Curtis and Carol ... Update: Big Picture
. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50167142311_7a59455592_k.jpg Curtis Stevens Update When we left off with Curtis, he and Susan had just failed the 112 Day Challenge. More importantly ......
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Missed
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Nicholas and Curtis had managed to make a few hauls to the City Dump,
And the Junkyard had sent a flatbed to scrap the cars and a few other items out of the yard.
Curtis figured on starting fresh, gutted the house down to the electrical and plumbing,
and sold everything he could get a dime for, to whomever was willing to pick it up.
When he sat down and looked at the balance,
he was going to need more money for the renovations than he had in the bank.
Falling back on what he had learned during the challenge,
he contacted the publishers he had used before.
They agreed to pay him enough to keep him in food and living expenses,
if he would write an account of his life struggles and time in the joint.
It was a bit different than his earlier romance novels,
and Curtis was forced to wrestle with his demons again, putting everything to page.
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Splitting time between working on the house, fishing for food and cash, as well as on the book,
Curtis was in the Java Hut cranking out another chapter one morning,
when something from his past came creeping back in … And not on the page.
It was a smell …
Not an offensive smell, but something floral … Not like a perfume and far more subtle.
Initially he couldn’t put his finger on what it was, or why it seemed to grab him.
All of a sudden it struck him … Shampoo!
The kind of shampoo you find in the foo-foo section of an up-scale pharmacy, next to the picture frames …
But not one you are going to find on the shelf at the corner drugstore.
Susan … It was Susan’s shampoo.
Susan had suffered with the best during the challenge,
but there were some things she just didn’t do without …
That shampoo was one of them.
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All of a sudden it came down on him like a ton of bricks.
Startled, confused, excited and terrified at the same time,
his heart jumped, skipped a few beats, and was threatening to choke him out.
Almost uncontrollably, Curtis snapped up out of his seat and jerked around …
Absolutely certain Susan was behind him.
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Curtis took a few steps …
Trying to gain some bearing, and following the smell.
The next few seconds seemed like a frantic eternity,
but he realized the café was now empty except for himself and Marcy.
After a few moments, dread started to sink in.
Curtis had been working on the book at the station closest to the door.
If it had been Susan, she would have seen him …
And she would have chosen to pass him by.
Curtis fought back the urge to run into the street outside to see for himself.
Marcy on the other hand, when he turned towards the counter …
Was looking at Curtis like he was a crazy man.
Obviously startled herself by what Curtis had just done,
She wondered what was coming next as Curtis approached and asked her a question.
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Curtis
”Hey, sorry if I scared ya …
I was just over there working on the book and wasn’t paying attention to anything else.
Was there just someone else in here …
Tall, dark hair, kind of good looking?”
Marcy relaxed a little and answered back …
Marcy
”Yeah … Buzzberry Tea and a Brownie.”
Curtis Chuckles and Asks
”What … What do you mean?”
Marcy
”Curtis … Not everyone is like you, sweetie.
A lot of customers don’t come here often, and don’t go through the trouble of introducing themselves.
So … In order for me to remember who they are and possibly be friendlier …
to me, those customers are what they order when they do come in.
She doesn’t come in here often, but when she does, she gets buzzberry tea and a brownie.
Sorry I can’t help you out more than that.”
To Be Continued …
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