Kyle.
Kyle started shaking Brett, “No man no please.” Brett took his last breath and died. Kyle held on to him tightly until he heard Garrett hollering at him.
“Hey man the choppers are here firing on the Taliban.” The Taliban had fled and they airlifted the men out of there. They took Brett’s body and loaded it on the chopper. Kyle stayed right beside him with his hand over Brett’s. Kyle looked down at the mountains where the firefight had ensued. It was a battle he would never forget.
Kyle woke up sweating and breathing hard. The sun was just coming up. He sat up and put his hands over his face and rubbed it. He went over to the water and washed himself up. He ate the rest of his dinner from last night and headed to his usual spot for another day of collecting.
*****
Elisa woke up and saw that the clock read six thirty a.m. “Oh my gosh I have to get up and get a shower and head to the office.” She jumped out of bed waking up Guy.
He turned over. “Well good morning to you too my Mon Cherie.” He smiled.
“I have to be at the office at eight and I need to get ready.”
Guy leaned up and pulled the sheets away from him and got up to get dressed. Elisa could have jumped back into bed with him and made love again but duty called. Guy pulled on his pants and put his shirt on and was buttoning it up. “So will you have dinner with me again tonight Elisa or even lunch today?” Guy asked.
“Not tonight, I want to stay home and go over some reports.” She was going over their quarterly reports for the magazine. “I am so busy that I may just skip lunch all together.” She went into the bathroom and closed the door. He could hear the water running in the shower.
He walked over to the bathroom door and opened it. He walked in. He could see through the shower glass Elisa’s toned and sumptuous body. He took off his clothes and stepped in. Elisa turned around, “Guy, what are you doing?”
“Taking a shower with you Elisa,” he grabbed her and they made love in the shower.
*****
Elisa got to the office with her coffee and bagel precisely at eight a.m. She had seen the same man again that she saw yesterday leaving her office out on the sidewalk holding that same stupid can again, begging for money. He looked at her and she turned away in disgust. He had attempted to say “Hello” to her but she ignored him and went into the building.
She wished that he would find another sidewalk to do his begging of society. As usual, she was dressed to the nine and alert. Guy had left her townhouse and said he would see her Friday to take her to the Greek Isles. It was Wednesday today and tomorrow she was working diligently to be able to take the rendezvous with Guy.
No sooner did she get into her office when her photographer, Carl Drixel, knocked on her door. “Come in,” Elisa said. She was sitting at her desk and was about to call her assistant to bring her in the quarterly reports. Carl opened the door and came in, Elisa looked up. “Yes, Carl” He hated to disturb her, but this was urgent and she would not like it.
“Um, Miss Drinnings, I am not sure how to tel--,” Carl began but Elisa interrupted him.
“Just get to it Carl, I am going to be up to my neck in reports. Sit down.” Her stern voice commanded that he do so and so he did.
“We have a problem Miss Drinnings,” Carl was nervous and looking down at this hands.
“What problem is that Carl?” This is not what Elisa wanted to hear.
“Getting the winter edition of Pose Magazine is going to be late.” Carl was rubbing his hands.
“Why is that?” Elisa asked sternly.
“You have the layouts I gave you so what is the problem? I want that winter edition of Pose Magazine on my desk before let me say, winter. So whatever problem you have you need to resolve it and soon.”
She threw her pen down and sat back. “Carl do you realize that in the fashion world not only is how you present your work important, but also timing is everything as well if you want to overcome your competition?” Elisa was sitting upright and rigid.
“Yes Miss Drinnings, but--,” Elisa interrupted him again.
“Then you will find a way to get this winter magazine done in the time I have specified. I do not care if you have to work 24/7 on this.
I know you value your job Mr. Drixel, and I value Pose Magazine as the leader in the fashion world, what people will be talking about, and girls who want to model for Pose Magazine. Now, I trust you will have this done in the time that I have allotted you, Mr. Drixel, or I will just have to do some rearranging. Do we have an understanding?” Carl knew what she meant by rearranging. “Tell those publishers of Pose Magazine that too.”
Elisa leaned forward and put her hands together. “Yes Miss Drinnings we have an understanding. I will be working around the clock to get this finished in time.”
“Good Mr. Drixel, now if there is nothing left to discuss, then this meeting is adjourned.” “Yes Miss Drinnings.”
As Carl got up to leave, Elisa said again, “Timing is everything Mr. Drixel. Always remember that.”
He shook his head yes and left her office. Elisa called her assistant in and told her she needed the third quarterly report. Her assistant got right on that. Elisa got up with her coffee in her hand and looked out her office window. She could see the guy that she saw coming into work. They lived in two different worlds and she wanted to keep it that way.
Her assistant knocked on the door and Elisa turned around. “Here are the reports that you asked for Miss Drinnings.” Sissy said.
“Thank you Sissy, put them on my desk.”
Sissy did as Elisa asked her. “Is there anything else I can do for you Miss Drinnings?” Sissy asked her.
“Yes there is,” Elisa walked over and opened up her Louis Vuitton purse. She pulled out her pocketbook a one hundred dollar bill.
“Give this to the man on the street out there. Don’t tell him who it is from, but ask him to please remove himself from the sidewalk and use another one.”
“Who are we talking about Miss Drinnings?” Sissy was confused.
“Come here Sissy and I will show you.” Sissy walked over to where Elisa was standing. She looked out the window. “See that man down there standing with that dirty plaid shirt on and jeans holding out a tin can?” Elisa asked her.
“Yes Miss Drinnings.” Sissy answered her.
“That is the guy.” Elisa handed Sissy the one hundred dollar bill.
Sissy took it. “I will do it Miss Drinnings.”
“Good Sissy. I always know I can count on you.” Elisa took another sip of her coffee. She had hoped this would work. A hundred dollars to a homeless man could seem like a million. She just hoped it would feel like it
