Page 88 of Black
“I only play the music to drown out the voices in my head.”
“I know, but then use a headset or something. Or better yet, tell those damn voices to shut the fuck up.”
“Ha,” he scoffed. “As if I haven’t tried that already.”
“Well, try harder then. Man up, soldier, you can beat this.”
He saluted me, army style. “Yes, General.”
We walked on for five blocks until we could see Lake Union.
“Thank you for walking me back,” I said.
“I want to meet your uncle.”
“Why?”
He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his toes and heels. “Because he sounds incredible and I want to shake his hand and thank him for being good to my girl.”
“I’m not your girl, Daniel, I’m your friend.”
He smiled. “Whatever you say.”
“I’ll introduce you, but not tonight, okay?”
“When?”
“Soon.”
I rose up to hug Daniel.
“Sweet dreams,” he said and kissed me on my cheek.
“You too – and D…”
“Yeah?”
“You need to take a shower, you kind of stink.”
He grinned. “I took a shower this morning… it’s the clothes.”
“Then wash your clothes.”
“Will do.” He raised his hand and waved as he turned and walked back.
?∞?
Gabriel
It was great being out and drinking beers with some of my good old friends. Still, three of the five guys are fathers now, so we didn’t tour the city like we used to when we were in college. A little after midnight they started looking at their cellphones, talking about babies and kids waking up early.
In my tipsy state, I called them a bunch of wussies.
It took me twenty minutes to walk from the bar on Capitol Hill to the apartment, and I tiptoed through the living room to avoid waking up Cia, but when I passed the couch I stopped and stared; it was empty.
A smile spread on my lips and I entered my bedroom, but Cia wasn’t in my bed either, and that’s when I started to worry.
?∞?
