The Scottish King

In the last hours of daylight, as the clouds of dust from the savage conflict were still settling, the Scottish lord was surveying the grim scene before him.  Carefully, reverently, he stepped over mutilated bodies on the bloody battlefield.  He watched in despair as widows, daughters and sisters wept in anguish over the remains of their loved ones.  Others were still searching for theirs.  He vowed then that he would avenge this carnage.  And he did.  He gathered his countrymen together for one last battle and won Scotland’s freedom.

“That was a hell of a movie” said Carol to Christina as they made their way out of the packed theater.  She tossed her empty soda cup into the trash and realized Christina was not listening.  “Christina, are you with me?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry” Christina smiled at her friend “I was miles away.”

Carol was still talking “He is so gorgeous, isn’t he?”

“Who?” asked Christina

Carol looked at her friend as if she had grown horns “Who?!!”  Gil Connor of course”.  Then quizzically “Why, who were you thinking about?”

“The other one.”

“The other one?  Which other one?”

“The one who played the Scottish king - the dark haired one with the fierce eyes and beard.”

“Hmmmm” said Carol thoughtfully.  “Yes, he was very striking.  I don’t normally like beards but I have to admit - he was handsome.”

“It wasn’t a full beard - it was a short clipped beard.”

“I’ve never seen nor heard of him before.” said Carol.  Then she laughed “The whole audience of the female gender are drooling over Gil and here you are with a crush on .........what was his name, anyway .......?

“I don’t know - I didn’t catch it.”

Carol went on “.......here you are with a crush on Mr. obscure.”

“You haven’t heard the last of him I bet.  Not after this.  He was fantastic.  And his acting wasn’t bad either” she giggled.  Then she added, indignantly, “I have never had a crush on anyone in my life, especially a movie star.   Then in afterthought;  well, until a couple of months ago when you rented that old Gregory Peck movie.

“Oh, God, don’t start that again.”  Cried Carol, her eyes rolling up. “I wish I had never rented Captain Horatio Hornblower.  I’m never going to hear the end of Gregory Peck.”

“He’s the handsomest man God ever created - the original Adam: said Christina dramatically.

“He’s about 80 years old now, too.” retorted Carol.

“He’s probably still extremely handsome” bantered back Christina, then thoughtfully, she added “I wonder if he’s married?”

“Who - the Scottish lord or Gregory Peck?”

“Either one!” laughed Christina.

“Come on simpleton, it’s starting to rain ... let’s get some tea at Hanna’s.”

Dodging the raindrops and traffic and ignoring angry car horns, the two women ran across the street to the brightly lit diner already filling up with the theater crowd.

The noise inside was deafening and so crowded it took them awhile to find a table but Carol spied a couple vacating a booth and, in true big-city fashion, aggressively lunged for it, claiming it before anyone else could get near it.  The two of them slid into the squeaky, cracked vinyl seats repaired here and there with duct tape. 

A bottle-blonde, ponytailed waitress took their orders as they brushed raindrops off their hair and shoulders.  The windows were steaming up rapidly from the humidity outside and the air-conditioning on the inside.