“You don’t say much, do you?” Brendan asked as they strolled down the sidewalk. “I feel like I’ve just been jabbering.”
Dana laughed. “No, I don’t, really. You’re an interesting person, though, so jabber all you want.” She felt unusually comfortable with him, regardless of whether or not she had just met him. He had an unusual peaceful aura around him, and it calmed her, unlike Vivian, who’s flamboyant personality always either annoyed her or just made her excited. She watched the ground as they walked, and let Brendan lead her around the city. The night air was refreshing to her lungs, which had grown accustomed to the hot, stuffy air in the café.
She hadn’t realized Brendan had stopped speaking until he said, “where should go now?”
They were standing at an intersection, giving them three options. “Let’s go left,” she said. “I think there’s a park down there.” As they made their way, Dana thought about what time Vivian would probably get worried. He was like an overprotective mother in that way. Vivian always looked out for Dana, and if there was something that he didn’t like, he was sure to let her know.
They claimed two of the swings and as she sat on it, he said, “if every night were like this, I think I would be perfectly happy.”
Dana nodded. “It feels great out here. Could be a bit warmer, though.”
“Well,” he said, “I didn’t just mean the temperature. I meant… the air, the lights…” he looked at her. “And I’m glad I asked you to come with me to this party, even if it was a total bust.”
“If that was a compliment, thanks,” she said, her face burning with a blush. She kicked some of the rocks that were laid out underneath the swing set.
“It was. You’re welcome.”
She looked at him, and getting a closer look at him she realized he was more handsome than she had thought. His loose curls fell down to his eyes in the front. His glasses, square rimmed and bold, seemed to fit his face perfectly. He didn’t compare to James, though.
“It’s not nice to stare,” said Brendan, breaking Dana out of her trance. “You’ve done that twice today. Do I have something on my face?”
Dana shook her head, and sighed, bringing her gaze to the playground equipment. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been on a slide, and it looked tempting. But she held her repose, and kept her ass planted on the swing. When her phone buzzed, she jumped in surprise, and dug it out of her pocket. “Girls” by the Beastie Boys filled the silence and peacefulness of the park. She was oftentimes embarrassed by this ringtone selection, but after she had grown used to it, Dana had decided it was a very fitting ringtone for her gay best friend.
She rolled her eyes as she opened the phone.
“What do you want Vivian? No, I have not been kidnapped... or raped... or drinking. Just go watch Scrubs or something. Well I don’t care. I’ll be home later. I don’t know. Stop worrying, mother. Bye!” She hung up the phone, and groaned. Brendan laughed, and she leaned back on the swing, gripping the rubber-coated chains tightly. “I hate gay men!”
“He sounds interesting,” Brendan stated. “I’ve never met a gay guy before.” She heard him kick some rocks, and sat up, rubbing her hands together.
“They’re only good for fashion advice,” she said, smiling. “Well, they’re great roommates, too, but still.” Dana picked at her fingernails, and looked at Brendan. “Hey, I’m starving. Wanna get something to eat? I’ll buy.”
“Where would we go?” Brendan checked his watch. “It’s almost midnight.”
Dana smiled. “I know where we can go.”
*
The booth they were seated at was sticky and it smelled like mustard, but Dana and Brendan sat there regardless. After they had ordered, she poked through her phone, trying to find something to do while they waited for their food. “We should exchange digits,” he said, pulling out his phone. “In case, you know, you wanna hang out again.”
Dana smiled. “Sure, buddy.” She handed him her phone, and he gave her his. She was tempted to go through his contact list, but decided against the idea. After entering her phone number, she slid the phone over to him. “So, um,” she said, “would you consider this a date or just… two new friends hanging out?”
“What?” asked Brendan. “You mean, how I asked you to a party and then we left and have been doing nothing but wandering around the city? I’d call that two new friends hanging out.” He smiled at her. “If I were to ask you out on a date, I would’ve had us do something much nicer.” They shared a gaze, and Dana awkwardly broke it off after a moment when their food arrived.
“Well, it’s good to know that you’re a gentleman,” said Dana, reaching for the ketchup bottle at the end of the table. “I mean, for all I knew, you could’ve done something incredibly stupid, and then Vivian, my gay best friend and guardian angel, would have to come and take care of you. That’d be tragic.”
“Is that a threat?” Brendan laughed. “Well, then, I guess if I wanted to do something stupid, as you said, then I wouldn’t mess with Vivian. Heaven’s no.” He shook his head, and nibbled on a French fry.
“Good to know,” she said, smiling.
“So I wish you’d tell me more about yourself. The only thing I really know is that you’ve got a gay roommate, who’s also your guardian angel and could kick my ass.” Brendan sipped his soda and wiped his hand on a napkin.
Dana suddenly felt awkward. “Um… uh… there’s not much to tell.” She sighed. “I don’t like to talk about myself.”
Brendan sighed. “Ok. I’ll ask and you answer. Favorite band?”
“Green Day. Without a doubt.” She took a napkin and wiped her fingers. Dana looked up at him, and noticed that the frames of his glasses were dark blue. They reminded her of James’ scarf that he always let her wear.
“Hmm… favorite food?” He leaned against the wall, and sat sideways along his side of the booth.
“Fruit. Apples and bananas, more specifically.”
“Favorite… movie?”
Dana smiled, and twirled her straw in her glass. “’The Wizard of Oz’,” she said.
“Um… favorite song?” Brendan sat up, and tucked his legs back underneath the table.
“Don’t have one.” Dana took a small bite out of her chicken strip.
“Ok. Favorite drink?”
“A passion fruit, papaya, kiwi, and protein smoothie. It’s very good. And healthy.” She winked at Brendan.
“Sounds delightful. Favorite article of clothing?” He smiled at her.
“Jeans.” She finished her French fries. “Are we just going to do favorites or are you going to get to the longer questions?” She yawned, and took a large drink from her soda.
“Ok, ok. Jeez.” Brendan thought for a moment, and Dana noticed that his food was almost untouched. “What’s your favorite thing about your childhood?”
Dana felt her stomach tie in a knot. “You gonna eat your food? Cuz I’m buying, dude.” She finished her soda, and pushed the glass away from her. She thought about her answer carefully. There weren’t many good things about her childhood after Robert married her mother, and those memories were the most prominent. She tried to think of her birth father, but Robert’s face kept replacing her father’s. Dana kept remembering what the sick fuck had done to her. What she remembered most about her mother was that the bitch didn’t believe her, and Dana was never going to forgive either of them. “I… um… I don’t remember any.”
“Are you ok?” Brendan asked softly. She raised her eyebrow. “You were crying.” She wiped her cheeks, and sure enough, her palms were wet.
“Oh, my god,” she whispered, getting up from the booth. “I, um, I’ll be right back.” She headed towards the restroom and felt humiliated. Crying in front of Brendan is going to make him curious, and she didn’t want to be rude to him. Dana examined her face in the mirror, and sniffled. Her tears had left red tracks down her cheeks, and she flushed some cold water to refresh herself. How embarrassing, she thought, drying her face with a paper towel.
It didn’t take Dana long to regain her composure and walk out of the restroom. She kept the memories of Robert locked away in the back of her head and thought about Vivian as she joined Brendan in the booth. “I’m sorry. I… um… didn’t have a great childhood.”
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Brendan said flatly. He looked tired, and Dana realized that she was, too. She watched him rub his eyes. They both finished their meals, hardly speaking a word to each other as they did. “I’m sorry if I said anything wrong,” he said, pushing his plate away from him.
She smiled weakly. “It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong.” Dana grabbed her purse, and dug through her wallet for enough money. “I’m going to go pay for this.” She grabbed the receipt and headed towards the register. She paid, and went back to gather the rest of her things. Dana placed a five-dollar bill on the table, and the two of them returned to the cold, night air.
*
The living room was empty when Dana got home, and she assumed that Vivian was watching TV in his room. She quietly let Brendan in and said, “um, you can crash on the couch, but it’s really small. Or you can stay in my room, which I don’t have a problem with. It’s Vivian who would have a cow.”
“What is he, like, your mother?” Brendan whispered, laughing quietly.
“You’d be surprised.” Dana kicked off her shoes and hung her other things on the coat rack. “So I guess… it’s up to you. I really don’t mind if you don’t want to sleep on the couch. But I’ve got to warn you, I sprawl.” She grinned, and Brendan raised his eyebrows.
“Well, I think I’ll risk getting shoved off the bed. That couch looks dangerous.” He took off his shoes, and slid his jacket off. “Where can I put this?” He asked, holding it up.
“Just throw it somewhere.” Dana moved down the hallway into her bedroom, and turned the light on. “It’s a mess. Sorry.” She looked at him, and he shrugged. She collapsed down onto the mattress with a thump. “Close the door, will ya? Vivian gets awfully noisy in the morning, and sometimes his cat wanders in here.”
*
“Goodnight, Dana,” Brendan whispered as he closed his eyes. His breath on her neck sent chills down her spine and she shivered. She clapped, and the lights flickered off. She closed her eyes, and made herself comfortable. Dana hadn’t shared a bed with someone since she was dating James, so the lack of space was weird for her.
“Goodnight, Brendan.”
