Post Forty: My Elli

Morgan

“Thank God for layovers!” James greeted me as I came off the plane, his arms open in a dramatic gesture. As usual.

I gave him a casual nod, but I knew there was no escaping it.

“Come 'ere, ya great big bastard!” He nearly shouted.

He enclosed me in a giant, forced hug. Grinning like a complete twat.

“Good thing I flew in today, else you might not've been here,” I responded, moving away from his hug.

“How long do you have?” He asked, patting my back as we made our way through the airport.

“Just a couple hours,” I answered.

“Well, we might as well just get a pint here then,” he offered.

We went down to the pub in Terminal 5. Taking our seats, ordering pints. I was biding my time, waiting for the onslaught.

“So who is she?”

There it is.

“What do you mean?”

“Listen, even if you didn't have a face like a slapped nancy, I'd still know you got laid. You don't just randomly stay in Canada for an extra week out of the blue,” he smirked, “so, come on, let's have it.”

“It's not big deal, really,” I shifted in my seat, “just a girl I met in Toronto.”

“Come on, give us the details. Bloody hell man, it's like pulling teeth.”

“Her name is Elli, short for Ellipsis, if you can believe it.”

“Hold the phone...” James paused, then mumbled, “Ellipsis...”

I didn't like that look. The look of recognition. How could he possibly know her?

“What?”

“Ellipsis Cardinal?”

I furrowed my brow, trying to recall her ever using a last name. But she hadn't. Not once. Even her parents only used first names.

Then it clicked. Her driver's license. She had handed it to me, I had looked right at it. Sure, I had been looking more at her birthday than anything else. Still, I seem to remember glancing at her last name. It definitely started with a C. I do recall thinking something about a bird when I read it.

Dear God, it was. I'm certain. Ellipsis Cardinal.

“How do you know her name?”

“Well, there aren't many girls in the world with the name Ellipsis,” he shrugged, not answering my real question.

“Yes, but how do you know her name?”

“Jesus man, if you ever listened to me. Remember that web series I told you about, the one about the post-apocalyptic world? The one I told you a thousand times to check out?”

“Vaguely.”

“Well, she created it. With her brother, Dash. They have a small production company called D+E=C². Though it's commonly known as DEC.”

“Commonly?”

“It's a huge hit. She wrote it, her brother is the director, they both starred in it. They just got a bunch of money on kickstarter for a second series,” James explained, “it's like you never listen to me.”

Suddenly it all fit together.

What Natalie had said about Elli doing something similar to me. Kyle coming into the bar to talk about “work”. How she said it was picking up. When Paul had asked her if she was just using me for money. But why didn't she tell me? Why keep it a secret?

“Does a guy name Kyle work on it?”

“Yeah, Kyle Tre...Tress-something, he's the opposite to her.”

“Why didn't she tell me...” I muttered, unable to keep it back.

“Huh?”

“She wouldn't tell me her job, she was really weird about it. Why wouldn't she tell me about the show?”

“Are you seriously asking me?” James laughed, “I don't know, maybe she thought you'd think she wanted money or something. Maybe she doesn't like being recognized. It's all fairly new.”

“I don't believe it...”

“Did she still have red hair? She has red hair in the show,” James continued, “man, do I love a redhead.”

“No, it was light purple.”

I can't believe it.

“Ah, oh well. Was she good? She must've been for you to spend a whole week with her.”

“She...” I began, then cut myself short.

I looked over James' eager face, waiting for my answer. Waiting to hear about Elli.

My Elli.

I couldn't bring myself to talk about her, not now.

“Eh, she was fine. It was just a bit of fun,” I lied, “I'll probably never see her again.”

#partone #postforty #myelli #polyamorous #comedy #drama #romance #morgan