Saf-Éty Harbour

The drive will be just what I need she thought as the door closed behind her, the break couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Her heels clicking on the marble floor, she quickly walked to her new office on the 10th, the level below the board room she had just left. Katherine, to those who didn’t know her, and Kath to those who thought they did, was due to turn 30 over the weekend, a milestone she was perversely looking forward to. In spite of the businesslike suits she always wore during working hours, her heart was in a baggy tee and her butt in faded jeans. Turning 30 might extract more respect from the other executives she had recently joined on the board, projecting a professional image of herself was important.

Since joining the company she had worked hard at being a sophisticated businesswoman, she had worked hard at being everything expected of her since winning her scholarship to university. Pressure is something she had learned to live with but had never gotten use to, “I don’t so much handle problems as cope with them”, she often thought. She now had a new problem to cope with.

Robert had been a friend since she had moved into the city. They had met at one of the companies client nights two years before, he worked in the accounts department handling three of the firms most important customers. Her work in creative didn’t bring them together often, but they had come across each other enough to begin having a few drinks after work, one thing leading to another, eventually they had become an “Item” for the water cooler crowd. “This is where things get complicated” she had said during the first night they spent together, now he had added a new ingredient to the pot, marriage.

How well does he really know me she thought, or me him? He had talked more about his life than she would ever do of hers, not that she was ashamed of who she was, it was just that she had spent so much time and effort disguising herself. The businesswoman she had become was a far cry from the rough tomboy she still was. “This weekend away will give me time to think, really think”, she told herself as she started the car.

Saf-Éty  Harbour had been a great place to grow up, the ocean and beach were a kids paradise. ‘How any of you got an education while pretending to go to school here is beyond me” her mother often said. Her dads service station had been the source of the grease and grime she had worn through most of those school years. The Harbour was somewhere Katherine felt completely at home, it’s familiar streets and buildings were like a comfortable pair of shoes, not that she had worn shoes very often. Saf-Éty was truly like the nickname kids called the place, no worries, no problems.

JAWhite                                   Return To Main Page
April 2010

Postscript; This story has been a little like what Isaac Asimov calls a "Shaggy Dog", referring to his Science Fiction story "Shah Guido G."  Think about it.

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Todays post is my little contribution to Muse Wars, an ongoing challenge among a few bloggers who have fun doing so. 

A photo, chosen by one participant must inspire a 500 word story.  I'm going to copy Lori's listing of the challenge history to-date, thanks Lori, I too hate typing all those links.  Somone with time on their hands needs to take charge of listing these!

Originally the brilliant idea of Melissa at The Things I'd Tell You, christened the Muse Wars by the MadMother when she set Challenge Two. Challenge Three by was set by the Menopausal Mumma, Challenge Four by yours truly, Lori at Random Ramblings of a Sahm. Challenge Five was set by the muchly awesome Gemma at Sometimes You Just Need To Vent. Challenge Six was again set by Kakka at Menopausal Mumma.

Now challenge Seven is again set by Lori.  I pray no one has been left out.

Hope you enjoy reading.