The Meeting, Part 3

The Carrot and the Mule
by Joseph Foti, Esq.

(Page 4 of 5)

Physically she was petite and stunning just like all the rest. However, when I looked into those hazel eyes, I felt the rush of the sea in my hair. She smiled at me just like everyone else, although the greeting I gave her was something she did not expect. While every degenerate there insulted her intelligence with transparent come ons, I refused to sully my soul for the chance at a mere dalliance. I simply asked her name, introduced myself as Roger and quickly withdrew to the window to get some air. The experience had knocked the breath out of me and I wanted to clear my head; however, she would not allow it. Spotting me at the window, she brushed away the rabid dogs chasing her and came over. We went outside to escape the ever growing mob, stood in the pouring rain, and talked the entire night away; shielded from the horny toads that dared not risk their precious clothes.

"So, taking a break?" She laughed.

"Won't your minions miss you?" I replied.

"Oh, please," she said with a sigh. "I thought law school would be different, but it's not. They're supposed to be wiser but they're just as selfish as everyone else. I came here tonight hoping to enjoy stimulating conversation with some great legal minds, only to find a bunch of horny old men, spouting pathetic come ons. What's worse is that the few female lawyers here are avoiding me like the plague because of them."

"Well, that's what you get for having expectations," I answered slyly.

"It's refreshing to finally meet someone who'd rather risk ruining a perfectly good suit than miss out on a rainstorm. What are you a 'the'?"

"A what?" I said quite confused.

"A 'the,' she replied. "You know, like Charles the second or Henry the third. Someone who's here on daddy's dollar. Are you Roger 'the' anything?" she said with a smile.

"No, I'm not a 'the,'" I replied a bit annoyed. "I'm here because I earned it. My father wouldn't pay for high school, never mind law school. Not that it's any of your business," I stated frankly. "What about you? Are you daddy's little princess?" I countered coyly. "Hardly," she said with a smile. "I had to work for it, just like you. So, then; who are you?"

"I'm just a guy who likes the rain," I replied.

"Well, I guess that makes us kindred spirits," she chirped.

At the end of the evening, I walked her home and said goodnight. I was so taken I didn't even ask for her number. This was a first for her. No guy had ever spent time with her and not hit on her. This seeming indifference unwittingly made me appear strange and exciting to her, hence setting in motion the most painful betrayal of my life.

I didn't see Sara again for over a month and tried to convince myself that she wasn't different. That she was just like everyone else. I might have been successful had she not forced the issue. Usually if I wanted someone out of my life I just ignored them for a couple of weeks and they were gone. This was not the case with Sara. About a month after our meeting I received a call from her late one November night.

When I asked how she got my number, she just smirked and said, "I have my ways."

Over the next couple of months we talked often, as each conversation made the attempt to classify her as just another user and write her off, more and more impossible.

After one of her calls, I turned to Maurice who was sitting on my desk and asked, "What do you think of her?"

I picked him up and pressed his belly, hearing three moos. "No, don't worry, Maurice," I assured him, "she's not like the others. Sara is like no other woman I have ever met," I told him. "Most women fall under two categories. Either they are very emotional and kind or heartless and strong. The emotional while kind and good-natured are often swallowed whole by the vultures in our society. This is due to the fact that they lack the strength and vindictiveness it takes to defend themselves. On the other hand the strong often lose their heart and everything becomes, 'What can you do for me now.'

About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Joseph Foti graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1998. During this time, he worked in the Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence Bureaus of the King's County District Attorney's Office. He is a published poet whose work has appeared in several anthologies by the National Library of Poetry. These include The Space Between, Best Poems of 1995, Best Poems of 1996, and Best Poems of 1997. "The Carrot And The Mule" is Joseph Foti's First Novel. He has written several short stories.