Monday, January 12, 2015

#72: What To Do About Alice? Part 6

"Can I help you with anything?" Regina asked Alice, who was making an early dinner for the household.


"No thanks, Regina," Alice answered.  "This will help me focus myself before work tonight."


There was a knock at the door.

"Hi, guys," said Peter.  "I hear there's food here!"


"Come on in," Bill welcomed his neighbor, "the more the merrier!"


"So, how'd things go with Kelly?" Peter asked Alice.


"Okay, I guess," Alice answered.  "She was very kind, and generous, as you would expect.  She offered to take in the baby if I needed her to."

"Surely that's not going to be necessary, right?" Peter asked, somewhat surprised.  "Because you can continue to live here, and have Regina and Bill's help, and mine--I can help with expenses."

"I think she's just trying to keep me from seriously considering an abortion," Alice replied.


"ARE you seriously considering that?" Peter inquired.


"Well, not at least without telling Dude," Alice said.  "Sooooo, I've got another whole week to think about it."


The group sat down to eat.


There was a knock at the door.

"Hi, everybody!" Kelly chirped, with somewhat forced cheerfulness.


"Help yourselves to some food, guys!" Bill called.

The group enjoyed a pleasant dinner, with no serious conversation,


although Regina noticed that Kelly was quieter than usual.


There was a knock at the door.

'This place is like Grand Central Station,' Bill thought.


It was Rafael--"That Guy"--for the second time that day.


Alice jumped up from her chair.

"What do you want, Rafael?" she demanded.


"Why, Alice--how charming you look in your ... umm ... service uniform," Rafael said.  "And I wish only to talk to you."


"You had your chance to talk to me at lunch today--then you ran out of the restaurant," she stated flatly.


"I apologize deeply for that, Alice," Rafael.  "I was so taken aback by what you told me that I didn't know what to say."

"But I notice you have a lovely park nearby in this charming neighborhood in which you live--will you walk with me, even for just a short while?"


Alice was exasperated, but didn't want to talk to Rafael in front of her friends.  "Okay, fine--but it's going to be a really short walk, because I have to go to work soon."


_______________

Alice and Rafael were only a few steps into the park when she rounded on him.

"I repeat, Rafael--what DO you want???"


"Alice, I will make this quick," he said.  "I have had a couple of hours to think about what you said, and to consider your predicament.  And I can give you the following options: (1) if you want to have an abortion, I will pay for it; or (2) if you wish to give birth and put the child up for adoption, I will support you financially during that time.


"In either case, once you are free, we can live together in a beautiful house!  But I WILL NOT raise another man's child."


_______________

The rest of the group had finished dinner, and were involved in a spirited debate about what they thought Alice should do.


Regina had begged Bill and Peter to stop looking out the windows at Alice and Rafael, and sat down at the computer in order to avoid the group discussion.


There was a knock at the door.

Bill turned to Peter.  "What the heck is going on here???"


"Hey," the new arrival explained, "I just didn't want to surprise you--I know you weren't expecting me back for another week."


"Dude--what the heck happened to the tour???" Bill asked, stunned.


"The band broke up," Dude answered.


"Is Alice here?" he asked.


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Custom content credits are in post #69.

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