Yet each man kills the thing he loves,
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword 

—“The Ballad of Reading Gaol”, by Oscar Wilde 

First Day, Morning 

Joseph leaned against a stall in the conference centre’s cafeteria watching Bob, his best friend, converse with a young woman. Of medium height, she had auburn-blond hair and was wearing black capris and an orange shirt with the sleeves rolled up just past her elbows. She looked completely at ease, attentively turning her head towards Bob whenever either of them spoke. She smiled occasionally as Bob pointed out who the various patrons were at the exceedingly casual five-day Information Technology conference in Calgary. Joseph was listening to his iPod, and couldn’t hear what they were saying. 

  The back of her hand curled and rested on her hips, her elbow slightly jutting out, while her knee leaned in.   Joseph couldn’t help but notice how the light from the tall windows, shone on her bronzed skin, gilding the thinnest layer of fuzz that, when mixed with the contoured tips of her tanned elbow, gave Joseph the impression of a peach, ripe from a tree. 

  After several songs came and went on his iPod, the woman and Bob continued chatting animatedly, completing a fist bump when she made Bob laugh uncontrollably. Joseph fiddled with the volume and turned around to read the conference’s schedule posted on the board behind him, hoping he and Bob would be able to make the first seminar before it ended. 

  “What are you listening to, Joseph?” a female voice asked unexpectedly. 

  Joseph jumped and turned away from the schedule. To his surprise, a slender, tanned hand, the nails glossed in a thin white polish, rested gently on his shoulder. 

  “Wow, you’re beautiful!” he said, his mouth falling open. Immediately, his heart jolted. I can’t believe I said that. 

  She smiled. The tip of her tongue snuck out between her top and bottom teeth. 

  “How do I respond to that?” she asked. 

  “The same way you respond to it every day, I imagine.” 

  From her widening eyes, a flash appeared. “Bob said you’re harmless. But now I’m starting to wonder.” 

Head Down appears in Resistance, Revolution and Other Short Stories.