Young Writers Society

Beau seemed a little nervous as we entered the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I had discovered Chuck’s about 4 or 5 months after moving to Chicago while on the search for some comfort food. I was extremely homesick and besides the bourbon, I was missing one thing from home: southern fried chicken. After trying it at several different places, and none of them satisfying the craving, I stumbled upon Chuck’s one evening. I had been coming here anytime I had a hankering ever since. I had a feeling on a night like tonight, I was definitely going to need my comfort food.

“Don’t be nervous,” I assured him with a grin, “this place is the closest thing you can get to Mama’s home cooking out here.” He’d know I was referring to my grandmother because well, everyone that knew the lady called her Mama. It was a Southern thing.

“Good to know,” we helped ourselves to a booth next to a window that looked out on to the now darkening street, “but it’s not the food I’m worried about.” He told me. He gave me a half smirk and I knew what he was referring to.

“Ahh, yes,” I nodded, since our little encounter. There was a giant elephant in between us. I knew we needed to talk, but at the same time, I had absolutely no idea where to even begin. There was 4 years between us now, and we certainly hadn’t left things on good terms at all.

Luckily, my worrying was interrupted by the waitress, “Can I start you two off with something to drink?” she asked with her lovely, yet fake, work smile plastered across her bright red lips.

“I’ll have a Dr. Pepper.” I told her, returning the polite smile.

“Same.” Beau nodded at her. I could tell he was going through the same issues as me in his head, if not something very similar. This situation was awkward for the both of us, and realizing that made it a little harder for me to stay as angry. It was really just a big coincidence if you thought about it. I’d call it fate or something cheesy like that, but let’s get real, I’m just not that kind of girl.

“So, what have you been up to for the past four years?” I asked. I mean, we were here, might as well catch up with him. At one point, Beau had honestly been my best friend. We were that couple, that couple that everyone else hated. That couple that hadn’t let becoming a couple change our friendship. Until we weren’t anymore.

He chuckled a bit, “Well, honestly?” I nodded for him to continue, “Not much has changed really. After you left, I was in a bad place for a while, but a lot of good music came from it. Sadly, as you know, my best work comes when I’m intoxicated and emotional.”

The waitress returned, sitting our drinks down on the laminate teal ‘marble’ table top. One of the reasons I loved this place was because it seriously looked like something out of a time-capsule. The classic diner look just screamed 1950s and it was just comforting, everything about it. “Alright, are you two ready to order?” She gave us questioning glances. We looked at each other and back at the waitress, nodding our heads in agreement. “Ok, what will you be having this evening?” She asked, looking to me first.

“I’ll have the fried chicken dinner, with the mac & cheese and mashed potatoes for my sides. And also, can I get a small order of gravy with that.” I told her my order. She must have been new here because I didn’t recognize her like I did the other waitresses.

She looked over at Beau, “You know what, I’ll have the same, just no gravy for me.” He told her, smiling politely as she repeated our order back. We both nodded letting her know it was all correct.

“Alright, I’ll have that right out to you guys.” She chirped, scurrying back toward the kitchen. Leaving us to continue our conversation.

“Anyways, so you’ve just been getting drunk and writing music for four years, huh?” I jabbed. I thought I was funny, most others wouldn’t agree. I had a strange sense of humor, or so I had been told.

“Well, no.” he said with a shake of his head, trying to hide the half grin he had. Beau understood my humor, even when he hated it. “I was only drunk for about a year. Wrote a lot of depressing shit, and then I woke up one morning to Thomas banging on the door. He was with Heather, and they said they were having an ‘intervention’ for me.” He used air quotes around the word intervention, like some teenaged girl from the early 2000s.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Are you fucking serious?” I squeezed out in between my giggles. He nodded his head, smiling a little more, I guess he found it funnier now than he had then. “Horny Heather held an intervention for you? My god, that’s hilarious. How are Heather and Tommy boy now, by the way?” I asked him. Heather was my college roommate and once a great friend. I hadn’t even talked to her since I left Kentucky. I was fully intent on leaving my entire life behind me there, but I had to admit I missed my old friends sometimes. And Thomas, well, he was one of Beau’s friends that I just kind of adopted as one of my own, the way that happens with couples sometimes.

“They’re married.” He said simply, looking at me to see my reaction.

“Married?!” I exclaimed and almost spit my drink across the table at him. I opted to swallow it instead. “Like, to each other?!” I asked, excitedly. He nodded, grinning, I guess that was the reaction he was expecting. “When the hell did that happen?” I questioned. It was surprising, really. Heather just was not the marrying kind. Or at least she didn’t use to be. I mean, they hadn’t started calling her ‘Horny Heather’ for no reason. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the girl to death, but she was very… promiscuous, to say the least. And Thomas, he was a nice guy, but kind of a burnout. He definitely wasn’t Heather’s ‘type’. She normally would go for the more jock type of guys. Of course, get enough tequila in her and the girl probably would have fucked Steve Urkel.

“Well, I had a little show one night at Kelly’s and of course they were both there. Both drinking. I’m pretty sure that Tommy had some acid or mushrooms or something. And he offered some to Heather. So they were both tripping pretty hard before I even finished my set.” He paused, taking a sip of Dr. Pepper. I nodded for him to continue. I really needed to know how those two ended up together, let alone MARRIED! “So, I get finished and go to join them for a few drinks, but by this time, Tommy is telling me, ‘Man, we gotta go. We gotta get out of here. They’re coming, man.’ So I tried arguing with him but it wasn’t happening and I couldn’t let those two leave alone. I took them back to the apartment. Well, them and another girl I was seeing at the time…”

I gave him a glare. “Seeing huh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Ok, not really seeing her, but that’s not the point.” I waved my hand at him, telling him to go on. He sighed, “Well, apparently while me and this girl were… busy.” He paused briefly and caught my glare again, “Anyways, long story short, they hooked up and according to Tommy ‘it was, like, meant to be, man’.” He nodded, letting me know he was finished.

“So… they got together based off a hallucinogenic induced hook-up?” I questioned. Honestly it wasn’t surprising coming from the two of them, but somehow I was still shocked. He nodded at me. “Well, how fucking romantic.” I quipped, “And when was this?” I asked, still curious about my old life since it had come to haunt me anyhow.

“August 1st will be their 2 year wedding anniversary.” He told me as the waitress walked towards us to sit our plates down on the table.

“Everything look alright?” She asked politely, we nodded. “Ok, you all let me know if I can get you anything else!” She grinned before scurrying off again.

“Damn, who would’ve guessed?” I said, still trying to wrap my head around it.

“Right?” He said in agreement as he took another drink of soda.

“Anyways, you had your intervention, then what?” I asked, still curious to know about him. As interesting as Heather and Tommy’s happily ever after was, it was him I was catching up with.

“Oh yea, I had my intervention, and then I threw myself into my music in a good way. I ended up working at the record store until I finally got myself a manager and then I recorded an EP. And now, I’m just sort of traveling around playing shows where ever I can until I record my first album, which I’m supposed to start in December.” He told me, blowing on a bite of chicken before shoving it into his mouth.

“Wow. Well, I’m proud of you. Living your dream, it sounds like.” I told him with a smile, taking a bite of food myself. Beau was a musician, through and through. Never once had he been willing to give up on his dream. It was something I admired him for in the beginning. Hell, I was one of his biggest supporters, his number one fan. Until I wasn’t anymore.

We continued chatting about stuff with him in between bites of food. As we slowed down on eating, he asked me the same question, “So what about you, how have you been?”

“Me?” I questioned. I took a sip of my drink before continuing, “Well, I got my Agent position, which is when I moved out here. I’ve been doing great at that, I actually just interviewed for the SAC position which is what I was all dressed up for at the bar.” I nodded at him. I didn’t really have a lot of interesting stories like he did. Since I had moved out here it had been pretty much all work and no play. Aside from hanging out at Paddy’s with Ken.

“SAC?” He asked with a raised brow.

“Oh, Special Agent in Charge.” I told him with a nod.

“So, besides work?” He was begging me to tell him more. Sadly, there wasn’t much to tell for me.

“I mean, you said it yourself right? Work is all that matters to me.” I churned. I wasn’t sure if he’d realize I was throwing some of his old words back at him.

“Don’t do that.” He grimaced. I raised my eye brows at him, feigning innocence. “We’re having a good night, don’t ruin it.”

“Ruining it would be me asking how whatsername is doing. What was it, Liz? Yea, I could ask how she is.” I spit. I could be a grade-A bitch when I wanted to be. I also just enjoyed seeing him squirm a little though. I mean, he deserved a lot more than that, but maybe I would get to that later.

“Dammit, Taylor, are we seriously going to do this right now?” He met my eyes with a pleading look.

“Fine,” I shook my head at him, “We can postpone fighting for later. Besides, I want some dessert. Share some apple pie with me?” I asked. And just like that, I flipped my bitch switch into the off position. I was able to do that, most of the time anyhow. And even if I didn’t want to admit it, I was having a good time catching up with Beau.

“Just like that, huh?” He questioned, shaking his head with a little laugh, I nodded at him. “Fine. Sure then, apple pie it is.” He agreed.

We ordered the dessert. He continued telling me stories of his musical adventures as we shared the apple pie ala mode. And for a while it was like old times, and I forgot about him ever breaking my heart.

“Let’s get outta here,” He smirked at me as we walked down the sidewalk together leading back to my apartment. Somewhere between Chuck’s and my front door we had ended up holding hands. Old habits, right?

We walked into the apartment and I pulled down two glasses from the cabinet. “Drinks?” I asked him. There were still so many things I wanted to know about his escapades as a touring artist and of course more about Tommy and Heather’s crazy antics. As if getting married wasn’t crazy enough for them.

I filled the glasses with bourbon and he continued telling me stories. Somewhere in between him telling me about the homeless guy trying to rob him in Arkansas, and an insane story about Heather and Tommy going on some weird ‘hippy vacation’ - I ended up drunk and snuggled up to him on my sofa. He ran his callused fingers slowly through my auburn hair. I rolled from my side to my back so I was looking up at him from his lap. “I’m glad we did this.” I told him with a lazy, drunken smile.

“Me too.” He mused, returning the grin. Then his lips were on mine. Our lips moved together slowly at first, soft kisses slowly turned into more deep and urgent ones. No wonder I’d had to move across the country to get away from him. If I had stayed in Kentucky, I’d had never have gotten away from these kisses, these hands.

Before Beau showed up, it had been a long while since I had been with anyone. Maybe I could just blame it all on that. Even though I was pretty sure it was just a Beau thing. He always had held some sort of power over me. Something to do with those eyes, that pleading look he got in them, and my god… those hands. They were callused but soft and smooth in all the right places. He touched me tenderly. I swear, being there - kissing him and our bodies crashing into each other like this - it made me wonder why we had ever stopped to begin with.

Oh yea. I remember now. Liz. But those lips, those hands, and those hips grinding into me like they are. I put the past into the back of my head and succumb to the now. The now which was currently undressing me for the second night in a row. I needed to get a damn grip on my hormones or something, but I could do that in the morning. For now, I was going to enjoy myself.