Wait until the music's over

56. Secrets, mix tapes and jealousy

"Did she knock him out?"

"Yeah, he went down like a sack of potatoes. And it was a pretty big sack" Angie lets go of my hand for a moment, just the time to mimic the body size of the guy, then takes it again, as we walk to her car.

"With a punch?"

"Actually, two"

"Given what he said to you, I'd have given him more" drunk or not, if you touch a woman you're crap, and if I run into you you're dead.

"You'd have beaten a dead horse, well, a dead sack of potatoes"

"Nuh, you're right: too little satisfaction. Anyway, hats off to Meg, cool girl"

"Yep... and to think that at the beginning I thought she was a vapid Barbie"

"What? You? Having prejudices about someone? It can't be!" I have fun picking on her. When I expressed very similar opinions about Violet she made me feel like shit.

"Hehe yeah, I confess, I made a mistake too, I'm human after all. Anyway, that's how we became friends and everything started"

"That's the perfect example of how something good can come out of a bad story too"

"See, so that guy deserves some credit too after all" as soon as we get to her Mini, Angie takes my other hand too and leans back against the back of the car, pulling me closer.

"Fucking credit. It happend ages ago and I wasn't even there and my hands are hitching to hit him good" it looks like taking me out to dinner to a Thai restaurant in the university district makes her feel safe enough from being possibly seen by our friends.

"Don't be upset" she tries and calm me with a kiss and I'd say it works great. But she doesn't need to know.

"Uhm... I'm still a little upset" I tell her after making a stupid scene, licking my lips and clicking my tongue as if I was trying to taste the kiss, just like a weird sommelier does after a sip of wine.

"Hahaha come on, let's go" she gives me another peck and opens the door, as I walk around the car to get to the passenger seat.

"Angie, I'm the last person who can give lectures about Seattle's street map, but weren't we supposed to turn left?" I ask her after our turn at the second crossroad.

"Oh... 'cause... you wanna go back home, right?" she's reaching for something in the glove box with her hand but freezes, as if I had caught her doing something wrong and I can notice her suddenly saddened eyes in the dark too.

"No, I mean, not necessarily"

"'Cause I thought it's still early and..." she puts both her hands back on the wheel and shrugs her shoulders at the same time.

"It's early indeed" it's always too early for me when it's time to say good night.

"I thought... well... we could hang out a little, go for a drive"

"Ok"

"But I can take you home if you want"

"No, I don't wanna go home"

"I didn't even ask you if you're busy tomorrow morning"

"I don't have shit to do tomorrow morning, Angie"

"Maybe you're tired"

"I'm not tired"

"I'll take a U turn as soon as I can"

"Angie?" I take her right hand from the wheel and kiss it.

"Yeah?"

"Take me for a ride"