Elysium Dreams

Tedium

His cell phone rang as he left the morgue.  His wife's shrill voice came over the line.  She was upset because their daughter hadn't come home yet.  He assured her that the girl was probably fine and that he'd check her normal hangouts before he hung up.

He didn't bother to mention that he already knew where the girl was; he had driven to her location while talking to the harpy he considered his wife.  As he sat inside his Cadillac Escalade, he could see her through the large plate glass windows that spilled light into the darkened street.  The SUV lights were off, but the engine was running.  He lit a cigar.  It was one of two places he could smoke; his wife hated the smell of cigar smoke.  However, he had bought the Escalade himself, so she allowed him to smoke in it and in the backyard.  As long as he picked up the stubs, of course, if he let any fall into the yard or left one on the patio, there was hell to pay.

As he smoked, he watched a group of teenage girls inside a pizzeria.  The youngest was only fifteen.  She was supposed to be home over an hour ago.  Her mother was going to be livid.  There would be shouting and screaming.  After all, there was a serial killer on the loose.

This girl, though, wasn't his target.  She wasn't his type.  She was too young, too wild for his tastes.  He preferred them to be prim, proper, full grown women.  Besides, she was his daughter.

No one else in the group fit his purpose either, but their waitress, she was a different story.  Her blond hair was pulled back in a very severe ponytail.  Her face was hard set as she disapprovingly served the group of unsupervised girls.  They were a little unruly in her opinion, and it showed on her face.

Then again, the fifteen year old currently shoving a slice of cheese pizza into her mouth, ensured that the waitress was safe, at least for the night.  His wife had been insistent that he go find the girl and bring her home.  If he didn't return with the girl, there would be hell to pay.

But he would give her a few more minutes to enjoy her pizza and her friends.  He finished his cigar, put the stub in the ashtray, and got out.  He adjusted his suit, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles.

He walked inside and made his way over to the girls.  They were giggling and smiling.  He was touched by their youth and innocence.

"Grace," he said to the fifteen year old.

"Hi, Daddy," she smiled up at him.

"You were supposed to be home by dark," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah," she blushed.

"Hi," one of the girls waved at him.

He smiled back, "Hi, Emily."

"Just one more slice?"  Grace looked up at him with a smile and wide brown eyes.

"I suppose, slide over," Henry moved into the booth next to his daughter and grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza.

The girls in the booth with them; Emily, Kara, and Brittany, were all seventeen.  Grace was on the basketball team with them and despite being two years younger, the girls all clicked.  But, as a result of the age difference, he and his wife insisted that most of the sleepovers happen at their house.  Their daughter was still not able to drive and they weren't ready to let her start dating or participate in any other rites of passage.

This meant the girls were at ease with Henry too.  Just a week ago, they had thrown a neighborhood block party that everyone had attended.  Henry was still proud of the block party with a bonfire and grilling in the snow, it had been a huge success.

Grace and Henry finished the pizza.  Henry stood up and handed Grace her coat.  He left money on the table for the three pizzas the girls had ordered as well as a huge tip.  He would see the waitress again.