The Lavender Sky - Chapter 28
Okay so this is short and I don't think it makes any sense, but whatever, it's the jist of things. Besides not many people want to read about Reid and Seth so I'm putting you out of your misery faster.
Apparently some of you have been waiting with baited breath for this, so here you go. Don't expect too much! It's very short.
“What is it?”
“Is that how you answer your phone to everyone? I must say, not very polite but to the point.” Seth’s voice came from across the line.
“Oh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“So what can I do for you? I’m a busy man.”
“I called about the date you owe me.”
“You actually want to do that?”
“Of course, don’t you?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything more interesting to do tonight.”
“Like brain surgery?”
“Yeah, I cut them all open already.”
“Shame.”
“Indeed.”
“So, what time is your shift over? I can give you a few hours to go home and get ready before we go out.”
A few hours to get ready? Who am I, Luke? “I’ll grab a quick shower, you can pick me up at eight.”
“Eight it is. You know where you want to go eat?”
“I have a place in mind.”
____________________________________
Candles flickered in maroon paper lanterns with cut out flowers that cast spindly shadows against the gold painted walls. Seth and I sat in a red leather booth, a thick black wood table between us set with teacups and chopsticks. I broke mine apart and fiddled with them between my fingers.
“What can I get you boys?” The waitress with a thick Thai accent asked.
“I’ll have the chicken coconut curry and a Thai iced tea please.” I ordered.
“And for you sir?”
“I’ll have the pork Pad Thai, and water’s fine for me, thanks.” He smiled and handed over his menu. He was almost as smiley as Luke.
“So, how was your day?” Seth asked, leaning back against his chair, placing his napkin over his thigh.
“Messy.”
“Cut open a lot of brains?”
“Yes.”
“Do anything else today?”
“Ate a sandwich and made a few nurses cry.”
“Sounds productive.”
“It is what it is.”
“You know, a conversation works well when the other party elaborates on their answers to create a back and forth so that the conversation can build and usually one will ask the other person questions about themselves to get to know that person better.”
“Thanks for the conversation anatomy lesson.”
The inevitable silence came again. It drifted over us with a shivering cold of awkwardness. When Luke and I first started dating we had a lot of silence too, but then Luke would do something clever and cute and we’d be on a roll. Why doesn’t Seth do something clever or cute? He does realize that I fail at conversation, simple social interactions, and all the rest. Why isn’t he saying anything? Is he waiting for me? What do I say to him? What would I say to Luke? What would Luke say to me? Something cute and clever, obviously. And as he rattled on about nonsense like his siblings or the farm or his friends I’d gaze contently into his forest brown eyes. I wonder if Luke is thinking about me now. I wonder if he thinks I’m thinking of him. Conversation and life in general was easier with Luke, I knew what to expect. Seth, he’s a wild card, I don’t know how he functions or what his next action or word will be. Why do people do this? This is scary.
“Okay, fine,” Seth broke into my thoughts, “I’ll tell you about myself. I am one of the middle of four children. I grew up in Colorado. I am an advertizing executive. My favorite color is green. Now you go.”
I looked at him as if he were crazy. He continued to look at me expectantly. “Fine. I am an only child. I grew up in Boston. I am obviously the world’s best neurosurgeon. My favorite color is brown.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard. Now we know each other better.”
“Yippie.”
“Reid, do you not want to be on this date with me? Because it seemed like you were into it before and now that we’re here…”
“No it’s not that. I’m weird in social situations. I’m not really sure how it works, banter or whatever.”
“Ask me something, anything.”
Oh geez is the questions game always going to be my thing? “Uh, I don’t know, why don’t you go first?”
“I’ve been asking you questions all night! Your turn.” He laughed with a warm smile. His smile looked older than Luke’s, not as deep and captivating either, but still inviting and warm.
“OK, alright, um… where did you go to college?”
“Northwestern, you?”
“Harvard.”
“No shit?”
“Where else would I go?”
“That’s true, I should have guessed.”
“Does that mean it’s my turn again because you said something last?”
Seth smiled his inviting smile again. “You’re cute when you’re clueless, like you’re cute when your drunk and saying hilariously random things.”
“You know, I’m in AA.”
“Well then, a big fat oops to a few days ago!”
“I’m not a drunk. I got arrested for public drunkenness and the judge ordered me to go to AA. I’ve almost completed it.” Seth continued his deep lingering warm stare at me. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s making me nervous.”
“Sorry.” He laughed, “You are very interesting.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Yes thanks, it wasn’t an insult.”
“You never know with some people.” I mumbled. The waiter came down and placed our food on the table and my focus turned to it.
“You’re a really good eater.” He commented on what must have been ten minutes of silence besides my chewing and our utensils.
“One of my favorite hobbies.”
“Can’t tell with a body like that.”
“High metabolism and yoga.”
“You? Yoga? Wouldn’t have guessed that one. I myself like kick boxing.”
“I never understood the hype of that.”
“It’s fun! Always moving around, beats running on a treadmill.”
“I don’t do that either, that sounds exceedingly boring.”
“Well they have TVs on the machines now, so you can pretend you’re sitting on the couch eating a bag of chips.”
“I like chips.”
He smiled again, his eyes laughing for no reason at what I had said. This guy is confusing, why is he always smiling?
“Am I looking at you in that way you don’t like again?”
“Yes.”
“Still freaking you out?”
“A little.”
“Are you done? Let’s pay and get out of here.”
“Um, who pays?”
“Um, I don’t know. Let’s flip a coin.”
I could feel the genuine smile pull at my lips and break free of my façade. “No that’s okay, I’ll pay for this one, you pay for the next one.”
“Next one, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, slurping down the rest of my iced tea before paying the bill.
_________________________________________
Seth got out of the car and followed me up to the door into my apartment building. “I feel like a sixteen-year-old girl with you walking me to my door.”
“Well this is what boys do when they don’t want the date to end yet.”
“I’d invite you in, but I honestly have a really early surgery tomorrow.”
“It’s OK Reid, you don’t have to justify things. A first date should end like this. Although I guess we sort of started with the sex so…”
“Yeah.” I smiled again.
“Thanks for dinner.” He said, all of a sudden acting shyly.
“No problem, you get the next one.”
He nodded, leaning in slowly, his lips against mine. I felt his hand slide around my neck, deepening the kiss and I let him take control, sighing pleasantly against him. It felt nice, in a way I didn’t think it could, to have his lips against mine. A slow, gentile, noninvasive goodnight kiss; I’m not sure I’ve really had one of those.
He stepped back, his eyes once again warm and inviting. “So, Christmas is in a few weeks, what are you doing?”
“Nothing. Maybe we could go out to dinner?”
“Actually, I go to Aspen for a week every year with my family. It’s sort of our thing.”
“Well have fun then.”
“I do. I’ll call you when I get back.”
“Sure thing.”
“Night Reid.”
“Goodnight, Seth.”
I turned, walking into my apartment building and let the door close behind me. I felt the pit of my stomach shake, as if the curry had suddenly stopped agreeing with me. I ran to my apartment as I felt my throat close in anaphylactic shock. I grabbed a water and tried to gulp it down, stop my stomach from gurgling and churning. I could barely swallow it and most of the water ran down my chin.
What a waste of my time, going on a date with Seth. Sure, he is nice and all, good looking, has a good job, my age, but he isn’t Luke. I never realized how much I needed Luke, not someone, but Luke, until he was gone. I made him disappear, I made him leave but I never thought it would feel this way. And now it’s the holiday season, and for another year in a row I will be in my office eating a frozen meal waiting for the emergencies to come in. I wonder what the Snyder’s do for Christmas. If they have another crazy squash ritual. I wonder how their tree looks or if they sing Christmas carols and take the horses out for a winter wonderland ride. I wasn’t supposed to be alone this year; I had Luke. Had Luke, past tense. What the hell have I done?
I have to get him back; I am determined to get him back.
_____________________________________________________
That's a very poor description of Reid's emotions. I suck, oh well, next chapter is much cooler and more interesting.
Apparently some of you have been waiting with baited breath for this, so here you go. Don't expect too much! It's very short.
“What is it?”
“Is that how you answer your phone to everyone? I must say, not very polite but to the point.” Seth’s voice came from across the line.
“Oh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“So what can I do for you? I’m a busy man.”
“I called about the date you owe me.”
“You actually want to do that?”
“Of course, don’t you?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything more interesting to do tonight.”
“Like brain surgery?”
“Yeah, I cut them all open already.”
“Shame.”
“Indeed.”
“So, what time is your shift over? I can give you a few hours to go home and get ready before we go out.”
A few hours to get ready? Who am I, Luke? “I’ll grab a quick shower, you can pick me up at eight.”
“Eight it is. You know where you want to go eat?”
“I have a place in mind.”
____________________________________
Candles flickered in maroon paper lanterns with cut out flowers that cast spindly shadows against the gold painted walls. Seth and I sat in a red leather booth, a thick black wood table between us set with teacups and chopsticks. I broke mine apart and fiddled with them between my fingers.
“What can I get you boys?” The waitress with a thick Thai accent asked.
“I’ll have the chicken coconut curry and a Thai iced tea please.” I ordered.
“And for you sir?”
“I’ll have the pork Pad Thai, and water’s fine for me, thanks.” He smiled and handed over his menu. He was almost as smiley as Luke.
“So, how was your day?” Seth asked, leaning back against his chair, placing his napkin over his thigh.
“Messy.”
“Cut open a lot of brains?”
“Yes.”
“Do anything else today?”
“Ate a sandwich and made a few nurses cry.”
“Sounds productive.”
“It is what it is.”
“You know, a conversation works well when the other party elaborates on their answers to create a back and forth so that the conversation can build and usually one will ask the other person questions about themselves to get to know that person better.”
“Thanks for the conversation anatomy lesson.”
The inevitable silence came again. It drifted over us with a shivering cold of awkwardness. When Luke and I first started dating we had a lot of silence too, but then Luke would do something clever and cute and we’d be on a roll. Why doesn’t Seth do something clever or cute? He does realize that I fail at conversation, simple social interactions, and all the rest. Why isn’t he saying anything? Is he waiting for me? What do I say to him? What would I say to Luke? What would Luke say to me? Something cute and clever, obviously. And as he rattled on about nonsense like his siblings or the farm or his friends I’d gaze contently into his forest brown eyes. I wonder if Luke is thinking about me now. I wonder if he thinks I’m thinking of him. Conversation and life in general was easier with Luke, I knew what to expect. Seth, he’s a wild card, I don’t know how he functions or what his next action or word will be. Why do people do this? This is scary.
“Okay, fine,” Seth broke into my thoughts, “I’ll tell you about myself. I am one of the middle of four children. I grew up in Colorado. I am an advertizing executive. My favorite color is green. Now you go.”
I looked at him as if he were crazy. He continued to look at me expectantly. “Fine. I am an only child. I grew up in Boston. I am obviously the world’s best neurosurgeon. My favorite color is brown.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard. Now we know each other better.”
“Yippie.”
“Reid, do you not want to be on this date with me? Because it seemed like you were into it before and now that we’re here…”
“No it’s not that. I’m weird in social situations. I’m not really sure how it works, banter or whatever.”
“Ask me something, anything.”
Oh geez is the questions game always going to be my thing? “Uh, I don’t know, why don’t you go first?”
“I’ve been asking you questions all night! Your turn.” He laughed with a warm smile. His smile looked older than Luke’s, not as deep and captivating either, but still inviting and warm.
“OK, alright, um… where did you go to college?”
“Northwestern, you?”
“Harvard.”
“No shit?”
“Where else would I go?”
“That’s true, I should have guessed.”
“Does that mean it’s my turn again because you said something last?”
Seth smiled his inviting smile again. “You’re cute when you’re clueless, like you’re cute when your drunk and saying hilariously random things.”
“You know, I’m in AA.”
“Well then, a big fat oops to a few days ago!”
“I’m not a drunk. I got arrested for public drunkenness and the judge ordered me to go to AA. I’ve almost completed it.” Seth continued his deep lingering warm stare at me. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s making me nervous.”
“Sorry.” He laughed, “You are very interesting.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Yes thanks, it wasn’t an insult.”
“You never know with some people.” I mumbled. The waiter came down and placed our food on the table and my focus turned to it.
“You’re a really good eater.” He commented on what must have been ten minutes of silence besides my chewing and our utensils.
“One of my favorite hobbies.”
“Can’t tell with a body like that.”
“High metabolism and yoga.”
“You? Yoga? Wouldn’t have guessed that one. I myself like kick boxing.”
“I never understood the hype of that.”
“It’s fun! Always moving around, beats running on a treadmill.”
“I don’t do that either, that sounds exceedingly boring.”
“Well they have TVs on the machines now, so you can pretend you’re sitting on the couch eating a bag of chips.”
“I like chips.”
He smiled again, his eyes laughing for no reason at what I had said. This guy is confusing, why is he always smiling?
“Am I looking at you in that way you don’t like again?”
“Yes.”
“Still freaking you out?”
“A little.”
“Are you done? Let’s pay and get out of here.”
“Um, who pays?”
“Um, I don’t know. Let’s flip a coin.”
I could feel the genuine smile pull at my lips and break free of my façade. “No that’s okay, I’ll pay for this one, you pay for the next one.”
“Next one, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, slurping down the rest of my iced tea before paying the bill.
_________________________________________
Seth got out of the car and followed me up to the door into my apartment building. “I feel like a sixteen-year-old girl with you walking me to my door.”
“Well this is what boys do when they don’t want the date to end yet.”
“I’d invite you in, but I honestly have a really early surgery tomorrow.”
“It’s OK Reid, you don’t have to justify things. A first date should end like this. Although I guess we sort of started with the sex so…”
“Yeah.” I smiled again.
“Thanks for dinner.” He said, all of a sudden acting shyly.
“No problem, you get the next one.”
He nodded, leaning in slowly, his lips against mine. I felt his hand slide around my neck, deepening the kiss and I let him take control, sighing pleasantly against him. It felt nice, in a way I didn’t think it could, to have his lips against mine. A slow, gentile, noninvasive goodnight kiss; I’m not sure I’ve really had one of those.
He stepped back, his eyes once again warm and inviting. “So, Christmas is in a few weeks, what are you doing?”
“Nothing. Maybe we could go out to dinner?”
“Actually, I go to Aspen for a week every year with my family. It’s sort of our thing.”
“Well have fun then.”
“I do. I’ll call you when I get back.”
“Sure thing.”
“Night Reid.”
“Goodnight, Seth.”
I turned, walking into my apartment building and let the door close behind me. I felt the pit of my stomach shake, as if the curry had suddenly stopped agreeing with me. I ran to my apartment as I felt my throat close in anaphylactic shock. I grabbed a water and tried to gulp it down, stop my stomach from gurgling and churning. I could barely swallow it and most of the water ran down my chin.
What a waste of my time, going on a date with Seth. Sure, he is nice and all, good looking, has a good job, my age, but he isn’t Luke. I never realized how much I needed Luke, not someone, but Luke, until he was gone. I made him disappear, I made him leave but I never thought it would feel this way. And now it’s the holiday season, and for another year in a row I will be in my office eating a frozen meal waiting for the emergencies to come in. I wonder what the Snyder’s do for Christmas. If they have another crazy squash ritual. I wonder how their tree looks or if they sing Christmas carols and take the horses out for a winter wonderland ride. I wasn’t supposed to be alone this year; I had Luke. Had Luke, past tense. What the hell have I done?
I have to get him back; I am determined to get him back.
_____________________________________________________
That's a very poor description of Reid's emotions. I suck, oh well, next chapter is much cooler and more interesting.