{"id":6960,"date":"2014-05-05T00:00:48","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T04:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gadflyonline.com\/home\/?p=6960"},"modified":"2014-05-05T09:29:05","modified_gmt":"2014-05-05T13:29:05","slug":"professional-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/professional-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Professional_585x585\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you tested high on our anger scale,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

I nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOkay?\u201d\u00a0 The room we were in put us a little too close to one another.\u00a0 I tried reading the pamphlets on the desk between us to seem uninterested.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d she said, looking down at her notes. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to start the session off this way.\u00a0 Why do you think you should be here?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her skin was a shade of walnut.\u00a0 She had dark hair that was tied up loosely behind her ears by a single purple ribbon. \u00a0I sat on the wooden edge of a pool table in the middle of the bar.\u00a0 The seat put me at eye level with her.\u00a0 I think her name was Michelle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time that I\u2019ve seen you come in here alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlone?\u00a0 I brought the rest of them,\u201d I said, motioning to the rest of the group.\u00a0 They had begun to disperse around the bar, with their drinks or ladies in hand.<\/p>\n

Oh. \u00a0The girlfriend, I thought to myself.<\/p>\n

Michelle held my hands, and I thumbed at her purple nail polish.\u00a0 She smelled like perfume samples and cheap makeup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it like to have a free night?\u201d\u00a0 She said.<\/p>\n

My roommates were gone for the weekend; I had the entire apartment to myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d\u00a0 She said.<\/p>\n

I led her outside and into my car.\u00a0 A few minutes later, we were outside my apartment.\u00a0 Besides a few cars and some dim lampposts, the lot was empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Mark\u2026 and friend,\u201d Carlin sneered, from the apartment door across from mine. \u201cHow was the night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her head was just barely peeking out of her door.\u00a0 I could read the smirk on her eyebrows.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fine.\u00a0 It was busy,\u201d I said, making my way into the apartment.\u00a0 I pulled Michelle in with me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The office felt a little smaller and a little hotter.\u00a0 The doctor\u2019s face was a confusing mix of concern and focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe stayed the night then?\u201d\u00a0 The doctor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and I saw her a few times after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd where was\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways out of town. \u00a0She has meetings and conferences that take her out of town over the weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do you think that she\u2019s with other guys. \u00a0While she is out of town?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I doubt it.\u00a0 I love her, I guess.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019m here in the first place, to fix all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll?\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was lying across the lap of my friend.\u00a0 Her knees were straight, and she sat with her back against the headboard of her bed in the basement.\u00a0 Soft light poured in through the window wells surrounding the ceiling.\u00a0 I worked early during the summer and had time to lounge around before dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you think they are always upset at our meetings?\u201d\u00a0 I said.\u00a0 \u201cIf I go to offer my opinion, Jules and Christie simply ignore me or look distracted.\u00a0 We\u2019ve spent the last year or so looking over and refining our strategy.\u00a0 Yet, they still ignore the process and will not give us funding.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the second year of business for our small, 100 member, start-up.\u00a0 We spent most of our time looking into content strategies for local businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s your plan,\u201d Kate said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else could it be?\u201d\u00a0 I said.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve only spent the last few months managing.\u00a0 Most of the stuff that comes across their desks is just for stamping anyways, and I always stay out of their way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that it might be about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe? \u00a0What?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, their friend?\u00a0 The girl you spent all of that time with, sneaking around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was at the same time you were seeing your girlfriend!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still<\/i> seeing her.\u00a0 I\u2019m getting help, you know.\u00a0 I am going to a doctor to talk about it, so I won\u2019t do it again.\u201d\u00a0 The duvet I was laying on felt coarse now.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think that\u2019ll make a difference to Jules, Christie, or the rest of work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it make a difference to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We were out at an event in Atlanta for the weekend; part of the recruitment team had come from the company.\u00a0 Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Marquette, were all on our list of key schools to scout from.\u00a0 Jules had recently been appointed to executive, along with me.\u00a0 We worked together, along with two interns, to facilitate these collegiate resource fairs.\u00a0 We were there to shake hands and make a few of the college recruits feel welcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you think of being away from the grind?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is definitely different from working with our team back in D.C.,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cThese college kids are a lot friendlier.\u00a0 I could get used to working with all of them. \u00a0They seem to still be so full of life.\u201d\u00a0 She pointed towards a group of new hires from Tech, further down the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t that old, are we? \u00a0We have only been out of school a few years,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalm down, you\u2019ll hurt yourself if you try to act like them,\u201d Jules said, walking up from behind.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got a big day with Marquette tomorrow, so get back to the hotel soon, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d I said, \u201cwe\u2019ll be home before the street lights come on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jules, finishing her drink in a single swig, rolled her eyes and walked out.\u00a0 I had not taken my eyes off Lindsey and my fourth glass from the bar was making that task more difficult.\u00a0 We were like college kids.\u00a0 It was a weekend night and neither of us wanted to call it early.\u00a0 Lindsey and I rounded up the students across the bar and did a round.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like we\u2019re back at school. \u00a0Am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n

She seemed to agree.\u00a0 We snuck out of the bar, into the hotel, and pretended to be in school again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMark, have you got anyone else to talk to?\u201d\u00a0 She said, erasing and rewriting in her notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose you mean that I talk to my girlfriend about this?\u201d\u00a0 I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I feel like you have involved everyone.\u00a0 Do you have a friend who is not involved?\u201d<\/p>\n

I wondered why I should spend my time in that office. \u00a0Why pay her to talk to me?\u00a0 The pictures up on the wall had depictions of strangers smiling. \u00a0The word \u201cconfidence\u201d was written underneath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you suppose I do?\u00a0 Should I walk up to a stranger, and ask them how to fix me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, your problem is getting into every part of your life.\u00a0 If we find a way to channel it, maybe we can fix your life for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about Kate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Kate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is Kate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know someone who is involved, but not that<\/i> involved with my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

I left her office feeling drained and alone.\u00a0 I had missed text and calls that have not been returned.\u00a0 The warm weather was not a comfort.\u00a0 I got into my Chevy coupe and drove.\u00a0 I saw miles of green, trees and hills and mountains.\u00a0 I remembered the summer trips with my girlfriend.<\/p>\n

The sun beat down through the windshield while we cruised along to the sound of my shifting car and catchy tunes.\u00a0 Even slick with sweat, her pale skin looked perfect in the light.\u00a0 She smelled sweet from her lotion.\u00a0 It was impossible for me to take my eyes of her.\u00a0 She was beautiful and I loved her.\u00a0 I still love her.\u00a0 Why do I still search for comfort outside of her?\u00a0 I waste my time with these girls.\u00a0 Kate had been a wonderful friend. \u00a0I could talk to her.\u00a0 Kate would understand.\u00a0 Should I talk to her, before my girlfriend?<\/p>\n

I came out of my thoughts, some thirty miles along the road out of town.\u00a0 It was getting late.\u00a0 The air conditioning, humming in the background, had settled my wandering mind.\u00a0 I spun the car back around.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The lights were on inside of my girlfriend\u2019s house.\u00a0 From the car, I could see the television flickering romantic comedies and sitcoms.\u00a0 I had been there for an hour, so far.\u00a0 The heat from my breath had started a titanic scenario on the windows.\u00a0 I was wiping the windows, watching her house, and checking my phone.\u00a0 I hoped the message, \u201cI had just left the office,\u201d would keep her from calling me.\u00a0 I dialed Kate.\u00a0 She was still up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, I\u2019m going to set things right,\u201d I said.\u00a0 I opened my car door and began to pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll talk to your girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m outside her house right now. But, I need to talk to you afterwards; will you still be awake?\u201d\u00a0 I walked up to the front landing, and stole a glance through the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to settle things with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes; then, I\u2019ll be over.\u201d<\/p>\n

I reached for the doorbell.\u00a0 My hand grabbed my car keys instead.\u00a0 I shook my head, took another look through the window and headed back towards my car.\u00a0 I made sure the automatic lights would not shine through her window when I drove off.<\/p>\n

I waited for Kate to come to the door.\u00a0 I checked my watch in the moonlight; I had taken the long way over.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did everything go over?\u201d\u00a0 Kate said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was short.\u201d\u00a0 I reached for my phone and turned it off.\u00a0 I let myself in.\u00a0 \u201cCan we talk about this inside?\u201d I said, stepping through the doorway.<\/p>\n

She reached behind me and closed the door.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Dave Arbus is a senior Writing & Rhetoric student at James Madison University. \u00a0In his free time you\u2019ll find him memorizing rap lyrics and practicing his smile. \u00a0He hopes to one day to join the PGA tour and spend the rest of his life out on the links.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Her skin was a shade of walnut. She had dark hair that was tied up loosely behind her ears by a single purple ribbon. I sat on the wooden edge of a pool table in the middle of the bar. The seat put me at eye level with her. I think her name was Michelle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time that I\u2019ve seen you come in here alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlone? I brought the rest of them,\u201d I said, motioning to the rest of the group. They had begun to disperse around the bar, with their drinks or ladies in hand.<\/p>\n

Oh. The girlfriend, I thought to myself.<\/p>\n

READ MORE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":7090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,218,200,219],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6960"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6960"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7098,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6960\/revisions\/7098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}