Installation 32: Full Bloom previous

Suddenly, it was spring. Not just one nice day here and there but full-blown, pollen- floating-in-the-breeze, big-puffy-clouds-in-a-blue-sky spring. Women came to work in skirts, sandals and sleeveless shirts hidden beneath gauzy cardigans. Everyone went for two-hour lunches or disappeared to sit somewhere and stare up at the sky or newly unfurled leaves. Work at The Museum took an easy turn.

On the morning bus, Phoebe read poetry while Old Woman and Young Woman babbled on about gardens and garage sales. Phoebe didn’t find their voices quite so abrasive anymore and, when Old Woman said she would enjoy walking in the park so much more if she had someone to share it with, Phoebe actually found herself feeling sorry her. Indeed, Phoebe found herself enjoying more now that she had Karl.

In the previous three weeks, Phoebe and Karl had enjoyed the following activities:

1. A late night Adventure Walk that ended with making out on the tennis courts at a deserted park, then holding hands and giggling all the way back to her apartment, where they sat on the couch and ate ice cream from the same container while watching Battlestar Galactica.

2. A visit to a bar to play a game of pool at a bar because Phoebe had never played pool in her entire life, a fact which Karl found astonishing and endearing.

3. An evening in another park spent snuggling on a worn blanket Phoebe found in her linen closet. She remembered her mother had given it to her as a “picnic blanket” right before she moved into her new apartment and Phoebe had rolled her eyes and said she didn't go on many “picnics.” That evening, there were many people in the park, some of them families with young children, and it was with great restraint that Phoebe stopped Karl from moving his hand up her shirt. After snuggling they shared a tiny piece of expensive cheese and a bottle of not-so-expensive wine.

4. A bike ride during which Phoebe wore a skirt, striped t-shirt and flats with her hair in loose pigtails. She wasn't ready for Karl to see her in true work-out attire.

5. A trip to another bar to see a band because Karl knew the drummer and had promised he would go to show his support. Of the fifteen people there, Karl and Phoebe were the ones who danced and, at the end of the set, the singer thanked them and bought them each a drink. They didn't say that this free drink made round six for them – they were too drunk. This was also, not surprisingly, the first night they had sex.

6. Many, many sessions spent walking and talking, or lying on Phoebe's bed talking or sitting at a cafe talking. Phoebe thought it would be impossible to ever get to the end of Karl; there would always be another interesting thing to know. To reach the end of interesting things about Karl would be like surfing the entire Internet - every site, every page, following every link.

The bus reached The Museum and Phoebe floated inside and up to her desk, already anticipating lunch with Karl. At 10:30, Carlotta came out of her office and stood in front of Phoebe’s desk.

“I have some disheartening news,” Carlotta said. She looked over to Fern’s desk, which had remained empty following what had become known as The Back Hallway Incident.

“What’s up?” Phoebe asked.

“Fern has decided to play hardball,” Carlotta said. “She’s suing the museum over what happened. Improper security, improper lighting… I’m named in the suit. For not calling the police immediately.”

Phoebe tried to compose herself. She had kept what she knew, or suspected, about the attack to herself for fear of her own role in it being discovered. Of course she had never imagined The Phantom would take things so far but she also hadn’t discouraged him, even after what happened to James. There was a part of her, a sliver deep in her heart, that found The Phantom to be gallant and chivalrous for what he did to James on her behalf. But the fact was she wanted nothing to do with him now that she had Karl. And there were also Karl's feelings to consider. He might not feel comfortable about a man who lived in a storage room and wore a ski mask and top hat beating people up on her behalf or trying to kidnap them.

“You did wait nearly an hour to call,” Phoebe said. “When there was a man who tried to put a pillowcase over a woman’s head on the loose.”

“I was paralyzed with fear,” Carlotta said. “Or maybe it was my medication. One of the side effects is listed as ‘the inability to act upon information.’ Anyway, she wasn’t hurt.”

“She was badly shaken,” Phoebe said. “Does this mean she’s not coming back to work?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Carlotta said. “She’s coming back tomorrow and The Director has asked that we be very pleasant and accommodating in order to help persuade her to give up the lawsuit.”

“Sure,” Phoebe said. “Whatever you need.”

“I don't want to hear it,” Carlotta said, not listening. “I know you don't like her. I know you were upset that she wanted to hang up that awful, childish cut-out they made you create in your drug problem counseling...”

“It's not a problem,” Phoebe said. She was thinking about the way Karl's hair tousled over his forehead.

“I want you to be Fern’s best friend here. Make her feel like we care about what happened to her,” Carlotta said. “Could you run down and get me a Diet Coke?”

“Do you want the plain or the kind with the lime in it?” Phoebe asked as she got up and grabbed her own wallet for the change.

“Plain,” Carlotta said. “And cut the happy act. I know you're a seething mess on the inside. I know you're miserable. And you can't even do drugs to make you feel better.”

Phoebe smiled at Carlotta and pushed out the door. Maybe if she took the route from the lunch room that went by Karl's office the door would be open and she could look inside and see him typing something on his computer. She felt her heart swell and press against her rib cage, as if it might burst.

Down in Storage Room B, The Phantom reread his first and only correspondence from Phoebe with shaking hands. It was a note scrawled on the back of a “While You Were Out” slip he’d found taped to his piano several days before.

Phantom,

I know what you’re trying to do but you are only making things worse. Please stop! I no longer need your assistance in 1) Ruining James Trehorn or 2) Destroying Fern or even 3) taking over the Museum. I’m dating someone and maybe I'm in love. I hope this doesn't make you feel bad but it's sort of something I want to shout from the rooftop right now. Sorry it didn’t work out for us. It's not you, its me.

Please don’t ever mention my name in connection with any of this.

Sincerely,

Phoebe Persons

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