The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Miles Read Free Book Online Page B

straight in my seat, my pulse pounding at my temples.
    “Hello?”  
    “Look,” I said without any introduction. “It’s not that I don’t see a future. In fact ... I’m gonna lay it out there, Carrie. I like you a hell of a lot. I rated my possible schools by the places you’re most likely to be. I’m honestly ... a little overwhelmed by how quickly my feelings have developed about you ... us. But it’s an adjustment for me, all right? It’s not even been a month since the only thing I could look forward to was making it through the day without getting shot at.”
    She was silent, but I could hear her breathing. Finally she asked, “Did you really do that?”
    “What?”
    “Rate your schools by where I might be?”
    I coughed. “Yeah. Yeah I did.”
    “Start thinking Georgetown or American University then. I’ve got a place here at Rice ... but I’m up for a fellowship at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. I’ll know in a couple more weeks.”
    I swallowed. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
    “Nothing to forgive,” she replied. “And … it’s just crazy to pick out schools based on where I might be.”
    “Right now it’s crazy for me to think about where I’ll be in a week. Much less, next year. But I gotta start somewhere. Might as well start somewhere with a friendly face.”
    “What if you turn out to be a crazy stalker?”
    I sighed. “Then you tell Alex, and Alex will tell Dylan, and he’ll hunt me down, and we’ll have an epic battle, destroy some buildings, flip buses around, make a big mess. They’ll call out the Air Force, but those wusses will run away, so then they’ll send in the 82 nd Airborne.”
    She chuckled, but I wasn’t done making an ass of myself yet. “Anyway, when the 82 nd Airborne fails miserably, as they undoubtedly will, they’ll send over the Marines, and we’ll send them packing for a swim.”
    She snorted, and I thought Carrie might be the only person on earth who can make a snort-laugh sound sexy. “What happens then?”
    “Well, then they send in Chuck Norris.”
    “You’re ridiculous.”
    “I’ve lived this long, haven’t I? I know what I’m talking about. Chuck will recognize what badasses we are, we’ll all go for a drink, and then Dylan and I will punk him and get back to business. And then finally the President sends in his ultimate weapon, who finally subdues us.”
    “Who? The secret service?”
    I scoffed. “Are you kidding me? No, he sends in the IRS.”
    “That’s it, you’re doomed.”
    “Yeah ... anyway. I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” she replied. “It’s just….”
    I listened, waiting to see if she’d continue.
    Finally she did. “It’s just ... I’m almost thirty. I’m not looking for a commitment, Ray … it’s too soon. But I am thinking about the future. I mean ... I want to be a mom someday. I don’t want to waste my time if you’re just looking to get laid.”
    Part of me wanted to give her a flippant response. Part of me wanted to say, “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.” But that was a small part. Instead, my thoughts turned to Weber. He would have said: snatch the happiness you can, while you can.
    So instead, I said, “Carrie, look ... I like you a lot, okay? We’re still getting to know each other. Let’s give it a chance.”
    “Okay,” she responded.
    “Good. You defend your dissertation the week after Thanksgiving, right? What are you doing after?”
    “Getting a good night’s sleep.”
    “No,” I said.
    “What?”
    “You’re picking me up at the airport.”
    “Ray…”
    “No arguments. I’m taking you out for a fancy dinner Friday. And dancing. And whatever movie you want to see. Or drinks. Or whatever in the world you want to do. Okay?”
    “Okay.” Her voice was quiet.
    “I’d come out earlier, but I promised my mom I’d be home for Thanksgiving.”
    “It’s all right, I’ll be in San Francisco this weekend anyway.”
    “Whole family getting