The GEEKs

19. holiday spirit and too much spirits

"Hey, I'm just trying to figure things out," Jerry shrugs defensively. "Besides, you've been going out with Gwen for what, like three months now? So don't tell us it's just a casual thing. Don't make me laugh."

"It doesn't mean I'm not interested in seeing other people."

"I don't know why you keep doing this. Just break up with her." Layne throws a scrunched up gum wrapper at me.

"Pff why should I? Right?"

Fuck, I just realised my audience's priorities have changed drastically during the past few months. I'm preaching to the wrong choir here, all of these guys are suddenly all about monogamy and serious relationships. It must be the Christmas season funk.

And as for me, I've been to Gwen's dance class three times already...three fucking times! Actually might as well get married at this point, because she just snaps her fingers and I come running to do whatever she wants to do. It's not even that, but the fact that she thinks that that's it, this is how it's going to be, we'll be in a full fledged relationship, that she bagged me. That's what she wants, I think, but definitely not what I want. I don't want to go to the same stupid dance class every goddamn week and have date nights planned ahead. I'm not seventy years old for god's sake!

But that doesn't mean I have to break up with her. It's not my responsibility. Plus, we're dating, I can stop dating her, not break up.

* * *

I glance out through the dusty window – it's dark outside, it's been getting dark early lately, and all the city lights are on. I can almost feel the chilly, crisp air when I check the time for the millionth time in the past hour and realise I only have four minutes before I can officially close and leave. I would leave right this second, but I'm trying to get on Virginia's good side as my Christmas gift for her. And for me, because if she's happy, then she's easier to work with. It's not too bad anyway, I've done everything I need to do and the last thing left is just walking out the door and locking it.

"You still open?"

I lift my face at the sound of none other than Chris Cornell's voice at the said door and my internal organs do a somersault.

"Yeah. Hi. I mean...we're closing. I'm closing about now."

"Dang it, where am I gonna get my dose of weird old stuff from now?" He mumbles while making his way towards me and glancing around.

"How dare you call me old?" I get a laugh out of him. "So Lizzy told me you came by a couple of days ago..."

"Dang it, I told her not to tell you."

"Well I'm glad she did because I didn't realise I lent you a record?"

Chris barks out another laugh and shakes his head in slight embarrassment and defeat. "I imagine you wouldn't have appreciated me telling Lizzy that I came over hoping to secretly hang out with you in your bedroom. Or to ask you out." He shoots me a self content smirk that took over his face all of a sudden.

"Are you on drugs?"

"I don't think so. Although you never know, living with Andy, you can find all sorts of substances in your morning coffee if you're not careful."

"So...you came over the other night for...what?" I ask for a clarification, trying to sound as normal and casual as I can while keeping the excitement and confusion at bay. I wonder if he means 'ask you out' as in on a date, or if he's one of those people that use this phrase as something entirely else, like ask me out to talk to him about my hot roommate Gwen over coffee.

"You know, to uh...see what you were up to. If you wanted to hang out or something... Like, out...not necessarily in your bedroom," he adds when my eyebrows just keep dipping to a point where I can see the little hairs.