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“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “She’s definitely the kind you bring home to mom.” Then he turned to me, a guilty expression on his face. “Sorry, Drake…”
“No problem,” I said, shrugging. We were silent for a moment as I thought about that statement. Having no mother to bring Kate home to still hurt even after all the years that had passed since my mother left me. I shot back my bourbon, enjoying the burn as it slid down my throat, and placed my glass firmly on the bar. “I’ll have another.”
Then, I proceeded to get drunk.
Our next stop was a small nightclub in Chelsea. By then, all three of us were quite drunk and we danced indiscriminately – with partners, with each other or ourselves. I wasn’t at all picky about who I danced with. Short or tall, slim or curvy, blonde or brunette – it was all the same to me. I just danced and Ken, Colin and Dave danced along with me. The music was eighties pop, and we all laughed our heads off at some of the cheesy lyrics, shouting them out, doubling over with laughter, channeling our teens. By then, I had my tie around my forehead, my jacket off and my shirt unbuttoned and untucked. I tried to pull off a Saturday Night Fever dance when the Bee Gees song came on, but did a bad job.
Whoever I was dancing with at the time played along with me, dancing around me and shaking her stuff like a pro.
When a slower dance started, she leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Hey, you,” she said, her hair brushing my face. “Want to come back to my place?”
I put my hands on both her shoulders and leaned in. “You’re really sweet, but I’m getting married on Saturday.”
She smiled and leaned in close once more. “Then, this is your last chance for some fun.”
I shook my head “Au contraire,” I said and smiled. “My fun’s only just starting.”
Then I turned away, trying to do the moonwalk when Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean started to play, but I failed spectacularly, tripping into Dave.
Our next stop was a karaoke bar named Bar 7 somewhere in Korea Town. The bar was decorated in leopard print, had bubble machines blowing tiny bubbles into the air at random times, and had an open mic at the front of the stage and private karaoke rooms in the back. We wanted to mix with the public so we stayed in the front end and waited our turn to do hits of the sixties. I chose the Beach Boys, and ran through I Get Around, Good Vibrations and Surfin' USA.
The other guys took their turns while I sat and watched, clapping along and shouting out the lyrics to their own choices. During a break in the performance while Ken found a song he liked, a pretty brunette in a purple dress and heels sidled up between Dave and me.
“You boys look like you’re having a great time,” she said, drink in her hand. Another pretty young thing stood behind her, smiling. “Want to join us?”
Dave glanced at me, a sly grin on his face. “This is his bachelor party,” Dave said and pointed to me. “We’re on our best behavior.”
“Isn’t the point of a bachelor party to be bad?” she asked.
“Not at his,” Dave said with a pout. “We have to be good.”
“That’s too bad,” the brunette said. “Our loss.”
I smiled and shrugged, but I was more about brotherhood than mingling with the female patrons.
Finally, at around two o’clock in the morning, we left and stopped for some street food on our way to my building. I had a sausage with a load of sauerkraut and mustard on a bun from a vendor with a cart, hoping to sober up before I went home.
We arrived back at the apartment, and I said goodbye to the guys, thanking them all for a great night.
“It was exactly what I wanted,” I said, still not quite sober. We all clapped each other on the back and I took the elevator up to my floor, fumbling with my key in the lock, and stumbling into the foyer.
The light was still on in the kitchen, and on the island was a glass of water with a bottle of aspirin beside it and a note from Kate.
Drake, make sure to drink this entire glass and take your medicine.
See you in the morning!
Love, Kate.
I did love Kate. I loved her more than I ever thought possible. I took my medicine as she suggested, then went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, stripped naked and slipped into bed beside a warm and sleeping Kate.
“Katie, are you awake?” I said, even though I could tell she wasn’t. I touched her arm, wanting to connect with her before I went to sleep. She rolled over, her hair covering her face, but didn’t open her eyes.
“Are you all right?” she whispered, pushing the hair away from her face. She cracked her eyes open and finally looked at me.
“Yes,” I said and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “I just wanted to say good night and that I love you.”
She slipped her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a kiss. “I love you.”
