting on Johanna's cheeks then but her smile branched the water away from her chin. Abe waited for Johanna to flick her emotion away before he refilled her glass.
"Eat. I don't even know what some of this stuff is, so I hope you like it. This woman downtown picked this all out for me from the wine. Can you believe that there are people that know that kind of stuff?" Johanna laughed and shook her head.
"You're playing The Cardigans, too. You're so nice," Johanna smiled.
"They're your favorite."
"I know. You're unbelievable." Johanna kissed him to emphasize her point.
"It's fun for me to see you happy. Is that so wrong?"
"No, but shouldn't you be watching football or be playing poker or something better than this?"
"Come now, you know me better than that. I hang out with Elliott all day and turn down his offers to go to the bar with the rest of his friends. I have plenty of time to listen to music and second-hand smoke while youre out making a respectable living."
"Don't be modest. You cranked out that book in double time and they ate it up."
"Still havent quite figured that one out. It was just supposed to be a smokescreen."
Johanna shook her head in exasperation. "Whatever you do works for you. That's all that really matters." In between the banter they were making good progress on both the wine and hors d'oeuvres. Johanna was coyly sizing up Abe from the top of her eyelids the entire time.
"When I figure out what you've got up your sleeve its all over. You know that, dont you?" Abe simply nodded.
After another moment he extinguished the candles and swirled the last of the wine into their glasses. He drew a pitcher of water for Johannas irises without asking and put them back in the middle the table.
"To Gusto," Abe toasted. Johanna knew what he meant and after brushing the lip of his glass with hers he drained its contents in one measured swallow.
Before she could move Abe pressed his palm to the small of Johannas back and curled her into his arms.
"I love you; a lot."
"Aww, I love you too, sweet boy." Abe smile and let Johanna go to find her jacket.
They walked out into an air full of tones that were just beginning to be noticeable with the warming air. Sounds were deeper, smells were awakened, and they could feel swirls of everything else crashing into their bare skin as they walked the blocks past Abe's apartment building.
"It feels like there should be a soundtrack playing for us right now," Abe said absently.
"You're such a sap," Johanna told him but nonetheless clung a bit closer even though there was no real reason to do so.
"I just like music. I'd also like a soundtrack when I shower in the morning."
"You make one up, I've heard you." Abe blushed.
"You know, I'd never be strolling around at night like this if it wasnt for you. It's nice."
"How are things coming with the new project?" Johanna was talking about their joint venture.
"You know as much as I do. I have this feeling that I'll keep writing until a good end point becomes obvious."
"Oh yeah?" Johanna sounded a bit apprehensive of Abes reasoning.
"Not serious or anything. Don't worry about that. I mean, some conclusion we draw together or challenge or whatnot. Normal climax fodder. Could be something subtle. Just because we might end up together for ever and merrily after doesnt mean we can keep writing about it. That bit has to end sometime."
Johanna nodded in thought. "Hopefully we'll get some good material with me being on vacation."
"Hopefully. I'll probably end up thinking of something grand to write about in the meantime anyways. You develop certain habits even in a career as loosely defined as mine."
"More fluff?"
"Nothing but. It's nice though. Like you said once- a mental recess. The, um, factory belt part of the job. Automatic stuff."
They fell silent save the clack of Johannas shoes. She stayed close to Abe with an arm slung loosely through the handle his arm became when his hand was stuffed into his coat pocket. They walked the blocks smiling at their surroundings more than one another. Johanna was happy to be free of responsibilities for a couple of months and Abe was in a good mood for no particular reason. He was in high spirits most of the time since Johanna had come into his life and he was starting to believe that all those statistics about good health and cheer being related to ones relationship status may have had some truth to them.
Their arrival to the theatre was realized by a slightly thickened crowd milling around the ticket window facing the street. They stared up at the letterbox for a couple of moments before deciding on Shop Girl which, Abe informed Johanna, was originally a novelette by Steve Martin.
"Of course youd pick a book," Johanna teased.
"Hey, I fell into it and only have to answer to me. You, on the other hand, try to convince impressionable young people that its a worthwhile pursuit."
"I think it's paid off for both of us so far," she quipped. Abe could not argue and so he followed Johanna through the doors and found their screen.
"What an oddly quiet evening," Johanna commented as she hung her jacket on the backside of the apartment's only door. "We never sit in front of the TV and zone out. We hardly said a word on the walk either."
"You're right. Maybe the wine glazed us," Abe had bent over his laptop to check his email without bothering to take his outerwear off.
"We did drink the whole bottle before dark."
"I guess we're fortunate to be so interesting," Abe ventured.
"What are we going to do tomorrow? For the rest of the summer, for that matter. Oh, God, were not going to get sick of one another are we? Are we going to be on top of each other? If you have things to do during the daywhat do you do during the day?"
"Johanna, Johanna; youre making my head spin." Abe clicked out of Yahoo! and pulled her to the couch. "I have no idea what were going to do. And I have no idea what I do during the day; I never really pay attention. But I thought we would sleep in and then lie in bed wide-awake for an hour or so just because we finally can. Then we can go get bagels and coffee for brunch. I've got nothing after that."
"That's what you do every day, isn't it?"
"Because it's a very enjoyable way to spend the morning."
"Rub it in. I suppose we'll end up at the record shop?"
"Why, that sounds like a splendid idea, if I do say so myself."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "I wonder if all those bleeding hearts know that youre what they mean by supporting the arts?"
"You flatter me, darling." Abe stared at Johanna for a moment, taking in her eyes and the scarf that was always present around her neck or in her hair in random colors. It was funny how any tint that accessory boasted seemed to pull her eyes to a different hue.
"Do you know how often I want to tell you I love you and how beautiful you are and have to hold myself back? It's very frustrating." Johanna smiled, which only added to her un-attempted allure.
"Don't do that. It only makes it worse. Now I'm going to have to kiss you and probably tell you all those things anyways." He did.
"Hhmm. Do you have to write tonight?"
"No. I planned on taking a week off for you."
"Aw."
"Well, a week for me is..."
"Still," Johanna wrapped her arms around Abe's neck and pulled his forehead to hers. "So, what do you want to do now?"
"Guess."
"I like this," Johanna had kicked her hemp sandals off and was curling her toes around the wrought iron leg of the table she and Abe were occupying the next morning.
"We do this all the time," Abe said. He was still soaking his girlfriend in with amazement over her surprising energy the past night.
"I know, but now I have nothing hanging over my head, no commitments. Is this what it's like?"
"I guess. It seems a bit more thrilling for you."
"You're too used to it. We should go to the record store. I was kidding before, but I mean it now. I know you go there almost every day."
"I do not."
"Yes you do. And I don't want things to be any different. Unless me going makes things different."
"Elliott and I sit around for a couple of hours, drink coffee, act cynicalIts not very inspiring, to tell the truth. I go there to be depressed. Thats not a very good way to describe it because its not as though I want to slit my wrists when I get back home, but, there's a vibe in that shop that I like. Maybe it's because there are far more pop songs about cruelties than triumphs. The very nature of a record store is gritty. At least one thats run properly. That's the word I was looking for. Gritty."
"Now you're making my head spin."
"I'm just saying. It's not the best light to see me in. I get out all the bitterness with Elliott. I think we pull it out of one another. That's how our relationship works."
"If you don't want me to come..."
"No, it's not that. I think it would be great to have a fresh voice in the conversation. Just don't expect me to be my rosy self. If I ever led anything like a double life, you would find my alter-ego at the record store, is all."
"Well, isn't part of this whole relationship thing knowing all there is to know about one another? I doubt I would think any less of you because you get bitter every once in a while. Honestly, it sounds like a very healthy way to go about it, really. I mean, you don't drink it down, you never get cross with me. Is that where you get it all out?" Abe thought about it, shrugged, and nodded.
"Fair warning."
"Let's go."
"Morning, Sir," Abe greeted Elliott. The proprietor was in his usual stance; slumped over a magazine at the counter.
"Abraham. And you brought the Missus."
"She wanted A Day in the Life." The guys laughed at the Beatles reference while Johanna looked as confused as Jessica Simpson eating tuna.
Elliott poured fresh(ish) cups of coffee and joined his guests on the couch in the middle of the stores main floor.
"So, what's new today?" Abe asked.
"I checked out All-American Quarterback. It was Ben Gibbards first mainstream-ish band. They're not very good, but historically you can see how he got his start." Abe told Johanna who Ben Gibbard was and waited for Elliott to roll his eyes. He was cordial. The dynamic had changed. Elliott flicked his finger across a remote that had long since lost the ink under its buttons and The Postal Service was soon swirling around the room just loud enough to make the music another member of the part; exactly the way Abe and Elliott liked it.
"Ryan Adams was on Austin City Limits the other night. Mostly songs from Cold Roses. Good music, but it would be a hell of a boring concert. He barely moved. He's not doing heroin or anything these days, is he?"
"Not as far as Ive heard. He's going emo, though. That's what they do." Abe nodded and again Johanna was lost. The guys rambled on until their cups were empty. Abe could have stayed for another round but it was Johanna who was on her vacation and by that point she was just being gracious.
"Let's get out of Elliotts way, hey? He's got business to conduct, after all. No one had been in the shop but the three of them the whole time."
After a short farewell Abe and Johanna re-acquainted themselves with the warming midday air. There was a thin crowd to keep pace with on the sidewalks but it was no problem for either of them since at that point there was more coffee than food fueling their gate.
"It's nice to be able to be outside without extra clothes," Johanna said, "I hate wearing all that stuff."
"Why in the world are you still living in Chicago, then?"
"If I weren't I would have never met you, now would I?" Abe knew that Johanna wanted to stay close to her family and so suffered through winters she would have rather done without.
"Maybe we should go on a summer vacation," Abe said.
"Don't be silly."
"Why is that silly? We've got the money for it. Let's hop on a plane and go somewhere. We could go to Expedia and check out those vacation packages. I think they have good deals if you're willing to go whenever. Which we are, really. And we should be able to find something like that out of O'Hare."
"You have to work."
"I can bring my laptop with me. That's the whole point of the damned thing, really."
"Would you actually get any work done?"
"That's not really the point of a vacation, Doll. What's a week? I was going to take a week off with you anyways. We may as well be sitting on a beach somewhere rather than my couch. Come on, at least look with me."
"If you insist," Johanna smiled. She squeezed Abe's hand affectionately. He glanced a kiss off the side of her head and they hopped up the stairs in front of his building.
"Ok," Abe said, swirling his neck and cracking his knuckles as though he were a pianist. He played Expedia and the site popped up on his screen. Here we goVegas-eh.
"I'm going to get some juice. Do you want some?" Abe nodded. Johanna kissed the side of his neck before jumping up and sliding to the kitchen. When she came back with glasses of Welch's Abe had found their vacation
"Virginia Beach. $599 for five days with a rental car. Look, there's the hotel right on the beach and it says the strip is on the other side."
"Have you ever been there?"
"No. I think it's pretty touristy, but at least we'll be able to say we've been there."
"Five days?"
"That's the deal. Abe smiled at Johanna's hesitation. Let's take a chance."
"$1200 before food and everything?"
"Maybe two grand total? What's money for anyways? Please? I wanna go to the beach!"
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Fine. We are saving some money living together." Abe nodded, needing little justification for his own peace of mind. He booked the trip before Johanna could think about it any more.
"It's official. We leave Monday."
"Monday!?"
"That's the deal part. It's last-minute stuff."
"It's Saturday today!"
"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz..."
"I knew you'd warm up to this," Abe cajoled, squeezing Johanna's shoulder as she made blueberry smoothies in the kitchen on the morning of their flight to Virginia Beach. Johanna smiled in spite of herself and continued blending their breakfast.
Abe had noticed that over the last few months Johanna had started making him feel great in unplanned ways as well. His diet had improved in leaps and bounds with Johanna at the helm. Abe would normally drink a cup of coffee or three around eleven in the morning then move on to things that were either pre-packaged in his freezer or meals that entailed boiling water and adding butter with what came in the box. He had lost fourteen pounds and Johanna held him to one mug of coffee in the morning under the guise of expensive, organic, shade grown, yadda, yadda, yadda beans. He would rebel if she weren't right. At least she didnt make him admit anything.
Abe drank his smoothie sitting next to Johanna at the table. With a minimal amount of grief they had packed the evening prior. Johanna, apparently, had nothing to wear. Abe had wondered aloud if the comment was a philosophical argument, as the closet was bursting with Johanna's clothing. For his effort at supposition Abe received a slug in the arm.
"You know, it will be nine months this week," Johanna mused.
"You're right. You're barely showing." It took Johanna just a moment.
"Ow! Thats the same arm you hit last night!"
"Jerk! Barely showing? What does that mean?" Johanna was smiling and Abe was unabashedly giggling.
"Nothing. Just being clever."
"Who says you're even the father of this one?"
"I thought that busboy at the restaurant the other day was a little too friendly."
"We'll have to do something special."
"Sweetheart, I planned this whole trip around our nine month anniversary. It's the most important one."
"Bullshit. You didn't know until I told you."
"You caught me. Dammit, I could have saved a lot of money if I'd waited another three months to do this.
I'd be in school, remember?"
"Why weren't you the day we met, then?"
"It was a Saturday, dweeb." Abe nodded thoughtfully.
"You're right. I'm not very good at this. Perhaps that's why this has been my longest relationship ever."
"You think?" Johanna asked sarcastically. "I just know you're going to be worth it eventually."
"You keep hoping, baby. Whatever keeps the tears away at night." Abe shook the laughter out of his head and took their empty glasses to the sink.
"Ready to get going?"
"Mmhh Hhmm. Will you carry the big bag for me?"
"Of course. You have your set of keys just in case, right?" Johanna nodded and after a half-dozen other last minute checks were rattled off they were out on the sidewalk hailing a cab.
"Here we go, Abe said, and kissed Johanna for luck as they drove towards O'Hare."
"I haven't been out of Chicago in so long. This was a good idea," Johanna checked herself by adding, "Don't get all I told you so on me."
"I would never. I hope we have time to grab something to eat before the flight."
"I tell you, if you're not thinking about sex, you're thinking about food."
"Well, I only ate once this morning. We had sex twice." The cabbie eyed them in the rearview mirror and snuffed.
"OW!" Abe yelped, massaging his freshly punched arm. "That's the third time!"
"Wow, this is nice," Johanna said, entering their room. It looked like a run-of-the-mill Ramada to Abe, but he soon saw what she was praising. The sliding glass door at the far end of the room opened out to a porch just wide enough to accommodate a pair of white plastic deck chairs and a small glass table looking out over a boardwalk, the beach, and the Atlantic. Abe had first thought that having a room on the top floor would be a hindrance but looking out over the railing he saw that the sidewalk and driveway catering to hotel traffic would be cut from their field of vision.
"What do you want to do first?" Johanna asked. It was just after noon, with an hour added for the new time zone.
"Let's get some lunch," there had not been time for a second breakfast during their stop in Cincinnati, "And then walk the boardwalk. Or the beach." Johanna nodded, settling the matter.
"This is a really nice place," Johanna said between bites of blackened sesame tuna, "And right here." They were in the hotel restaurant on the first floor of the building. It too, like all the rooms, looked out onto the beach. The sidewalk that they could not see from their room gave the open-air dining space they were in a pleasant feel of business; like their conversation would not be overheard for the bustle of vacationers. Johanna was growing fonder of their situation by the moment. Abe smiled at his girlfriend as he sipped Corona number two.
"And who was skeptical about five days here?"
"I told you not do get high and mighty on me, Abraham. It's not becoming at all." Johanna looked comically down her nose at Abe.
"Noted. Love you."
"I love you, too." Johanna finished her fish and they left the restaurant in favor of the boardwalk.
It was unlike a Hollywood boardwalk in the sense that there were no vendors or shops or street acts right along the beach. Those were all on the other side of their hotel. There were people, to be sure, but it was that kind of vacation destination and the two lovers went right along with it hand in hand along the planks.
"Im tired already," Johanna harrumphed, and belly-flopped onto the bed. Abe put a Colin Hay disc in the tinny silver boom box he had brought along for just such and occasion and sat next to his girl.
"Well, day one was probably our busiest. We were up at six in the morning."
"For the record, thats when I get up every day. But you're right." She rolled over so her head was in Abes lap. He swirled her bangs behind her ear then traced his fingers along her jaw and across her neck until the tips were snagged in the beginning of her shirt.
"I'm beginning to be glad we have five days of this instead of two or three. I haven't had nothing in so long. And I've never had it for so long with someone like you." Johannas cooing was growing steadily drowsier. Abe continued petting her until she fell into a light and flitting sleep. Before the cd was done playing she was awake again.
"I told you not to let me fall asleep."
"No you didn't," Abe said with a befuddled chuckle.
"Oh. I meant to. You should have known," she smirked back.
"You only slept for a half an hour or so anyways. It won't spoil you."
"I'm getting up right now or else I'm going to start getting girly on you and I know how you hate that."
"Yes; perish the thought." Abe helped Johanna to a sitting position, though she was still leaning heavily on his arm.
"Let's go have dinner. We can buy food tomorrow. If we hurry we can sit on the beach for the sunset."
"Hon-"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"What?"
"The sun sets in the west. The sun will rise on our ocean. We'll have to get up early for that."
"Oh." Johanna looked a bit crestfallen at the news.
"How about this: When we get back from dinner or whatever, we can look on the weather channel or find a newspaper or something to tell us when the sun comes up. We'll set our alarm clock and the coffee pot for it and sit out on the porch. We can always go back to bed afterwards if we want."
"Oh, that's such a good idea! We should at least do it for the very first one!" His quick thinking earned Abe a kiss, which his slowly recovering right arm was thankful for.
They left the room in search of a meal. They had a rental car in the hotel garage so they decided to take advantage of it and cruised the strip they had forgone earlier that day. A restaurant situated along side an inlet and a long dock caught Johannas attention so they stopped.
The building was constructed like a beached and neglected ship. It should have seemed cheesy, but it was sided with real planks of dilapidated timbers and although neither of them was anywhere near expert on Atlantic oceanic history, the portholes, lighting, and ornaments seemed believable.
They spent their meal trying to gush over one another; it was hard. They were at the beginning of their first vacation together at the end of the country; they were at the beginning of their relationship at the end of formalities. It was another chapter in the book Abe saw writing itself every day. He was more a scribe than an author, just trying to keep pace with fates dictation.
They made love as soon as they got back to their room even though they were full and exhausted because that appetite knew no courtesy and was just as persistent as any other.
