by Alicia Hollenbeck

Created on: June 20, 2008

In Aidan's mind, the man's name was Brown Suit. He'd ridden the 736 from Dale Heights to New Valley Corporate Center every Monday through Friday for nearly three years, and in that time, he'd been through a dozen suits. Each suit was masterfully tailored from the finest fabrics and trendiest colors of the time and each had a series of complementary shirts and ties, all silk. That first suit had been brown though, so Aidan always thought of him as Brown Suit.

Today his suit was charcoal but Date Night's was brown. Date Night had only ridden the 736 for eight months. She came and went with Brown Suit every Monday through Friday and wore her suits every day except Friday. On Fridays she wore colorful slacks and a cozy sweater in the winter or a classic shell in the summer.

The first day Date Night rode the 736 had been a Friday. It had been summertime but she hadn't dressed in slacks and a shell. She'd worn a strapless linen dress with soft green leaves printed all over it. The dress hadn't quite hit her knees. Normally she wore her hair back in a twist but that day it had been loose, a riot of chestnut curls dancing across her shoulders. She hadn't looked like Casual Friday at all, but Date Night Thursday.

Aidan didn't see Date Night much the first few months. As time went on, though, her visits to the Friday 736 became increasingly more frequent, her clothes more appropriate to the New Valley Corporate Center Casual Friday. Then she rode the 736 on a Monday and again that Thursday. Within the month she was taking the 736 full time.

Summer was back. Date Night wore her bright slacks and coordinating tops on Fridays, but today was Wednesday so she wore her brown suit and Brown Suit wore charcoal. They sat close to each other and held hands the entire ride. When they got off the bus, Aidan noticed the shimmer of a new diamond on Date Night's finger.

Another ten months on the bus, he decided, then they'd get married and move out to the suburbs. Date Night would quit her job to have a couple kids. She'd age naturally and one day Brown Suit would decide that his perky young secretary looked better than his dutiful wife. Date Night would find out and leave with the kids. Brown Suit would beg her to come back and she'd agree, but she'd never really trust him again.

Brown Suit would die first, of lung cancer or liver failure. Date Night would live on another fifteen years as a bingo parlor crone in Atlantic City or a lounge lizard in Vegas. She'd die and be buried next to Brown Suit even though she didn't really trust him.

"Congratulations," Aidan murmured as the bus pulled away from the New Valley Corporate Center stop.

Learn more about this author, Alicia Hollenbeck.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.