"Good news, Henry—good news." Marianne's voice was excited over the phone.
Dinner was only halfway done. Henry was braising meat and waiting for the rice cooker when he received this completely unexpected call.
He glanced at the clock on the wall and asked curiously, "I thought you people stopped handling work after hours. Shouldn't you be heading home to rest?"
"A union agent is still an agent. Have you ever seen an agent who had set working hours?" Marianne complained. Then she added, "And this is good news about you. Don't you want to hear it sooner?"
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm more concerned about your quality of life. Don't work yourself too hard. Of course, I'm happy to hear good news—and even happier that you thought of me first."
"Tut, tut, tut. I'm starting to feel jealous of all those girls you fooled with that mouth of yours." Marianne clicked her tongue over the phone. "Don't tell me you're not lonely at all right now and just want to get rid of me quickly."
"How could that be? I'm such a pathetic man that I even have to cook my own meals, then spend the evening watching soap operas on TV. Can you imagine how boring that is?"
Although he had made up his evening plans on the spot, the "boring" part was exactly how Henry felt. Entertainment in this era was simply too monotonous for someone who had lived through another world.
At night, he usually listened to music while tinkering with computers. Whether he was working on programs or systems, Henry could enjoy himself, but what he gained more of was a sense of accomplishment rather than fun. They were different feelings.
"What a shame. I'm only still at the union because I'm waiting for my date to pick