8:15am The two of them sat at the kitchen table. She eats "Fiber Pillows" and he scrapes at a burnt casserole dish. He says, "I dried your shorts last night. You owe me"She thanks him by smirking and filling her mouth with cereal. He kisses her forehead and leaves the dish on the table. When she's finished, she washes it reciprocally.
11am He walks into the hardware store with a catalog of safety apparel. He had circled an orange reflective vest. He follows a teenage employee down several aisles, more than necessary, he thinks.
12pm She locks the door to the house and lifts the flag on the mail box.
12pm He locks the car door and puts on his vest behind the dumpster in the Red Lobster parking lot. He has a tin whistle on a shoelace, which he places around his neck. He hikes up his pants. Takes off his glasses. Polishes them on his shirt tail, replaces them on his face.
12:15pm She parks in the Red Lobster parking lot, in the shade, next to him. She is wearing her shorts, orange with green piping. Her college track shorts. She texts him "Here."
12:17pm They meet under the crossing sign at the intersection. He pats her bottom and says "Ready, Betty?" She hops a little and takes a dip to stretch. Comes back up "Ready, Freddy."
12:20pm She squats down on the edge of the sidewalk and takes a runner's stance. He brings the tin whistle to his mouth. He watches the stop light. She watches the pedestrian crossing. She counts the cars in 3 seconds. Twelve.
12:21pm The whistle rattles pearly and spitty. She leaps into the street, sprinting in front of hundreds of stopped cars. Pumping as fast as she can to the end of the long, very long, 300 yard intersection.
12:22pm She doesn't make before the Hand starts blinking. A swell of honks.
12:23pm He waves from across the intersection of streaming cars. She nods and feels her back pocket vibrate. "Nice One. Almost, babe."
12:30pm She lines up again. Eyes on the road. 3 seconds. 21 cars. Its getting deep, she thinks. The whistle!
12:31pm She's out darting across the intersection. Someone yells out the window "Hey!" Almost there. Almost. Red Hand. Damn! She runs into his arms. And he toots the whistle just a bit from the force.
12:32pm "How many more you wanna do?" he asks. She jogs in place. Smiling, but shaking her head. "6 more?" she asks back. "Till the end of lunch?" "Nah" he says "speaking of lunch?" She smirks, jumping in place, "Honey, I wanna get this one."
12:35pm "Alright, then here you go get ready" She counts 25 cars. Whistle! and off
12:36pm She doesn't make it, again. As she stretches her hammies up on the pedestrian turn signal button box she hears the beep and wail of a police siren.
12:40pm Whistle! This time she walks back to him. The light turns when she's just barely in the middle of the street. She scuffles through the impatient right-hand turners. 5 honks.
12:45pm A heavy cop walks up to them and asks them what they think they are doing. He says "We think we trying to cross the street, officer."
12:46pm Police officer laughs a little and straigtens his expression. "You want to cause an accident?" "No" she says, "We're wearing orange so that they can see us clearly." She shakes her hips, her orange little track shorts."Yes, and officer, she is is moving across that intersection as fast as she can. Aren't you, honey?" "Well, yeah" she says "But I am a little stiff today" she rubs her calf. "What's going on here?" the officer asks again."Why don't you see for your self? Lights about to turn." she says to the officer, nodding to the light.
12:47pm The officer looks across the sea of traffic. The light turns. He blows on the whistle. The cop turns to him. He's grinning, "Go ahead" he says. The cop steps off the curb. An eager right-on-red honks. The cop hesitantly continues into the street. The Red Hand flashes. He's in the middle of the road. The cars flow around him.
12:53pm They wave at the cop. The cop brings his walkie-talkie to his mouth.
12:54pm They both turn and walk back to the parking lot, cutting through an island of prickly little trees strung up with strings.
12:56pm They give each other a little peck before getting into their seperate cars.
12:57pm "See you, Babe." he says "See ya. Hey what'ya want for dinner?" she says, putting on her black shades.
12:58pm "Maybe something quick from the grocery store." They talk through their driver's side windows. "Like what?" she says, squinting from the question.
12:59pm "I don't know? Whatever. Stuffed pasta shells?" She nods her head "Got it" and rolls up the window. Gives a little wave and pulls out.
1:05pm Her phone vibrates in the cup holder. She drives with one hand and presses the buttons. Its a text "Love you. Good show 2day."
1:06pm He's stopped at light "We'll get it 2morrow. luv u 2."
6:15pm She places the pasta casserole on the table. They eat.
6:25pm There's leftovers.
