They sat across the table from each other in uncharacteristic silence. James fidgeted with his coaster, stroked the spine of the folded menu, drummed his fingers softly against the tabletop. Chayla’s arms were crossed and propped on the table and she was looking around, taking in Taveston’s familiar décor.
“So?...”
“Huh? Oh. I’m sorry – I just don’t have a lot to say today. It’s been a long day and I’m just feeling worn out, you know?”
“Well yeah, I figured that. Your job sucks, James. I don’t know how you keep going back every day.”
“Yeah…”
“But that’s why I called you. So you wouldn’t just finish work and then go home to that itty little apartment of yours and spend all your time alone on the Internet or something, and turn into one of those guys who spends all his time alone except when he’s at work.” Chayla paused a moment.
“What if you went crazy and started hallucinating or something? No one would know. You could be mauled to death by imaginary bears, and no one would pretend to know what happened.”
“Right, thank you. You came this close to saying something sweet and meaningful…and then imaginary bears happened.”
Chayla shot him a withering look and then looked around to flag down the bar man.
“Hey, Chay. What’s goin’ on, moonchild? What can I get ya?”
“Not a lot, Luke. And just the usual, please – Fat Tire and an apology from an asshole.” Luke was just weird enough for Chayla to forgive him for mostly being a stiff.
Luke gave her a slow grin and turned to James. “Little trouble in paradise, amigo?”
“Soon as I’m in paradise I’ll call the bar and let you know. And I could go for a Terrapin, I think.”
Luke bobbed his head in affirmation and shuffled off to the bar “Get those drinks right up for ya. Have to add the apology to your tab, though.”
Chayla watched him walk away, not turning back to look at James. “You’re an A-grade jerk, you know that?”
Chayla watched him walk away, not turning back to look at James. “You’re an A-grade jerk, you know that?”
“…said the girl who used to stand outside the door with a wine bottle and swear in French whenever I tried to invite someone over,” James sighed. “Also, the topless thing.”
Chayla couldn’t keep up the act any longer. She almost snorted, broke into a grin at the memory. “You coulda done better than any three of them anyway, my darling little J-hole. So, what’s going on anyway? I know you’re usually Serious McBusinesspants right off of work, but you seem a little mopier than usual?”
“Thanks,” James nodded to Luke as he set the two beers down. “I don’t know, Chayla. I guess I’ve just been in a weird mood today. About halfway through the morning I got this picture of the mountains stuck in my mind, and after a while I just wanted to leave my desk and get in the car and go. Payday’s at the end of the week, so why not? I just got gas, so I could go a few hundred miles before I had to start walking. Go south and I might be able to get as far as Georgia. I’ve got some family down there, and I’ve always wanted to see Athens and Savannah. North and…well, I don’t know how far I could get, but as long as my car didn’t die on a turnpike I think I’d be okay. Maybe just take the tags off and abandon it when it does, and start a new life in the closest town I can walk to from there. You know? Even If I just go back to doing the same god-awful boring stuff that I’m doing now, at least I’ll know that I did something with my life for at least a few days.”
“James! Stop it.”
“Christ, what’s wrong with that?" Chayla's tone put him on the defensive. "You and I both know that I’m probably not actually going to do it. I’ve got too many responsibilities here. I’ll probably never leave this damn place.”
“No, I meant stop touching your face so much when you talk. It’s distracting.”
James stared at Chayla, expressionless for several moments, then sighed into his beer and took a long drink. This was probably why they never dated back in school.
