AZOTUSLAND chapter eight

Martine woke up at 5 am. in her studio apartment and groaned. She was tired of waking up alone but wasn't about to "settle." She got up, hit the shower and ate a bowl of fruit before getting on the bike and making her way the seven blocks in the fog to the bike stand in front of Azotus.

As she rode up the door of the Theater opened and a woman dressed in jeans and a grey tank walked out the door and she had a man's army jacket draped over her. She was wearing shoes that looked kid-like. She had a hop in her step like a life-force.

Martine shrugged as she walked by in the cool darkness. After she locked the bike up she stopped and sat on the front step. Then she cried a little bit for reasons unknown even to her.

She wiped away her tears and smiled as Roo drove up in an old BMW.

Roo got out hauling a large backpack full of whatever. She hiked it up over a faux fur coat and said "Yo baby."

"Baby wants to take the elevator," Martine said. They walked over to the Batcave door then diverted to the right and hit the switch. The door opened and they got in.

"Good night?" Roo asked.

'No comment," Martine said.

They rode up in silence to the third floor, got out and Roo unlocked the big doors.

Roo made her way to the coffee station and logged into the computer. Martine lighted up the library and cleaned up some remains from the night before.

She felt sad. She saw the sports bottle in the corner and started to cry again.

Then she bucked up and went to have coffee with Roo.

Hans came in minutes later all flustered. Roo diverted him to much needed dish washing in the back.

Roo came over at one point and hugged Martine.

"It's okay baby...love has it's way."

Martine looked at her and believed. Roo had that way. She believed. She did not believe in men but she believed in Roo.

*******

Maugham rolled off the futon onto the floor at 5:34. He groaned and thought about how the evening had ended and cringed.

"Idiot" he said aloud. Rising he hit the various mice and return keys and Ops was up for w a new day. Jim walked in ten minutes later, took a look at Maugham in his boxers and said "take the morning off dude."

Then Jim tossed him a copy of Bateson's Steps to an Ecology of Mind and said "read it or shut up."

Maugham groaned and slipped on some sweat pants and an old navy shirt and waking drearily into the cafe not seven feet away.

Renata gave him a wary eye.

"Hey red! How about setting me up with...er...oh whatever..."

She handed him a double espresso like some Jedi with foreknowledge and he drank it down.

"Andy just sent me an email. You got business downstairs."

Maugham growled.

"Any food?"

"See Andy. He has day-old quiche."

Maugham moved out to Ops again and gathered his shoes.

Then he walked all the way down. He stopped on the next level and took a peak. Martine was standing at the edge of the counter looking far away. He kept moving.

She was an enigma to him. Beautiful and close, yet far away and a bit lost. He liked to just look at her when she wasn't aware.

He didn't feel worthy of her, but that was part of his bluster. Only a few knew. Jim, Simon (who fortunately was hardly ever there) and Cara.

He creaked open the door of the IC.

"Andy?"

"That's Troll to you Maug," Andy said.

"Any food?"

"You know there is...Roo arranged it. Last fridge bottom shelf."

"When was the last time I said I love you Andy?"

"Uh, never."

"Okay, I love you," he said as he fetched the quiche and slunked it into the microwave.

Andy scowled and went back to his abode.

Maugham checked his emails.

You certainly have the way with women Maugham.

Rnonymous

"Shit!" he muttered.

"Quiche is bad?" Andy smirked.

"Troll."

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