Excerpt: Sleepwalking

Slipping

Once again, I didn't sleep, and I began to wonder whether I was on the edge of sleep-deprived hallucinations or not. Once the sun was up, I left the house and walked to the little downtown. The air felt crisp and cool on my face. I could smell the salt from the rough seas that pounded the rocky coast just a stone's throw to the south. I popped into a tiny comfort-food place for breakfast and ordered huevos rancheros and orange juice.

The waitress who delivered my food was a young woman who I had seen many times before. She stared for a moment after bringing my plate, and I was ready to hear something like 'are you feeling alright?' or perhaps 'you look like you haven't been sleeping well' but instead she smiled and sat down across from me.

“You've got a secret and you're dying to tell someone.”

I blinked slowly. I shook my head a little. I smiled.

“I couldn't even begin to explain it.” I tried to be clear that I wasn't going to talk about it.

She was undeterred. “A guy? No. Not a guy. Did you win something? You going on a trip?” She knew that wasn't it. “New job?”

“No.” I smiled. I had to give her something. “Have you ever had one of those mornings where you feel like nothing can bring you down?”

“Usually,” she confided, “right after I fall for someone and they give me just enough of an indication that they might be interested, but not enough of a commitment to make me feel like I got them. Those days I feel invincible.” She rose from the chair. “Ride it though. As long as you can.”

She paused a moment, then left for the kitchen.

The eggs were fantastic.