AllFreeNovel
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We abandoned plans to make dinner, after Donovan turned his nose up at every last one of our choices. Part of me wanted to be insulted. The other part couldn’t blame him.
“Well there’s a Thai-fusion place across the street,” I offered. “That is, if there’s anything you’ll eat from there.”
He pulled his mouth tight as he considered it. “Maybe some steamed shrimp. Brown rice.”
“Water?” offered Brody. “An air sandwich?”
“Laugh it up,” sneered Donovan, poking Brody in the chest. “In another four years, let’s see what you—”
“Easy boys,” I smiled. “Want me to pull up a menu on my phone, or…”
After a short debate, we decided to go down there. The rain was crazy, but it was a fun dash across the flooded streets. We pulled hoods over our heads as we splashed our way to the opposite side, Brody stepping up to his ankle in a pothole filled with freezing water.
The lights of the City were even brighter in the rain. They shined and reflected back from every rain-slick surface, making the inside of the Thai-fusion restaurant look as bright as a hospital operating room.
We stood in line, trying not to slip on the watery, dirt-smeared floor. After ordering, I pulled my dates into the bar next door for a couple of drinks to celebrate the weekend.
Like the restaurant, it was absolutely packed. Donovan muscled his way to the bar, parting the chattering throngs of holiday shoppers like a modern version of Moses. He came back with three beers and three shots of something that tasted like cough syrup but felt warm and smooth going down our throats. It was so good, Brody went back for another round.
We stayed for the better part of an hour, just laughing and talking and working on our appetites. By the time we picked up our food and splashed our way back home, all three of us were having a wonderful time.
“Think the city will ever fill up?” Brody asked, staring back out my window. “Look at all these people!”
Donovan stood next to him, his arms braced on the sill. He glanced down and nodded. “It’s worse every year.”
“I dunno… I like it.”
They turned to stare at me. I could only shrug.
“Texas is big,” I said, “but the people are spread out. This kind of life is fun. There’s always something to do, always something going on.”
“Always someone stepping on your foot,” Donovan said.
“Or robbing your purse,” Brody smirked.
I stuck my tongue out and unpacked our food. It didn’t take long for my apartment to fill with the pungent scent of spiced noodles, lime, and peanut sauce.
We ate ravenously, using the chopsticks provided. Brody was having a tough time with them. Donovan took a moment to give him a crash course on how to hold them properly, and I leaned back for a second to admire my two lovers.
“Look at that,” I laughed. “You can get along!”
Each of them smirked back at me, but couldn’t help turning one shade redder. “Yeah,” said Donovan. “After a few drinks, maybe.”
“Bullshit,” I said, crunching down on a spring roll. “Admit it. You actually like each other.”
We finished, and the guys graciously cleaned up while I found some music to put on. It was soft, background music. Christmas music. The kind you only heard once a year, but always reminded you of friends, or home, or family.
Donovan’s ears pricked up. “This is that Snoopy song, isn’t it?”
“The Red Baron song,” I laughed. “Yes.”
“I love this fucking song,” Brody admitted.
I stopped everything for a moment, just to soak it in. My quiet little apartment suddenly wasn’t so lonely. It wasn’t so quiet either. It was pleasantly spicy — filled with people, and music, and warmth. On a night where I should’ve been alone under a blanket against the cold rain outside, I was enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of life.
“What movie are
we watching?” asked Donovan.
