Page 82
Moving along the platform, she shook her head, her gaze flinty. “Tough as an adult, too. What a horrible excuse for a human being!” Her hair danced furiously as an approaching train stormed into the station. “He should be held accountable.” She glowered. “I’d LOVE to get in his fucking face and give him a piece of my mind!”
Oliver nodded, impressed by her fury, but he had to wonder: When the shitty truth hit the fan, would she still feel the same?
TWENTY
OLIVER
Wellesley…College…Dundas—riding southbound on the subway for three stops, Oliver and Georgie resurfaced at the always bustling intersection of Yonge and Dundas. The beckoning bright lights of the Funland Arcade, Swiss Chalet, and the Zanzibar Tavern flickered and enticed, but Oliver only had eyes for one suitor and its massive neon disks that spun above signs announcing, Yes, This is Sam the Record Man.
“Talk about subtle,” he joked, captivated by the whirling records, easily two storeys high.
Following Georgie, he squeezed through the shop’s double doors. “This place is legendary.” She grinned, tugging her Leafs toque off her head. “Uneven floors, narrow aisles, records stacked and hung from every possible inch of space. It’s a Toronto icon.”
Oliver eyeballed waist-high wooden racks of vinyl that seemed to go on forever and countless autographs scrawled in black marker on the walls and pillars: Elton John, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac to name a few. The signatures competed for attention with photographs of music legends and gold and platinum discs, gifts bestowed to Sam’s by grateful recording artists and their record companies. The collective effect was a claustrophobic musical wonderland—and Oliver loved it.
“Let’s head upstairs,” said Georgie, pointing to a narrow stairway.
After passing more signatures and digging through racks of world music recordings from near and far, Oliver and Georgie finally settled on an imported CD from Egypt that would set the mood for their participatory presentation.
On their return to the ground floor, Oliver also scooped up a blank cassette tape to record the CD as well as the latest albums by R.E.M. and Tori Amos, while Georgie helped herself to Madonna’s new release Erotica. The lineup for the cash was lengthy and snaked around several racks of vinyl, but Georgie didn’t seem to mind, unlike the guy ahead of them, huffing and complaining. She perused the back of the CD and bobbed her head to “Deeper and Deeper” thumping through the store’s sound system. Looking up, she glanced at Oliver, a grin rising. “Hope this takes a while. I need to hear the entire song!”
She even makes queuing fun. Oliver smiled back. “By the looks of things, you’ll get your wish.”
She picked up Fully Completely by The Tragically Hip from a nearby rack, the sign behind it exclaiming Hot New Release! She flipped the record over and read the track listing, completely absorbed in the information as Oliver’s unspoken feelings tormented. I wish I could tell her. I hate pretending I’m not interested. But with the line moving at a snail’s pace and the real risk of Georgie rejecting him—two factors that could trap them both in an uncomfortable, unescapable silence—he stuck with something innocuous. “What’s your week look like?”
She blew out her lips and returned the album to its display. “Hectic. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, so I’ll be in an assembly for most of the morning. In the afternoon, I’ll be catching up on lesson planning while my two classes write tests. Then, there’s marking when I get home, along with a thorough edit of the school paper. And I have to finish writing up report cards, the bane of my existence right now.” Georgie surveyed the people around her as if making sure she didn’t know any of them. “I’ve also been dealing with a few problematic kids. I have to call my coworker friend Eden to brainstorm solutions.”
Oliver nodded. “So I’m not the only one dealing with rambunctious students.”
“Far from it. It doesn’t matter how interesting the material is or how good a teacher you are, some kids will still act up and disrupt everyone. It’s happening more and more, and I hate it. I feel for my other students, but there’s only so much us teachers can do.” The line shifted and Georgie paused for a moment, then said, “Screw it, I’ve earned a treat” and grabbed the CD of The Tragically Hip album as well as k.d. lang’s Ingénue before budging forward. “So what’s keeping you up at night?”
Inappropriate thoughts of you and me. Oliver looked away for a beat, chastising himself for wanting someone he couldn’t have. “I’ve got three research articles screaming for my attention and a speech for a conference in December. I also have a trip back to London for Christmas.”
“Niiice! I’d love to see London all sparkly for the holidays. Definitely one for the wish list.”
“It’s beautiful. You’d love it,” said Oliver. “But I won’t be going anywhere if I don’t finish examining our latest delivery of antiquities.”
“How old are they?”
“340 B.C.”
Her eyes popped. “Jesus! I’d be afraid to touch them. One mistake and a priceless piece of history could be ruined forever.”
“Honestly, that fear evaporates after you’ve examined fifty similar-looking objects.” Oliver smiled playfully. “You might not think it possible, but you really can’t have too many amulets.”
Georgie laughed. “You know, I was gonna say!”
“It’s mind-boggling, actually. Back in London, we have drawers of the stuff.” He glanced down at the audio cassette and CDs in his hands. “Once that’s all taken care of, I have cataloging and a rotation review.”
“What’s that?” she asked, moving forward in line again.
“Rotation’s when we change our permanent displays, swapping out one object for another,” he explained. “Some are sensitive to light and heat, so we rotate the collection regularly to aid their preservation. We’re constantly looking for signs of deterioration. It takes a concerted effort, but when you treasure something, all the extra work is worth it.”
She nodded. “SO true.”
“And right now, we have several objects in need of a rest,” said Oliver. “The list is long.”
Georgie glanced toward the cash as two more registers opened up and the line surged forward, leaving only a few people ahead of them. “I guess you can’t just pick anything to take their place.”
