“Trouble with Dames”

Colin wasn’t the only one that was startled awake by the ringing phone that morning. Alex Ross, who had been fast asleep on the couch until the infernal phone ringing caused him to nearly jump out of his skin, picked himself up off the floor, cursing whoever the fuck had the fuckin’ nerve to call this early in the morning and wake him the fuck up.

After a quick trip to the loo, he looked around the dimly-lit house, wondering where Colin had gotten off to. “He couldn’t have gotten far,” he mused to himself, “not on that bum leg.” Just as he was about to do a bit of snooping upstairs, he overheard Colin’s familiar voice – cursing loudly from his bedroom.

“Ah, fuck... what now?” Alex wondered, watching as Colin came barreling down the stairs as quick as he could on one good leg.

“Everything okay there, friend?” Alex asked him, wondering what had gotten Colin in such a tizzy. Work, maybe? Nah, his guess was it had to be a dame... only a dame can make a guy that upset this early in the morning, he mused.

“No, it’s not fucking okay, Mate... far from it,” Colin told him, pulling out a smoke and lighting it up. He took a long drag, then pulled another out from the package and offered it to Alex, who gratefully accepted it.

“Anything I can help with?” Alex asked him, taking a seat at the kitchen table and motioning for Colin to do the same.

Colin looked at the man sitting in his kitchen, thought for a moment...wondering how the hell anyone could possibly help. Finally, he took a breath and sat down across from him. “Probably not in this case, Mate,” he said, sullenly, then added, “but...thanks.”

Alex grinned, nodded, “Ah... let me guess... you’ve got female problems.”

“Is there ever any other kind of problems?” Colin chuckled. “Ahh... fuck! It’s all quite complicated and I’m not even sure if it is actually a problem.”

“Normally, I’d offer you a drink about now, but seeing as how you had pretty much your fill for the month just last night... and the fact that it’s only eight in the morning, how ‘bout I scrounge up some breakfast instead?”

“Sounds good, thanks,” Colin told him, watching as Alex jumped up and began rummaging through his fridge.

“Umm... Colin? When’s the last time you’ve been shopping, man?” Alex chuckled as he looked inside the refrigerator.

“Don’t recall. Why?”

“Because you, my friend, are out of food,” Alex told him, closing the door and turning to look at him. “C’mon, I’ll drive you into town... Andy makes a mean stack of hotcakes.”

“Ross,” Colin said, as they got to the car, “thanks, Mate. For...everything.”

“No problem,” he replied, then opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.

TBC...