Kalliope 2015 | Page 176

me in over an hour. He’s been so caught up talking to Tom and I’ve been so busy not hating Andy that I guess we just ignored each other. The weird thing is, this doesn’t bother me. I’m not mad at him, I don’t hate him, I just don’t have any thoughts on the matter at all. “Yeah, go ahead. I can take a cab,” I reassure him. “Yeah, or I could drive her home, I only had one drink,” Andy offers. I think this might be the first thing Andy’s ever said to Johnny. “Well, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” He looks a bit unsure, maybe because I usually follow everything he does. “Yeah, see ya then.” Johnny kisses me on the forehead and throws down a few bills for the last round. It’s just me, Andy, and Matt now. “Hey, it’s after midnight now, isn’t it?” Andy snaps. “Yeah, it’s uh...” I check my phone for the time and notice the battery’s almost dead. “It’s just about 1:30.” “So happy birthday! Cheers!” “Oh, shit. I forgot.” We’re clinking glasses and suddenly Johnny comes running back in. “Hey, forgot I got these for ya.” He reaches into his front pocket with his scissorhands and accidentally stabs the pack of Virginia Blends. I laugh and bury my face in my hands. “Babe, here, why don’t you leave the scissors with me. You’re gonna kill someone.” He stands and I remain seated in the booth as I remove the tape and scissors from his hands. Finally free, he leans down and plants a slobbery, drunken kiss on me. I can only imagine how awkward Andy and Matt must feel. Johnny leaves again and immediately I am greeted by the flabbergasted expressions on Andy and Matt’s faces. Matt opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off because right now Johnny and I are good, better than “just good” and if I get stuck talking about him, I might lose that happy feeling. “Anyone want another round?” I ask. We each have a light beer and then decide to call it a night. Matt is sweet-talking some blonde dressed as an angel. She invites him back to his place, and suddenly it hits me that I’m left alone with just Andy. The very idea of it doesn’t repulse me and I can’t understand why. He calls a cab and we’re told it’ll be about half an hour until someone picks us up. As we wait outside I pull out my pack of Virginia Blends that looks like it’s been through a war. I offer 176