Web of Lies

The phone rings one Friday evening around six. Fernando picks up. “Hello, Dominion of Movies?”

“Yeah, do you have that new Spiderman movie in?”

The Amazing Spiderman, ah. The copies of the film in question are in Fernando's keeping, just not in. “No, actually that comes out tomorrow.”

“You don't have any there now?”

“Even if I did, I couldn't let you have it. But tomorrow is not far off. Did you want me to hold one for you for then?”

“Nah, don't bother. I just wanted to see if you had it there tonight for me.”

“Oh. Alright. Yeah, tomorrow's when it comes out.”

“Yeah. Bye.”

“Good-bye.” And that should have been the end of that.

Saturday followed Friday as is often the case and Fernando's copies of The Amazing Spiderman vanished in short order. Around four in the afternoon a young man enters the Dominion. He heads over to the new release rack, investigates it for a few seconds, and then comes up to the counter.

“Yeah, you got any copies of Spiderman in?”

“No, sorry. Those all went out today. I'm expecting them back tomorrow, if you'd like me to hang onto one for you.”

“No, I wanted to come down today and pick one up.”

“Sorry. I can't help you with that.”

“What the hell, man? You said you'd have it in tomorrow yesterday.”

Oh, this was that guy. “Rrrrright? I also asked if you would like for me to hold a copy for you for today, and I was told not to.”

“I didn't know you did that.”

What in fucking fuck? Do the words that Fernando says no longer have meanings comprehensible to the bulk of humanity? “Yeah...that's why I made the offer yesterday. Would've been pointless and silly otherwise.”

“Oh.” The guy looks down at the glass of Fernando's counter for a short while. “I'll be back later, then.”

“Alrighty. Have a good evening.”

Fernando remembers having to take listening comprehension sections on standardized tests back in his elementary and high school days. Do they not do that anymore or something?