"FWLS39" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"Look, about this date I'm on..."

"Yeah?"

"It's not working."

"I know that. Trust me, man, all will be cool. I can't
talk longer than ten more seconds or you'll lose your window.
Get back to the table."

"What? But--"

"Call me later and tell me how it goes!" he 'grinned' again,
and hung up.

I shrugged, made the experimental pound-on-the-phone-and-
get-my-credit-back motion, and trudged back to Nancy's table.

"I managed to cancel the order," Nancy said. "If we're
going to call it a night, I had better get back to the plant.
Lots of stuff to do now that I have the time."

"Yeah. I guess I'll head home too."

"If you're ever flushing yourself down a toilet, stop by,"
she joked, then got up and lurched her way to the door.

I didn't get it, I pondered mentally, swirling a straw in my
flat soda. I mean, the ad claimed 97% success. Maybe this was
the universe's way of telling me I should become a monk.
Clearly, the one true love of my life didn't exist. When fate
was pairing people up, I was busy taking an extended trip at the
water fountain.

How depressing.

I decided I'd make up for it by getting completely smashed
out of my skull on alcohol. I don't have a drinking problem, but
I had been meaning to get one.

"Waitress?"

"We're closing up, hon."

"Huh? But it's only nine!"

"I know, but someone just bought the chain and changed our
hours. Just got off the phone. I'm supposed to hustle everybody
out the back door." The waitress promptly hoisted me up and