|Sunday September 14th 2008 |
|Tempe, Arizona |
|James Caine’s Apartment|

I laid there in my bed next to Danielle. She was gorgeous and we had amazingly been together for about a month now. I moved myself up against the headboard of my king-size bed and lit a menthol. As I enjoyed the carcinogens filling my lungs I let my mind wander over work, and life.

My nephew was missing, I had a clusterfuck match coming up in a week, and to top it all off… I still had bills to pay, and a move to make. Somehow I had to deal with all this, and it seemed like nothing at all to me.

I mean hell what do I really have to stress about? I have money coming out of my ears, I’ve got experience out my ass, a wonderful woman, and I piss talent. Sure, my nephew is missing, but it’s not like he won’t be found. I’m going to have to move because the company is moving, but that’s no big thing, considering I’ll be moving back to what I consider home. Hell maybe I can buy back the old property and rebuild the original Alice’s. The only uncertainty there is whether or not Danielle would be as alright with the move as I hoped she would.

“unh…what’s the matter?” Danielle said half asleep as she rolled onto her side and looked at me.

“Nothing honey, just got a few things on my mind.” I answered her, as I kissed her forehead. I threw my feet over the edge of the bed and stood up after crushing out my cigarette. I stretched and walked to the sliding door, and gazed out at the night lights of Tempe. It was a nice looking place, but in all honesty I was tired of it. I was tired of the heat, the people, the prices… Hell maybe I was just tired period.

Danielle pushed herself up as she reached for her cigarettes, “You wanna talk about it?” she asked.

“Nah babe, it’s nothing your friendly neighborhood psychopath can’t handle.” I answered her as I reached down and grabbed my pants. The sound of the coffee pot in the kitchen caught my attention as it clicked on and began to percolate. “Damn…Morning already.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I almost wished she’d stop pestering me, but I knew this was the last time she’d ask. “I’m fine, it’s just that… I know you’ve gotten comfortable here over the past month, but… the company is moving to Michigan, and if I want to keep working then-“

“We’re moving back to Michigan.” She said finishing my sentence for me, almost as if she was making a definitive statement.

I stood there and just kind of stared at her for a little.

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

I tilted my head to the side as I finished putting on my jeans, “I wasn’t sure how you’d take the news.”

“James, my family is all back in Michigan, why would I not want to go with you? What kind of reaction would you expect?”

I thought about what she said, and realized that I now looked like an ignorant jackass. I dropped my head for a moment before moving to the end of the bed and crawling up to kiss her. “I’m sorry, I love you.”

“I love you too.” She replied, before I headed off to start my day.