Tomorrow Is Another Day
By Lou Ann Steele
“Where is he?”
Sam the bartender looked up to see long time friend and regular, Lee Crane standing on the other side of the bar. “He’s over there,” pointing at one corner of the room. He reached into his pants pocket, took out a set of keys and gave them to Lee. “I stalled him by telling him that he was in no condition to drive and that I would call a cab for him.”
Lee pocketed the keys, “How long has he been here?”
“I’d say about a couple of hours.”
“Did he say what’s bothering him?” He remembered Chip saying something about having a date tonight with his long time girlfriend Jennifer.
Sam leaned forward, “Girl trouble. His girlfriend dumped him tonight. I say good riddance to bad rubbish, but he’s not seeing it that way at the moment. ”
Lee nodded, “ I’ll take him off your hands now. Thanks for the call.”
“Anytime,” The bartender returned to his customers as Lee walked across the smoked filled room to the
table where a blond male was staring down at his drink.
“Chip?”
The blond man looked up with unfocused eyes at the tall man in front of him. As soon as he recognized him, he gave him a big boyish grin, “Hey Lee, old friend, old pal, whad are ya doin here?” he slurred.
“I’ve come to take you home.”
Chip gave out a heart felt sigh. “ Shoulda known Sam would have called you instead of a cab.” He gave Lee a bewildered look, “Jennifer broke up with me tonight.” He shook his head sadly, “Shees said I’m boring to be with. Do ya think shees right?”
Lee pulled him up by his arm, “No you’re definitely not boring, just drunk to the gills. I’m taking you home now. Let’s go.”
Chip nodded his head sadly knowing he had enough to drink and meekly allowed Lee to guide him out of the bar to Chip’s red sports car.
“Where’s your car?” Chip asked as he looked around the parking lot.
“I came by cab,” he answered while he secured Chip in the passenger seat and then proceeded to drive back to their apartment.
During the fifteen minutes drive, Chip stared quietly out the window lost in thought.
“Do you want to talk?” Lee asked quietly as he kept his eyes on the road.
“Nothin much to talk about. I got dumped. Jennifer told me tonight that she’s no longer goin with me because she is interested in someone else. She’s been going out with a Marine Colonel behind my back.” He sighed, “ I guess I got outranked. What’s so exciting about being with a Marine Colonel. Can you explain it to me? He has two feet, two hands and a head just like me? How come I don’t seem interesting enough to be with?”
“Chip, it has nothing to do with rank. You are better off without her. I don’t even know why you went out
with her in the first place.”
“It seem like the right decision at the time.” Chip admitted softly as he ran his right hand through his hair. He turned to his friend, “Did she make a play for you?”
“Yes.”
“When?” Chip asked surprised.
“It was at the last Christmas party. While you were getting her some punch, she came up and started flirting with me and wanted to give me her business card.”
“And?”
“I told her I wasn’t interested. Friends don’t betray friends.” Lee said honestly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How could I? Would you’ve believed me? You were crazy about her at the time. I figured sooner or later she would show her true colors to you before you got too seriously involved.”
“I guess I saw the signs, but ignored them.” Chip admitted as the car pulled up to the two-story townhouse they shared. Lee helped him inside the house and into his bedroom.
Chip undressed down to his briefs, tossed his clothes on the floor and then crawled into bed while Lee stood at the doorway.
“Do you need anything?” Lee asked concerned.
“No.”
“Well, get some sleep. Remember tomorrow is another day.” Lee said as he turned off the room light.
“Thank you, Miss Scarlett O’Hara.” Chip said sarcastically from the bed. “If you start sing, “Tomorrow”, I’m going to get up and slug ya.”
Lee shook his head and left the room.
The next morning at the Nelson’s Institute for Marine Research, Angie walked into Chip’s office, took one look at his pale complexion and unfocused eyes and walked back out without a word. Five minutes later, she returned with a tray and sat it down in front of him.
He slowly looked up from his paper work. He felt like death warmed over. His head was killing him and his stomach was rebelling from all of the alcohol from the night before.
Angie grabbed one of his hands and wrapped it around a drinking glass. “Drink up,” she ordered.
“What is it?” Chip look suspiciously into the glass.
“Hair of the dog. Drink up, Morton,” She commanded as she then placed two white pills into his other hand. “And this is for your headache.”
Chip drank down the concoction, grimaced and then swallowed the pills, “Does anyone know you’re practicing medicine without a license?”
She took the empty glass, banged it on the tray. “You’ll live,” she said without any sympathy. “I can’t believe you got yourself tied in knots over that little…”
“Angie, watch your language.” Chip interrupted as he looked painfully at her. “Don’t you have some typing
to do?”
“Men,” she muttered as she walked out of the room and slammed the door closed.
“Women,” he muttered back as he clutched his head in agony.
A couple of hours later, feeling more human, Chip walked into the reception area on his way out to lunch. He noticed Angie was talking to a lady he hadn’t seen before. He could only see her back, but what he saw he was impressed with. She was 5’10 with a slim build wearing a gray pin stripped dress suit. She had golden blonde hair that was styled like one of the Princess Diana’s. He became curious to see what her face looked like.
He casually walked up to Angie’s desk, “Angie, I’m going to
lunch. This is the report Admiral Nelson
needs for the
Angie nodded, “Chip, you haven’t met Jill yet have you? She just started working here today. This is Jillian Harris. She is Admiral Nelson’s new research assistant. Jill, this is Lt. Commander Chip Morton. He’s Admiral Nelson’s second in command.”
Jillian turned around to face him and Chip was stunned. She looked like Princess Diana from the front as well.
“How do you do, Commander,” she said with an educated British accent as she put out her hand for a handshake.
Chip shook her hand, “Much better now. I guess you’re used to people telling you that you look like the Princess Diana.”
“Yes, I was mistaken for her several times when she was alive.”
Chip continued to stare until Angie cleared her throat. “Have you eaten yet?” Chip asked.
“Not yet, ” Jill answered back.
“Why don’t you join me?” He took her by the arm and led her through the door; “ I know this great place about ten minutes away that serves….”.
Angie waited until the couple left the office before she before she hit the button on her office speaker, “Lee?”
“Yes, Angie?”
“Chip just walked out with the Admiral’s new assistant for lunch. I won the bet. You owe me those two front row tickets for the Neil Diamond concert.” She clicked off with a big grin on her face.
The End
1. “Tomorrow is another day” is a quote from the movie GONE WITH THE WIND.
2. “Tomorrow” is a song from the play and the movie “ANNIE”