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“I don’t know,” I reply flatly. “Iguess you could open and see.”
It’s the pizza delivery guy. I’vepaid online, so Dave just needs to give the kid a tip. I leave twobeers out and put the rest in the fridge. Dave sets the pizza,plates, and napkins next to the beer.
I grab a bottle and sit in one ofthe two armchairs in the living-room area. I don’t sit on the sofa,where I normally would, because I don’t want him sitting next tome. My body vibrates with aggravation.
“Don’t you want to eat?” he asksfrom the kitchen.
“Not right now,” I say and take aswig.
He grabs a couple of slices ofpizza, and brings them and his beer into the living room. He sitson the sofa, where he always does. There’s plenty of room for menext to him and he gives me a pointed look, letting me know he’snoticed I’m not where I should be.
“What the hell is going on,Dave?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you acting like apossessive jerk because I said ‘hi’ to a neighbor. I’ve known youfor years. That’s never been you, never been us. What’s goingon?”
“Maybe I want it to be us.”
A moment passes before I canrespond. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Have you ever thought about usbeing serious?”
I lean forward, my elbows restingon my knees. “Where is this coming from?”
“Maybe I’ve just been thinking,and I finally see what’s been before me all along.”
I scoff. “That’s bullshit, not tomention cliché. What brought on these sudden thoughts ofseriousness? And please don’t tell me you suddenly fell in lovewith me, three years in.”
He looks away. “I’ve just beenthinking about my life, and about what I want, and how I see myfuture, and now that my younger brother is getting married, Irealized I didn’t want to spend my life alone.”
I burst into laughter. Jesus.This is way too ridiculous.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your brother’s getting married.You’re thinking about your future. Next, you’ll ask me to be yourdate at the wedding.”
“Would that be so terrible? Goingto the wedding with me?”
“Yes, it would be terrible! I’venever met your brother.”
“You could meet him at thewedding.”
“You’re missing the point. I’m notpart of your life. And you’re not part of mine. Him getting marriedis making you re-examine your choices—and kudos for that,seriously—but it has fuck-all to do with me, or my role in yourlife.”
He looks me in the eye. “Maybe Iwant you to play a bigger role in it.”
For a moment, I’m caught offguard. This isn’t something I ever expected to hear him say, butit’s a bad idea.
“Dave, how many siblings do Ihave?” I ask. “Where do my parents live?”
He doesn’t answer.
“You don’t know because you werenever interested enough to ask,” I say. “And that’s fine. It hassuited us both perfectly until now, but please don’t pretend thatwhatever personal epiphany you’re having has anything to do withme.”
He sits there with a paper platefull of pizza balanced on one knee and a beer in his hand for whatfeels like a very long time.
“You’re the longest relationshipI’ve ever had,” he finally says. “Doesn’t that count forsomething?”
