Faceless Game

Chapter Four



April 2019

Seattle, Washington

After enduring a silent lunch, which he spent glowering at everyone instead of enjoy his snail-shell-shaped lumache bathed in corn crema with shrimp, scallions, and chili, Wade left the skylines and cityscapes behind, and followed his friends into a sleepy suburb. The icicle-shaped neighborhood was bounded by two-story row houses that all looked distastefully identical, and the more he drove down the eerily, quiet wide streets, the more his nose wrinkled in disapproval.

Wade Lancaster grew up in a ranch in an Essex suburb, and promised himself he would never live in any place remotely similar as an adult. To him, the suburbs were a blank, featureless plain—devoid of nearly everything necessary to make life interesting. He couldn't believe his friends were 'burb-bound, and when they finally came to a stop, and he walked through the Colonial fence with its turned pickets, stepped rails, and posts capped by classical urns, his disapproval turned to anger. He saw red, and the fuzzy clouds tinged with light pink that waved in the wind as if welcoming him, only blurred his vision. 

Bloody hell!  He scowled. They even have a garden of peach blossoms.

He stiffly followed down the paved driveway, past the red door that had a "C" on it for Carlton and into the oak hardwood floored, living room. Wade's eyes swept across the room, tall vaulted ceilings gave the space a grand open feeling, and the color palette of red, blue and whites lent the space a timeless nautical look.  

"Welcome to our maison." Didi waved her hands with a flourish. "Hang your coats, take a seat and make yourselves at home."

Wade helped Tania out of her coat, and then hung his next to hers. He was right behind his fiancé as she stepped further into the room, "oohing" and "aahing" at the furniture and pieces in the room. 

"The house looks more beautiful than the photos you sent me." Tania said, finally settling down after her inspections.

"I told you that you'd have to come see it for yourself, would you like anything to drink?"

"I am fine thanks Didi."

"Wade?"

He turned away from the painting on the wall he was examining, with his hands thrust deep inside the pockets of his Armani pants, he shook his head. 

"Okay then, don't say there isn't any hospitality in the Carlton household." Didi spun around, and strutted out of the room. 

Wade found himself shaking his head again, it was ridiculous, his friends were living the American Dream, and it was all a big fat joke. The house, with its manicured lawn looked like the kind of house one saw in the movies, where a conventional couple lived with their two children, probably named Sally and Ben, and a constantly-yapping Chihuahua. The blood-red wagon was a big fat cherry on top of it all, and Wade knew it was all just a façade, a way to distract themselves from reality. One thing about reality though, it was like a ferocious brute with huge jaws, just waiting to bite you in the ass when you least expect it.

He plopped down on the blue upholstery club chair, with his long legs spread out casually. Never one to care, Wade sat however he wanted, spoke however he wanted and thought whatever he wanted. So why did he care so much about Art and Didi, and how they decided to live their lives?

"What I miss?" Didi asked, as she stepped back in the room with an energy drink in hand. 

"Are you sure it's a good idea to-"