Page 141 - In Five Years

over the years from everywhere she’s gone—high and low—lines the walls.
Bella is always trying to get me to buy pieces. “They’re investments in your
future happiness,” she tells me. “Only buy what you love.” But I don’t have the
eye. Any art I own, Bella has picked out for me—usually gifted.

Svedka hands me the water glass. “Now move,” she says, cocking her head in
the direction of the bedroom.

I find myself bowing to her.
“She scares me,” I say, handing Bella her water and getting back into bed.
“Leave it to Jill to find a way to imbue this situation with even more anxiety.”
She laughs—a tinkling sound, like twinkle lights.

“How did you even get these?” Bella asks me. She takes the computer and
opens it. The screen is dark, and she hits the power button.

“Amazon,” I say. “I hope it works. This thing is centuries old.”
It sputters to life, groaning at its own old age. The blue light flashes and then
stills, then the screen appears in a flourish, as if presenting—still got it.

I tear the last of the plastic and pop in a DVD. The screen buzzes and we’re
met with old friends. The feeling of nostalgia—pleasant nostalgia—the kind
imbued with warmth and not melancholy, fills the room. Bella settles herself

down and nuzzles her neck into my shoulder.
“Remember Stone?” she says. “Oh my god, I loved this show.”
I let the early two thousands wash over us for the next two and a half hours.

At one point, Bella falls asleep. I pause the computer and slip out of bed. I check
my emails in the living room. There’s one from Aldridge: Can we meet Monday
morning? 9 am, my office.

Aldridge never emails me, certainly not on a weekend. He’s going to fire me.
I’ve barely been in the office. I’ve been behind on due diligence and late to
respond to emails. Fuck.

“Dannie?” I hear Bella call from the other room. I get up and run back to her.
She stretches lazily, and then winces. “Forgot about the stitches.”
“What do you need?”

“Nothing,” she says. She sits up slowly, squinting her eyes to the pain. “It’ll
pass.”
“I think you should eat something.”

As if we’re being bugged, Svedka appears at the door. “You want to eat?”