Projections

“Faking it,” I tell Carlos, “only has to happen once. Then it’s part of the entire texture. The whole thing would be over.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What scares me. You know, act euphoric and you feel euphoric.”

“Malcolm, I’ve waited all my life for this! Don’t get squeamish. Take a pill.”

[This post is an excerpt from Diary of a Heretic, the novel. Click here to read the first episode, or here to read the previous one.]

“If I wasn’t a little scared, I don’t think I could do it, Carlos.”

“Where’s Maggie?”  he asks. “Talk to her. Because right now, I’ve got to work.”

“Sure, but what you’re setting up, the big financial picture, et cetera, scares me, too. What’s happening with your projections, Carlos?”

“Oh please. I understand every factor here and I am not going to blow it.”

“I want some idea, though. I want to meet the accountant.”

“The accountant!” Carlos scoffs. “You are defining a sacred, transcendent realm—which four nights a week you share with all kinds of people, and you want to spend your days talking incomes and outlays with Herb Plochman?”

“Herb Plochman? That’s a real guy?”

And Carlos steps back, holds his chin, grinning with delight. “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Malcolm?”

“Huh?”

“Filled with grace and as paranoid as ever.”  And then Carlos drapes his forearms over my neck.  As enthralled as I’ve been, he hasn’t run his hands down my back in weeks. If he was ever going to kiss my lips like he needed them to survive, you’d think he’d do it now.

But oh, he does more. He sinks to his knees and slips his head under my gown. Suddenly, Carlos is all mouth and rough tongue.

(Click here to read the next episode.)

Comments

[Rufus]

ooh-la-la!
Herb Plochman has nothing on Carlos.

[Kathleen]

You're right, Rufus. Carlos and Herb don't get mixed up together. Welcome as that observation is, though, it makes me wonder if I haven't written the story in tangles. It's supposed to be about Malcolm and Carlos, and as gerald pointed out a few posts earlier, religion--a burgeoning cult religion, which is Carlos's only mission.

[Rufus]

No tangles... I just couldn't get the thought of Herb Plochman out of my mind. I'm sure that with Carlos's help, Malcolm could, however.

[Kathleen]

Thanks for the compliment, Rufus, whether I deserve it or not. Perhaps the name "Herb Plochman" suggests attributes that never occurred to me. Malcolm doesn't even think he's real.

[Dan Leo]

Hey, this is starting to remind me of the Catholic Church!

[Kathleen]

Dan, I've read that "cradle Catholics" are Catholics for life, no matter how far they stray. They can lose or even denounce their faith but it still hangs them up at least until death. Malcolm and Carlos fit the mold.

[BillyWarhol]

Naughtykins!!

In the skool of thought "Hike yer Skirt Honey! We're Mowin' da Lawn!!"

;PPP

Remindz me of when I had a Fantastic Opportunity to Sell my Web1.0 Co. Partypix to an eVite type Dude* I would have got $250 Grand + Shares in the New Co. + $80,000 a Year Salary*

The only problemo was he wanted to see Financials from Herb Plochman!!

Screw that Crap!!

I did have some decent "Real" Sales under my belt showing U could in fact make a killing at this - however U'd have to Extrapolate those Sales + Project them out 12 Months or whatever Creative Accounting Enron Method U wanted to use!!

Ohhhhhhh Sooooooooo Close yet so Far*

;))

How does Google get to be the #1 Most Profitable Co. in the World Giving Everything away fer FREE!!

[Manny]

I guess this is why religious types wear gowns, huh?