This last weekend I took my wife to Chicago for her birthday, and her best friend flew in from Boston to join us. We had a wonderful weekend, they got to go shopping, we all got to eat amazing food, and I managed to talk them into going to blues and piano joints rather than dance clubs (except for one place that had Jazz upstairs and dancing downstairs).

Sunday before taking Michelle to the airport we all went to Ikea so Natalie could do SOME MORE shopping :-) Michelle and I were kinda tired, and bored, so while sitting on a very nice leather couch I suggested we play a game. We would co-write a book, taking turns, using our phones and facebook status. The rules were: no more than 255 characters per post (i think Michelle’s was limited to 140), and no colluding. So basically we didn’t setup the story in any way, it just worked itself out as we went along.

The game ended up being tremendously fun, and got us thru the better part of the day, including an hour or two of the time Michelle had to spend in the airport, because her flight was delayed. Because we were doing this on facebook, and it would only make sense if you were friends with BOTH of us and saw the updates coming in sync, a lot of people thought we were absolutely off our rockers. In fact, this comment to Michelle from her friend pretty much sums up what it must have looked like:

DeAnna: sometimes i read your status updates and think you are on crack. i think a crackberry is bad for someone already addicted to crack….

p.s. i would have called you this weekend, but clearly you are having fun with your bffs. and taking lots of crack. so later this week?

If you were one of those people only getting half the story, I’ve included the whole thing if you click thru to read the rest of this post :-) Enjoy

The Beginning

2:20pm Jonathan woke to the phone ringing. Ok ok he thought, and slid his finger across the face of the iphone to answer it

2:22pm Michelle was on the other end of the line, “That’s it Jonny-Boy, we’re done for”

2:25pm Jonathan jerked the rest of the way to consciousness. “what!” he screamed! “You didn’t stop the package in time?”

2:28pm Michelle , stunned by Jon’s reaction lost composure ” ME?? ME not stop the package in time!!! since when was that my responsibility you…hold on, another call”

2:49pm Jonathan started racking his brain, when had he ever taken responsibility… Didn’t matter, the cat was almost out of the bag, and there was nothing he could do about it, short of storming the courier service and going Jack Bauer on em

2:52pm Michelle clicked back onto the line “sorry about that it was Z and he is NOT happy we’ve gotta get down there like now” she finished as she climbed out of bed

3:01pm Jonathan said “meet you in 15, corner of le salle and ohio” and he hung up. Throwing some clothes on he grabbed the already packed bag and bolted for the door. He never looked back, but couldn’t help but think as he raced down the steps that that was the last time he would see his apartment on the north side

3:05pm Michelle jumped into her Mini that the driver had brought around “thank you marcus” she umbled as she climbed in and slammed on the gas.

3:12pm Jonathan neared the corner, and saw her mini zipping east on Ohio towards him. To his left he heard an suv accelorate, and instantly knew things were about to go very wrong

3:17pm Michelle saw Jon walking down the street and thought “damn hippies” and threw the wheel to the right and slammed on the breaks inches in front of him,he looked worried.

3:41pm Michelle looked at the silent Jon “hello! what’s wrong with you? you’re not talking now? get in we need to hurry”

3:39pm Jonathan jumped in and grumbled something about company coming “in like 2 seconds” and that they probably weren’t here to play nice

3:48pm Michelle looked to the left and saw the SUV reeling around to backtrack at them “ugh. again?” she said throwing the mini into first and peeling out “any idea who?”

4:02pm Jonathan said “well I’m guessing it’s not one of my ex girlfriends”he twisted his head around and saw three heads through the windshield of the approaching suburban and they definately looked Spanish

4:04pm Michelle looked at him. “spanish? you think that you can tell someoines exact NATIONALITY from a hundred yards away in a soeeding car? gimmee a break!”

4:05pm Michelle kept her eyes on the road, “look let’s just get to Z without incident and figure out who the hell they are then. got your passport?”

4:08pm Jonathan said “which one?any idea where we might be going? I just hope Z gets us outta here sooner rather than later. And I don’t care if I ever see Chicago again”

4:32pm Michelle glanced in the mirror and saw they had lost the SUV, “good question. call Z let’s find out what the hells going on” she said as they pulled up to the terminal

4:43pm Jonathan picked up his phone and dialed.”z, where we goin’?we gotta get out of here fast!” “Sophia? Ok, whatever.”

4:50pm Michelle looked at Jon blankly “sophia? really this day keeps getting stranger and stranger. guess we’re the… Walshes then. Lee and Lea brother and sister again. C’mon

4:57pm Jonathan grabbed the bags and plastered a smile on his face. “you know, the more I think about it, those thugs may have had something to do with an ex, I think her family was connected in certain parts of Europe where the Spanish might have power.”

5:01pm Michelle laughed and slipped on her glasses “right your long line of European exes… Spanish exes” shaking her head they walked inside ignoring the cries of the bellman

5:07pm Jonathan stayed cheery as they grabbed their tickets at the lufthansa counter. “Our connections in Frankfurt, maybe we can grab a pint while we’re there.”

5:17pm Michelle nodded in egar agreement, they quickly passed through security and took two seats in the lounge. just as she was about to nodd off she heard a familar voice

5:23pm Jonathan didn’t even turn around as Z began to berate them them from where he was seated. “you guys are getting sloppy, someone want to explain why that recording is on it’s way to the PM right now?”

5:27pm Michelle whipped around “damn it Z! you know if you’d quit hiring rookie couriers we wouldn’t be in this mess! I told you we couldn’t trust that kid”

5:37pm Jonathan interjected, “I don’t see how this is helping, the damage has been done. All we can hope is that Obama’s staff find the traitors in time and bring the operation down.” “in the meantime I suggest you tell us what our next assignment is.”

5:42pm Michelle glared at jon for a brief second then decided he was right and looked to Z for the answers “look I dont know anymore than that you both need to be on that plane

5:47pm Jonathan wondered if this had anything to do with Petrov, it had been 5 years since they last worked together, and hadn’t he gone civ and back to his home country? No matter, the announcement came over the speaker that it was time to board

5:51pm Michelle gathered her bag and headed to the plane. this wa s always her favorite part- the calm before the storm, the plan before the chase. she couldn wait to land

5:56pm Jonathan fell asleep before the wheels left the ground, waking only when “sis” shook him because she was bored. “wudda you want?” he grunted at her

5:59pm Michelle looked down at him. ” do you think…no. sorry” he glared at her”what?” he asked annoyed “do you think that Petrov might be involved? I know its crazy but”

6:03pm Jonathan perked up a bit, “yeah that’s the first thing that came to my mind! But why would he need us? We’re mostly just the Company’s grifters.”

6:06pm Michelle nodded in excitement, “maybe our time has finally come! I mean we’ve been schleping with intelligence for 6 years, maybe they’re moving us up!”. she babbled

6:14pm Jonathan snickered, “oh does lanky lea wanna be a double 0?” “that’s so cute”..

6:21pm Michelle punched Jon in the arm and rolled over to go back asleep secretly hoping that she would be

6:30pm Jonathan checked their next boarding passes as they exited the plane, “looks like we’ve got about 8 hours to kill. Wanna go to that one place where we met that one guy that one time, you know, the guy with the dog?”

The End