Chapter 400

Even though I did not have sex Saturday night and absolutely did not have a threesome, I still wanted pancakes. Harvey was up and moving even before me. He was back in the shower and in there a long time, while I pretended to be asleep. When I was sure that he was dressed and down checking his email or writing on his blog, I went into the bathroom.

I did my morning things, I empty and sterilized the holding tank, then stood under the hot shower for a long time. I probably didn't need it as much as Harvey, but it still felt good.

Once I was dressed in a black tee and jeans with only a few small holes in them, I switched out the Glock for my Smith and Wesson concealed hammer .38. The smaller revolver was much easier to conceal, and I felt that it was way more dependable than any automatic. Plus I really didn't need a pistol all that much anyway. What I did need was coffee. Coffee must have something to do with that power conversion thing, I thought. I had really begun to crave it, so surely it did serve a purpose.

After the coffee was on and cooking away, I reheated a plastic cup of what was left from the night before in the microwave oven. It was still good to me, since I loved my coffee old, black, and bitter.

"Good morning Harvey," I said as I looked back into the dining room. I had passed him on the way into the kitchen but since I hadn't have any coffee, I did not speak to him. He had seemed busy, and I had the coffee on my mind anyway...

"Good morning Maxine, you look lovely even with the shoulder holster.," he said.

"Rig, Harvey, we call it a shoulder rig," I said. "Well that's what I call it at least. A holster is something you wear on your belt. The rig is more a system. What I carried the Glock in yesterday was a holster."

"Oh I see. That is interesting," he said. I could just tell that the explanation would be in that night's blog entry. I didn't mind.

"So I have no idea what you vegan idiots have for breakfast, but I'm going to have Russian pancakes. At least I'm going to have pancakes from the Russian Pancake House," I informed him.

"I'm sure that I can find something on their menu," he admitted.

"Do you write about being an almost vegan in your blog?" I asked.

"Yes a lot of entries are about the compromises that I have to make," he suggested.

"Okay, well get ready to go and we will head out," I suggested. Even though it was early spring, I needed either my coat or my big sweatshirt to both hide the pistol, but also to look as though I felt the same things the real people did.

"Do you exercise at all Harvey?" I asked in the truck on the way to breakfast.

"Sure, I run some mornings before breakfast," he said. "I try to at least walk a half hour on the other days."

"Well, I walk after breakfast. Are you good with that?" I asked.

"Sure I'm good with it. I can't run far or fast anyway," he said.

"She what kind of damage do you have?" I asked.

"Back, they fused several of my vertebrae and I have PTSD," he said matter of factly.

"Okay, well let me know if there is anything you need for the next few days," I said. I felt for him. I knew what chronic pain was like. Emotional problems, I had my share in the old life as well.

At first I felt very lucky that the parking lot wasn't crowded, then I understood why. The restaurant was closed. I don't mean closed in the sense that they were on vacation. I mean closed in the since they were on vacation forever. "Son of a bitch," I said looking at the place.

"When was the last time you were here?" Harvey asked.

"Just a few weeks ago. I guess threesomes are not as popular as they used to be." I said.

"What does that mean?" Harvey asked.

"Just a private joke, I always came here after a night with a threesome. It was just a bad joke started by an old friend." I said.

"Was he a part of the threesome?" Harvey asked.

"Sometimes, well at least the first time," I said. "Now I guess it is the grease pit Waffle house for us."

At least it was a short drive to the Waffle and Egg. To be honest their southern style pancakes were better, but it just wasn't the Russian Pancake House. I had no idea why I was so determined to do the Russian Pancake House, when I hadn't completed the first part of the ritual. Still I felt a sense of loss.

We dragged ass over breakfast, so that it was 9AM when we finished. Walking through the mall wasn't the same with Harvey moving so slowly. He seemed to be in pain with every step.

"Harvey, don't you have anything for the pain," I asked.

"I have a script, but it is way expensive, so I take OTC stuff and it isn't all that effective first thing in the mornings. I will be fine in an hour or so." he said.

"It's Sunday can you get the script filled away from Capitol City?" I asked.

"Probably, my drugstore is a national chain. I'm sure it's in their computer. But honestly Maxine, I'll be fine." He promised.

"Harvey, if we have to move quickly, I don't want to be dragging you around. This one is on me. It's not for you, It's for me." It was the truth, almost.

"Well we can try," Harvey said. "Thanks Maxine."

"Like I said, it's for me," I didn't want his thanks.