“Wow, and they say chivalry is dead.” I shook my head at him, making my way into the dingy bar. Welcomed heat hit my face like a wall, sweat immediately pearling up at my neckline, “Thanks.” It was as mocking as it was serious. A serious thank you because I knew he didn’t like doing this, didn’t like the enduring reminder that this day brought—that I wasn’t the real David Wong. It was inescapable when it was written in front of him in cold, hard, frosting.
I fell into the stool next to John, nudging him with my elbow when I saw the oversized wad he’d pulled out, trying not to stare at him. How does he do it? How does he manage to always have when you have nothing? I knew the answer was a seedy combination ‘a better paying job’ and ‘scamming the gullible morons’. “Why? Just ‘cause I’m your unemployed boyfriend, and it’s my birthday, and you feel bad for me? ‘Cause I mean, if that’s the case I could probably scrounge up some change for my own drinks.”
The joke was delivered flatly and I ordered a pitcher of Sam Adams and a round of shots, to show him how not-serious about that I was. “You know, just to start, I figure.” I poured two tall glasses from the cool, plastic pitcher, “I could stand to go a few rounds.” Even on such a major night, it seemed that the crowds found it too biting for it to be worth spending it in a bar like this one. The bar wasn’t empty, not by any means, but we seemed to be the only small group in attendance, everyone else having either brought their whole party here. Some of them looked to have joined these groups when they arrived, as if by kismet.
“So—is this place special or something? Is there a reason we’re not at, like, Head’s party or something? Did Head finally snap and kill Macky?” The two’s on-again-off-again thing had turned into a running joke for us, but I occasionally thought about that, about him actually losing his shit. Yeah, ‘cause maybe if he did, you’d stop being the crazy one.
The joke sparked a grin which was only made worse by the promise of more rounds--even if it was at his expense to keep the drinks flowing. Whether it was spent on Dave’s birthday or more selfishly for himself, the money would’ve been blown either way.
John didn’t need an invitation to help himself, and fingers immediately grasped the glass meant for him. Drinking it down was like water to a fish; almost instinctual and every bit natural for him. The glass was close to being halfway drained already when he lowered it.
”No.” As far as John knew, but a lot could have happened between now and the last time he’d spoke to the pair. “Head’s having the party at his mom’s house, and I’ve been permanently banned from the premises, so . . .” Broad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. That’d been a no-go from the start, but he’d faced worse disappointments. “Guess you’re stuck with me in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere---unless you’ve got a better idea.”
The latter remark wasn’t spoken with the tone of someone who wants to be outdone but rather someone who would be glad to hear a better options.