Easily Amused Read Online Free Page B

prom.”
    “It was junior year,” he continued. “And I couldn’t use my dad’s truck because it was in the shop getting transmission work done, so you drove. We saw the sequel to that Scream movie. It was really hot that weekend, and afterwards we drove around with the windows open singing along with the radio. Remember?”
    Only vaguely. I wished I had his memory for details, but my high school days went by in a blur. College too, come to think of it. It was only lately that time seemed to drag.
    Now he stood and listened intently as Myra spoke, her short arms gesturing vigorously. Hubert found whatever she said amusing. But then again, he was easily amused. He threw back his head and laughed, delighting both women and making the husky sit up and bark.
    “I’m back,” I said when I got within earshot.
    My announcement had the desired effect—Belinda and Myra began to say the kinds of things that lead to a departure.
    “It was so nice meeting you, Hubert,” Belinda said. She added, “Maybe I’ll see you around the neighborhood.” Her tone was pretty flirtatious for a woman in her forties. She pulled the two leashes taut, and the dogs rose excitedly, anticipating another walk.
    “Don’t forget,” Myra said, giving Hubert’s arm a squeeze.
    “I won’t,” he said. “Nice meeting you, ladies.”
    Myra walked slowly across the lawn to her house next door, while Belinda headed down the sidewalk to the end of the block.
    “Good-bye, Roger. Good night, Muggles,” Hubert called out after her. Both dogs paused and turned their heads.
    “Buh-bye,” Belinda said, waving and smiling, and then she continued on with a spring in her step I’d never noticed before.
    Roger? Muggles? “You know the dogs’ names?” I asked, dumfounded.
    “Of course. Dogs are people too, you know.”
    It wasn’t until we were settled in easy chairs on opposite sides of the living room that I heard the story of how Hubert came to be in my house.
    “Kelly locked me out,” he explained. “And I didn’t have my shoes or my cell phone or my wallet or anything.” He rolled his eyes and held up his palms. “Wouldn’t you know? As it turns out, my neighbor was leaving about that time. I flagged him down as he was driving away, and since he was going downtown and your house was on the way, he said no problem, he’d be glad to drop me off. It worked out perfect, lucky for me.”
    “She locked you out? On purpose?”
    Hubert ran a hand through his thick brown hair, a gesture he made when uncomfortable. “Well,” he said and shifted in the chair. “It’s not all her fault. Kelly’s been working a lot of hours lately, and she’s under a lot of pressure. A lot of pressure. And she has an artist’s temperament. When she comes home, she likes things to be a certain way. I know that, but I just wasn’t thinking—”
    “For God’s sake, Hubert, what happened?”
    He sighed and squeezed the arms of the chair like he was getting a tooth drilled. “After I cooked dinner tonight I missed cleaning up some marinara splatters on the back of the stove. It was obvious after she pointed it out, but I’d somehow zoned out and completely missed it. I said I’d clean it up, but she said that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that she shouldn’t have to follow me around pointing out my mistakes. Then later when I went outside to get the mail she locked me out. I knocked on the door, but she wouldn’t open up. She said she needed some alone time and I should go for a walk. I waited a long time, but I was getting kind of cold, and that’s when I saw my neighbor leaving.”
    “She locked you out?” I knew I was repeating myself, but the point seemed emphasis-worthy. “You do realize, Hubert, that this is not normal behavior?”
    “Who’s to say what’s normal?” he said, looking wounded. “Everyone’s different, Lola. Not everyone’s like you.”
    I could tell by the look on his face that Kelly-bashing was off limits. Still, I