Treasure Lost, Treasure Found

The Date

Rey answered her daughter's questions about the play in monosyllables. She was trying to sketch out a new piece tentatively called "Junk." She envisioned a piece of old crappy wood, scavenged from somewhere, with different items on it. She could pile them or glue them down. She just wasn't sure. The items would be junk for one person and treasures for another.

Kay was just chattering on and Rey did her best to listen on speaker phone. But there was some kind of noise in the background that made it hard to hear all of Kay's questions and comments. So Rey just said "hmmm" at her daughter and went on sketching.

Finally, Kay shouted, "How did it go, Mother? How?"

Rey was startled out of her thoughts. "How did...? Uh, fine, Doodly-doo."

She heard Kay groan. "Are you going to call me that forever?"

"Yep," Rey said. "What of it?"

"The play? Did you see Henry Barber?"

"Yes, I did." Rey wondered if she could find an old battered composition book to include in the piece. Something with character. "I even met him."

Why did she say that?

Kay sucked in a breath and barraged Rey with questions.

"Well, I saw Henry for a second," Rey said when Kay slowed down. "I was speaking with his father."

"Charles Barber?"

"The very one," Rey said.

"Oh," Kay said. "Why?"

"He wrote the play, Doodsy. And he was there at the party."

"You went to a backstage party?"

"I told you I was going to do that. Remember Rose from work?"

"No," Kay said.

"Fine, well, her husband is part of the company. They hosted the party, and Charlie and I talked."

"But not Henry," Kay said.

"He left early, I believe," Rey said.

"Oh," Kay said again, sounding disappointed. "Well, that's okay. At least you got to talk to someone instead of holing up like you usually do."

"I knew you'd appreciate that," Rey said. Her phone beeped another call.

"What's that noise?" Kay asked. "Are you getting a sales call or something?"

Rey looked at the number. "No, I have to go, Kay."

"Why? Who's calling?"

"Talk to you later, Doods." Rey hung up on her daughter and on Charlie when she hit the wrong button. "Fuck," she said and scrambled to call him back.

He picked up immediately.

"I hung up on you," Rey said.

"Hit the wrong button?" he asked with a note of humor in his voice.

"I hate this phone," Rey replied. "I had a perfectly good one and my daughter dragged me to Verizon and made me get this thing. I barely understood how to fucking work the other one."

Charlie dissolved into laughter on the other end. "I know. I know it so well. Henry... well, he says I'm a lost cause. I can't work this one either, and I won't let him get me another."

"I got tired of all the mutterings and dark looks," Rey said.

"If I bite his head off, he leaves me alone," Charlie said. "Sometimes." He paused. "Would you have dinner with me?"