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“I don’t know,” I squirmed in my seat, “I’m not sure I’m in the right frame of mind to start a new job now. It was a big enough deal to even come to the Blue Lagoon, because it’s not the kind of thing I’m used to doing.”
“What are you used to doing?”
I never usually knew how to answer questions like these. Getting to know a new person made you see yourself in a different light, usually in a bad one. When I told him my list of hobbies, I felt entirely inadequate, because all they consisted of was reading and watching different types of movies, as well as a little bit of crafting. I didn’t live a high-adrenaline life, and eventually, I trailed off.
“There doesn’t sound anything wrong with that to me,” Dalton said.
“No?”
“It sounds relaxing at least. But you know, maybe you’re just not in the right job, if they can’t appreciate what you have to offer, or maybe the job doesn’t give you the opportunity to be who you were meant to be.”
“And who do you think I’m meant to be?” I asked. Dalton’s mouth dropped open and it was the first time I had seen him flustered. Up until that point I hadn’t even considered it a possibility, as he was so calm and collected. He didn’t answer though, for Dotty returned with two stacks of pancakes dripping with golden syrup, with a glaze of chocolate sauce and colorful fruit peppered around the sides. Dalton grinned and tucked in. I took a tentative mouthful and enjoyed the sweetness that exploded in my mouth.
“Was I right, or was I right?” he asked.
“You were right,” I mumbled through a mouthful of pancake.
“So, am I forgiven?”
I giggled and nodded. “Just make sure you don’t do it again,” I warned, and he inclined his head. Conversation faded for a little bit as we tucked into our meals, but it soon rose again. I slowed down, because the pancakes were already filling my little belly, and the sugar rush was overwhelming. I had to set my fork down and take a break. Dalton, on the other hand, was demolishing his stack. Seeing he and Rick come into this place must have been a sight to behold.
“What made you become bouncers? I’m assuming that you and Rick started together?”
“We did indeed,” Dalton nodded. “I know it’s not a very glamorous job and it probably seems pretty basic compared to something like working in an office, but we have a certain set of skills and we like to put them to good use. Plus we don’t have to take our work home with us and it affords us a certain amount of autonomy.”
“The hours must be rough though.”
Dalton shrugged. “It took a bit of adjustment, at first, but we got used to it. The pay isn’t great either, but it gives us a little role in the city and we can afford to do everything we like to do, so, all in all, we’re pretty happy.”
“And what do you like doing in your spare time?”
“Obviously, I spend a lot of time at the gym, but I also like going to the movies. I like camping as well. Rick and I tend to go away a lot. It’s nice to escape the city and be around nature for a little while. Life seems so much simpler when you’re away from the world.”
“I can imagine. I’ve never been camping.”
Dalton dropped his fork and leaned forward. Apparently, what I’d said was the most shocking thing he’d ever heard.
“No way! You’ve never been camping?”
“Actually…I’ve never left the city.”
Dalton leaned back, and threw his head back, shaking it widely. “This isn’t possible. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“It’s never really appealed to me. I mean, giving up all of my creature comforts? It’s just…I don’t think I’m made for that world.”
“You don’t know, until you’ve tried. I’m really surprised. Most people usually go camping when they’re kids, at least once.”
“I never had what you would call a typical childhood,” I said, unable to hide the bitterness from my voice.
“Oh?”
I sighed and poked my fork into a blueberry. I hated talking about my childhood and I rarely broached the subject with anyone. Only Jennifer knew the full extent of what I had gone through. Not even Andy knew it all, but that was mostly because he didn’t seem to care all that much, rather than due to any reticence on my part. Dalton seemed to be interested though, and there was a part of me that deeply wanted to tell him.
“My parents weren’t very traditional people. They considered themselves very intellectual and philosophical, so they liked exploring high-minded concepts about the world and didn’t really seem to want to engage in society, as it existed at the time.”
“So they were radical and rejected the rules of society?”
“Exactly, at least, that’s how they always liked to think of themselves. When it came down to it, they were really just idiots, who were so locked to their ideals and being different, they couldn’t see how it was really affecting us. My Mom was an artist and my Dad did some freelance writing. He always said he was going to write the great novel, but that his ideas were just too big to get down on paper, so he never finished a story by himself. He only ever wrote what other people assigned to him, and he grumbled about it all the time. We never had much money and they always said we never needed much. But that meant we never really went anywhere or did anything fun. Mom and Dad used to say that I never needed anything other than my imagination to have a good time, and I always hated them for saying that.
