The Diner

"I'm glad your gone; no one ever liked you."

"Good," said Donald Cox. "I must have been doing something right. What do you think, Jack? You think you're popular?"

Jack Hannigna had placed the call from another staff member's hotel room. When it came to this matter, he stayed keenly aware of what phone records he left in his wake. Donald was the only other member, other than Jack, on Governor Dorthy's staff that shared in a knowledge dangerous enough to topple the head of state. Jack Hannigan and Donald Cox were parting ways, as enemies. Each felt safe from the other, but only by implementation of mutual assured destruction. The two would never like one another. They never did.

"Popularity," said Jack, "has nothing to do with character. If -,"

"In our wold. In our world, Jack. That's why your nose is so far stuck up Dorthy's a*s that there's nothing for you to do other than lick up his s**t. You wouldn't make it in the real world, Jack. Your an

A-class nut boy, and everyone can see it the moment you enter the room."

"Remember, I've had to wipe yours as well. I kept the napkins.."

Donald stayed his tongue. He had things to say, jokes to make, but he wanted Jack to think about that statement.

Hannigan stood between the twin beds. The chord left little wire for pacing. Pacing is what Jack normally did while deep in thought, but for now, he remained leashed to the beige phone.

The two men were sharing a tacit moment of opposition. They would always be connected, for the rest of their days.What they had done together was wrong. Neither one of them could entirely escape the memory of the other. Their shared sins had by now burrowed their way deep into each man's conscience. Cognoscente of that, their resentment for each other knew no end.

"That's the thing about dirt, Jack. It's one of those few things you can always count on to show up. No matter what you do, it keeps coming back. And it can always be found. You can jump into the middle of the ocean, swim deep enough, you'll find dirt."

"Just make sure you get that last envelope to the uncle. After that, you and I don't have anything left."

"Hmmmm," said Donald. "Hey Jack?"

"What?"

"Something you should know."

"What's that?"

"Geneticists say that were much more like our fathers, than we are our mothers. That's just something you should think about."

Author's Note

This is a chapter from my novel. I'v rewritten the scene several times now, and I just can't seem to get it to work. I haven't had anyone look at it since the last rewrite. But it's about 3,500 words and it introduces a character.

I'd really like to know if the end of it reads briskly. I am still brushing off the rust when it comes to my composition(trying to get better in general). So I warn you that you my find punctuation errors.