I see my old boss in a nightclub. I approach him and ask whether it’s true he had an affair with Laura, one of the women who worked on my floor. My old boss tells me that he now lives with Laura and she is expecting their first child. I tell him congratulations. He tells me thanks, but grimaces.
I ask if he remembers that time I forgot to check the downstairs mailbox for three weeks and how that meant some people in Receipts got in a lot of trouble. He does not remember this specific incident but says that he can imagine such a thing being true. We laugh and I begin to tell another story but I mess it up and have to start again. This story is not as good as the first, and we smile instead of laugh.
My old boss tells me that he is going for a ‘walk around’ and I tell him it was good seeing him and well done again on that baby. A girl walks past me who I recognise from years ago and she says hi and I say hi and it’s fine. My old boss has stopped by the balcony area and peers down onto the dance-floor. He drops his bottle of Smirnoff Ice and it bounces around on the safety net that circles the balcony edge. A bouncer walks over and says something to him, but I don’t think my old boss can hear him. The bouncer grabs his arm, just above the elbow, and says something else. I blink and when my eyes open my old boss is not there anymore. I do not see him later.
I walk over to the bar and ask if I can have a vodka and coke. The man behind the bar says okay and he makes the drink. He asks if I want anything else and I say yes, can I have another vodka and coke if that’s okay. The barman stares for a moment, shrugs, and makes the drink. The barman waits to use the till and I drink the first vodka and coke and start on the next one. I pay for the drinks and lean on the bar, facing the dance floor. A girl walks past me who I recognise from years ago and she says hi and I say hi and it’s fine.
My friend, Danas Sergtakas, tells me that he has been talking to a girl for ten minutes and she has accepted his offer of a drink. I ask if she is nice looking and Danas tells me that she is gorgeous and this could go somewhere; she has just broken up with her boyfriend – so why not? Danas asks if I would like a drink and maybe a pill if he can get some. I say thanks to the drink, a vodka and coke please, but no thanks to the pill. I start to explain that I can’t do the comedown and Danas, nodding, tells me how much he loves his daughter.
Danas Sergtakas gives me my drink and tells me we’ll catch up later, maybe, depending on the girl.
I’m talking with my friend Tris. We have a lot in common, but his friend, Kev, does not like me because I eat veggie burgers. Kev’s friends come over and Kev tells them ‘about’ me. The noise level is loud enough to enable me to get by by nodding my head and laughing in time with the others. When I try to speak they look into their drinks. I do not attempt to fight this.
A girl walks past me who I recognise from years ago and she says hi and I say hi and it’s fine. Kev calls me a queer and full of myself and it’s all a bit of banter but I don’t think he’s joking. I turn to Kev and sink my index and middle fingers into his eyes. With my palm on his chin and my fingers in his eyes, I push him backwards and down onto the laps of two giggling Chinese girls.
Tris tells me that everything is fine and I don’t need to worry. He tells me that Kev is in a taxi and he is okay, he’s just a cunt who can’t handle his drink. Tris tells me we’ll catch up in a minute, but in the meantime can I get him a drink if he gives me the money. I say fine, but it’s okay, I can pay.
I order two vodkas and coke.
A girl walks past me who I recognise from years ago and she says hi and I say hi and she asks if I bought those drinks for her. I tell her she can have one and it’s nice to see her and I hope she is well these days. She tells me that she is fine and thinking about going to university but she isn’t sure what she wants to do yet. She tells me that she can’t wait to get out of ‘here’ and I ask her what is so bad about ‘here’. She looks annoyed that I have asked her this and tells me it’s easy for me to say that. She arches an eyebrow and forces a smile. She doesn’t need to do this and I tell her so.
About the author:
Richard Owain Roberts has stories at: 3AM Magazine, Dogmatika, Rainy City Stories, and some other places. He is writing a book, but will write you a story (1000 words max.) in exchange for money or free books/clothes/cat food – ror1@hotmail.co.uk
