AllFreeNovel
Share Us
DUNCAN
Two things hit me when I woke up that next morning – the first being the wicked hangover slamming in my head.
The other was the look on Dream’s face as she’d left Red’s.
Really, “leaving” wasn’t the way to describe how she’d gotten out of there. It was more like she’d fled. I’d been chatting with a few casual acquaintances from back in the day when I’d spotted her, and though I’d tried to catch her attention, she’d seemed too preoccupied with getting the hell out of there to notice me.
I threw off the covers and trudged to the bathroom, knowing I needed something for the throbbing headache. As I grabbed a few Aspirin from the bathroom cabinet, I tried to figure out what could’ve happened to make her run out like that.
A thought occurred to me as I filled a glass of water and tossed back the pills – was it possible that a guy had done something to make her feel uncomfortable? Had some prick gotten grabby with her on the dance floor?
Just the idea of someone pulling a stunt like that with Dream was enough to send a blast of anger through me so intense that it pushed the hangover aside.
Get a grip, Duncan, I said as I closed the mirror cabinet and regarded my reflection. Don’t get pissed over something that you’re imagining.
But stranger things had happened. And if there was one thing college guys weren’t known for, it was behaving themselves when they were drunk.
I was already feeling better once the water and pills were down the hatch. However, I knew there was only one thing that would really put my hangover down. I stepped over to my nightstand and picked up my phone, seeing a message from Evan.
Garbage plates at Red Kettle! Get your ass out of bed and get there! One hour, bro!
I chuckled as I read the message, seeing that Evan was thinking the same thing as me. He’d sent the text half an hour ago, which meant I had plenty of time to get moving. I threw on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a white V-neck shirt, stepping into a pair of black Chuck Taylors on the way out.
The Red Kettle Diner, one of my favorite food joints in town since I was a kid, wasn’t too far from the house. I decided to walk, figuring some fresh air and movement would be good on the hangover front. Sure enough, when I finally spotted the big red kettle on top of the diner that gave the place its name, I was feeling right as rain. A little food in the belly would have me feeling ready to take on the day.
I opened the front door to the diner, the place filled with natural light from the big glass walls. The restaurant was about half-full, a handful of men and women at the U-shaped counter that curved through the main dining floor.
“Boys are in their usual spot, Duncan.” Melody, the middle-aged manager of the place, a woman who I’d known since I was a kid throwing back coffees during study breaks in high school, greeted me with a smile.
“Thanks, Mel,” I said. “Mind putting in the usual for me?”
“Had it in when I spotted you coming up,” she said with a wink. “And coffee’s already on the table.”
I smiled and thanked her again as I made my way over to the corner booth where the guys and I usually sat whenever we came in. Sure enough, Jay and Evan were already there, a big carafe of coffee on the table along with a plate of onion rings.
“Hell of a breakfast,” I said as I slid into the booth and grabbed one of the mugs.
“Hey,” Evan said as I sat. “I’ve got this hangover cure thing down to a science by this point. First, you drop a bunch of greasy stuff in there to soak up all the booze that’s left. Then you dump an extra-large garbage plate on top of it to finally put it to bed. Then you go home, take a nap, then hit the gym when you wake up. By the time that’s all done, you’re gonna feel like a million bucks.”
“Or,” I said with a smirk, “you could just show some restraint the night before.”
Evan made a “pssh” sound, waving his hand through the air. “Yeah, sure. But where’s the fun in restraint?”
He pushed the plate of onion rings toward me, a big bowl of dark orange Red Kettle special sauce in the middle.
“When in Rome,” I said, picking up the fattest ring.
I dipped the ring and took a big bite. The breading was crunchy and delicious, and sure enough, the bite had settled like a cloud in my stomach.
“When you’re right,” I said, “you’re right.”
Evan let out a quick bark of a laugh before putting his big hand on my shoulder and giving me a shake.
As I went in for another bite, I noticed something strange about Jay on the other side of the booth. He hadn’t said a word since I’d arrived, and he had a look on his face that suggested he had something serious on his mind.
“Yo,” I said, popping the last bit of onion ring into my mouth then waving my hand in front of him. “What’s up?”
Jay glanced over at me for a quick moment before turning his attention back to Evan.
