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Jaruzel.com
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The phone rang, awakening me from a deep slumber. In a confused bleary state I reached over and picked up the receiver. "Hello?", I said. There was a pause, and I rubbed my eyes with my free hand and started to haul myself into an upright position. The voice on the other end replied, it was a husky female voice with a slight trace of a slavic accent. "It is time.", she said. There was an audible click in my ear, and the line went dead. I pulled the reciever from my ear and stared at it, as if questioning it about what had just happened. After a moment, I gave up and replaced the handset back on the cradle. There was a murmur from the other side of the bed. I looked over to see Nicola's head emerge from under the sheets. "Who was that?", she said. "I don't know.", I lied. I rarely lie to anyone, but this was a complex situation and I didn't want to involve Nicola in it. My life was already too screwed up as it was, without that added complication. I threw back the sheets, and swung my legs onto the floor. "I have to go out", I said and stood up stretching. "Go out where?". Nicola was now fully awake and sitting up. The covers had fallen to her waist, her nakedness creating an apparent vulnerability that was deceptive. Nicola could look after herself, I needn't worry about that, but this was a situation I had to resolve myself, and although it hurt to be dishonest, I had to keep her out of it. "It's not important, I'll call you later", I replied, and walked into the bathroom to get washed. Whilst in the shower, I heard the front door slam, and made a mental note to prepare a crafted excuse and an offer of dinner for when I call her. Once washed and dressed, I walked some way from my North London flat before hailing a black cab. I don't like to think that I am being watched all the time but it pays, especially in my line of work, to be careful. "Where to, mate?", the cabbie asked. "The Lord Aberconway Pub, near Liverpool Street station, and can you put your foot down, I need to be there by 1pm". The cab sped off, and I sat back to watch London fly by outside the window, lost in my own thoughts. |
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