It was Monday morning, and I was dreading going to work. I hadn't spoken to Sean or Anna since Saturday night's "events", and I was expecting to walk in and get punched in the face frankly.
Turning the corner to the back room, I saw Sean setting up his cart of new releases. My heart was pounding out of my chest. He turned to look at me, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Dude sorry about the other night, those beers hit me like a ton of bricks," he said with a morning rumble to his voice.
"Oh, yeah, no sweat. We just smoked a bit, and I drove home like a moron."
He laughed. I was nearly shaking from the adrenaline and relief hitting all at once. I didn't know how to continue the conversation without sounding strange. I could barely get my cart organized but I managed, and we went our separate ways. Lunch hit, and everything was the same, eat, smoke, head back out to sling books. The day ended and I saw their truck pull up.
I watched as Sean hopped into the truck and caught Anna's eye; she waved as she always did. Things were the same. At least on the outside. It was at that moment I decided, that was a one-time drunken night. It would likely never happen again and that I would never bring it up again. Who knows, maybe she didn't even remember it. Which is fine with me. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt. Them, mentally, or me physically.
Months went by and everything was back as it was. Hanging out, drinking, smoking, going to shows. Same old same old. I thought about that night every waking second but never brought it up. She never acted like it was weird between us. It was just that, a memory. Maybe even a dream.
***
We went to see NOFX. It was Sean and Anna, Heather and the Fireman, and then me. I was moving up from 3rd wheel to 5th wheel. I thought Heather was pretty. Not a supermodel by any stretch, but she was maybe a 7. She worked out a lot, so her body was great; she had curly brown hair that went with her bubbly personality. Oh, and the fireman was a fat white dude who had a punchable face. Anna was wearing a tight miniskirt; it was barely hiding her butt cheeks. She also had on a low-cut top showing off her lovely cleavage.
The concert was fun. Loud. I must have had eight 16oz buds and was fairly wasted. Everyone else was keeping pace somewhat but I was ahead by maybe two. After the show, and after watching the two couples holding hands and kissing and grab-assing, we were all starving. There is a pizza place by the venue that isn't too bad. They got their food and went outside to sit on the picnic benches while I was still inside waiting on my slice. I was nursing my beer when I heard a commotion. They gave me my slice just in time and I went outside looking for my group. The fireman and Heather was bickering. Some drunk fight that I couldn't make out. I went and sat across from Sean and Anna. "What's going on?"
"Who knows," Anna said, "he probably said something dumb like he always does."
Sean laughed, but you could tell he was out of it. His eyes were glazed over, and he was eating his pizza on autopilot. All three of us were ignoring the other two and trying to pretend we weren't with them. The fight got pretty loud at one point and Heather threw her pizza crust at his chest. He left and she headed back towards us.
