The Apple & the Snake©

Free Online Love Story

Written by American Author Sky Taylor

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When Morey didn’t respond, he exited the limo and mounted the wheel, not too happy at that.

Then Morey had the audacity to twist towards him and comment, "You know, renting a limo was a waste of money. A compact car would have sufficed nicely - and we wouldn’t have an issue of passing."

"Thanks for the free advice," Mitch mocked as he adjusted the rear view mirror. "You might wish to consider financial counseling to supplement your golden years."

"Jealous?" Morey laughed, tossing back his head in the process. "I believe that you are. Nonetheless, I’ve already pointed out that I’m set. You know, you should consider the same, Mitch," deciding that he enjoyed addressing his former boss by his first name. Like sticking a pin in a voodoo doll, he silently mused.

Morey continued through the silence, "You shouldn’t be jealous. Why, I imagine that you’ve got more than enough money to retire right now if you wanted to."

"That’s ridiculous," Mitch barked back, trying to decide how he was going to pass the Lincoln. Good grief, what a big car - almost as big as the limo. What was a tiny old lady doing driving such a monster? Road hog.

"Not ridiculous."

"What would I do with myself? I would be bored silly. Same as you’ll soon be - and that’s why you’ll be begging me to rehire you. In fact, I don’t choose to accept your resignation," Mitch decided, feeling completely lost without Morey.

He couldn’t quit - Mitch wouldn’t allow him to do such. Case closed. "And I’ll double your current salary," he decided to tack on as an afterthought.

Perhaps he should have been better to him over the years. Although the pay had been generous, his away-time from work had not.

And he was suddenly haunted by the fact that they’d remained on a formal basis all these years. In the beginning, it had been necessary due to Mitch’s young age. What person in their right mind would choose to work for a teenager? ‘Child prodigy’ just wouldn’t cut the mustard as a viable explanation.

Choosing to ignore Mitch’s dig regarding his resignation, as well as the doubled salary Morey told him, "You could do all sorts of things with yourself - things that you’ve missed out on all these years."

"Like?"

"What about women? I’ve never known you to have a date - but then again, you keep your private life pretty private," Morey went on, labeling his thoughts aloud. "What private life you do have," he further mocked. "What about traveling?"

Mitch decided to address his traveling comment rather than the women one. He didn’t know beans about women - had never had time for them. He’d been too obsessed in building cities to do that. Too obsessed in financially securing himself to do that. And perhaps, too wrapped up in his work life to have a private life to do that.

Sure, he had all those natural urges that virile men possess, but restraint in itself was a virtue, right? Heaven forbid that his seasoned old assistant discover that he was a thirty-nine year old virgin.

"Morey, we have traveled-"

"No - not to cities, but to country sides, such as this," Morey stressed. His hand moved over the area as he continued, "While I’ve been enjoying the beautiful sunset, you’ve totally missed it. Rather than watching the beautiful sunset, it was the face of your watch that you saw."

Mitch had heard enough guff to last a lifetime, finding Morey’s words disturbing. His ‘hello life’ lecture totally sucked when it came to timing.

Gunning the limo to life, he punched the gas pedal, veering sideways and initiating the steep pass to the right of the big-ass Lincoln.

"I feel like I’m on my riding lawnmower when I’m mowing on the hillside," Morey laughed, frightened out of his wits, but too much man to apprise his former boss of the fact. If he wanted to be an idiot, then let him. Child prodigy at that.

Wheels gobbled up dirt and dust for a good five minutes, the entire area looking as if it had been hit by a twister. The little old lady and cat were mere mirages through the dust-fog as Mitch pounded his hands on the steering wheel of the limo. They were stuck. Stranded in the sticks. And it was all his fault.

"Told ya so," Morey mocked, the limo clinging to the side of the hill like rubber boots in a rain-soaked, unplowed field.

Now what? Mitch felt like strangling Morey - as well as the old bat and her cat. They were stranded without a chance in Hades of the cell phone working - not in this desolate strip of nothingness. He’d already punched the life out of the buttons and the battery was next to dead. It was the first time in his life that he’d felt utterly helpless.

Mitch was gazing like a stone statue into space as his window glass was being tapped upon. Turning, he saw the old lady holding her cat, her index finger pecking on the glass like a large crow.

"Now you’ve done it," Morey mocked, totally delighted by the situation.

Mitch thought he knew it all and it was sheer gratification to see him taken down a notch. Sheer gratification indeed.

Whirring the glass down, Mitch eyed the old lady a bit skeptically as she told him in a tiny, sweet voice, "Young man. You’ve totally ruined my camera lens."

"What?"

"My lens," she reaffirmed. "The dust storm scratched the lens - and this isn’t a cheapie."

"Meow."

Mitch darted back, trying to get away from the crying gold fur ball.

"I’m allergic," he explained, the lady drawing the cat closer to her, perhaps out of a sense of protection which was totally confusing to Mitch.

He was the one in danger - not her ugly-looking cat.

"Sir, are you going to pay for my camera?" the old lady insisted, her voice continuing to sound sweet and kind.

"And why should I pay for your camera?" he asked, totally taken aback by her unreasonable suggestion.

What she was demanding, although in a sweet tone, was totally ridiculous. Ludicrous. Outrageous - and something he had no intention of doing.

But he swiftly changed his mind when she told him, "Because if you don’t, I’m not going to give you and your friend a ride out of here."

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