The following is another excerpt from my unpublished/unfinished novel TUTTI, Chapter 2: “The Cage”.
The trunk of the car was filled with sacks and sacks of goods and materials purchased at the mall by Chad?s wife. Julie stood next to Chad and looked inside the trunk alongside him. Chad turned to her, and she looked extremely tired. Meanwhile, Ari and Seph were a virtual tornado around their legs.
?They were? too strong?? Julie said weakly.
Chad smiled. ?That?s okay, honey. We had too much money anyway. Our purchases of these useless toys that will be used twice and then cast away will keep the economy strong.? Chad pulled as many shopping bags as he could out of the trunk and lugged them into the house. Julie did the same. Two trips later, they had gathered everything.
Ari and Seph immediately tore into their packages, quietly ignoring their new dresses, shoes, and sweaters in favor of Belly Button Ring Barbie and Teenage Pop Sensation Barbie, which, Chad noted, were for all intents and purposes the same damned Barbie. Also prevalent among the girls? new acquisitions was more Pokemon paraphernalia, which they immediately began fighting over. Chad?s curiosity was aroused at this because he had been absolutely certain the whole Pokemon scene would have played out by now. Soon, the girls had collected all of their materials, and, leaving aside for one moment the new apparel their mother had so kindly purchased for them, ran upstairs into their room in order to absorb the new objects into their respective greater toy collections.
Julie plopped down on the sofa. ?Jesus.?
?Bad?? asked Chad.
?Uh-huh,? Julie acknowledged.
?Just be glad we don?t have boys,? replied Chad.
?Oh, trust me, I am,? Julie fired back.
Chad sat down on the sofa next to Julie, who saw an opportunity and, smiling sweetly, immediately put her feet up in Chad?s lap. Chad, who?d had such automatic behavior patterns drilled into his skull from relationships much earlier in his life than Julie, began to rub her feet. Moments later, he looked down and wordlessly noticed that he was doing so.
?I couldn?t help but notice that you mowed the lawn,? Julie said.
?And so I have,? said Chad.
Julie unzipped her pants and pushed them down around her hips. ?Time for post-mowing sex, then!?
Daily Hey Magic Number: 23