Part 2: Things Like Talking About Sex

The sun sank into the mountains, and the long day turned into a cold night. We were all exhausted from the long drive as we checked into our hotel. The five of us had booked one double room. Four of us would occupy the two beds and one would get the couch. I knew I wouldn't be sharing a bed with Faye. I knew who would.

We went to the room and unpacked. Instead of going to sleep right away, we went out to the All-Night diner across the street from the hotel.

The waitress was probably in her late forties, with a few strands of gray hair. She was short and a bit overweight, but had a very pleasant personality. She seated us in a booth by the window. Jack and I occupied one side of the booth, while Faye and Maggie surrounded Cory on the other.

"Looks like you're surrounded by beautiful women," said Jack to Cory, who put his arms around both of the girls and said, "yeah, when you've got game, you've got game."

Whatever. I could've smacked Cory for saying something so corny. Seriously, "when you've got game, you've got game." Who even talks like that?

I eyed the menu to keep my hands from reaching across the table to smack him. Strawberry pancakes caught my eye.

The waitress came to take our orders. Faye also ordered the strawberry pancakes. I almost changed my order, so as not to seem as if I was copying her, but the pancakes just sounded so good. So that night we both ate strawberry pancakes.

I don't really remember most of earlier part of the conversation from that night. Jack, Maggie, and Cory did all the talking. Faye and I remained pretty much silent. She mostly looked out the window into the night sky, despite being seated furthest from the window. She occasionally made eye contact with me, as I was seated across from her.

Then, the part of the conversation that I do remember came. Jack had come to start professing his sexual prowess, which Maggie kept shooting down quickly, as if she knew he couldn't possibly be good in bed, which Jack had pointed out as evidence she had slept with him, only to get shot down with her usual "yeah, you wish."

Then, the topic of Cory's prowess came up, and Jack decided to rudely ask Faye for details. I looked down at my food as my heart sank. The last thing I wanted to think about was Cory digging himself inside of Faye.

"Not your business," she said.
"Come on, does he have a big slugger? Can he rock your boat?" Jack replied.
"Not your business," she said.

I couldn't bear to look at her face, but when I finally had the strength to tilt it up, she looked at me sympathetically as if she knew what I was feeling. She had finished her pancakes by then, and I was almost done, but I wasn't sure if I'd have enough room for the rest. I forced it down anyways. I'm too skinny to let food go to waste like that.

Our bill came soon afterward. Jack payed for all our food, but left the tips to us. I tipped $5, which was almost as much as my food cost.

"Wow, you tip well," said Cory, "I would've loved to have you for a customer when I was waiting tables."

It's not that I'm a particularly generous person. The $5 bill was the first thing I grabbed.

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We made it back to the hotel room. Faye and Cory were obviously sharing one bed, and I was vying for the couch. Before I could say anything, Maggie claimed it as her own.

"No way, I want the couch," said Jack, "I mean, no offense Tony, but I don't want to share a bed with a dude."

But Maggie had made up her mind, and Jack and I were to share a bed. We spread far apart, almost on the edges. Right next to us were Faye and Cory. Faye was on the side closest to me. I knew they weren't having sex, because they were dead silent. But the conversation from the diner was still ringing through my head, and I couldn't bear the mental image. They were probably cuddling, though. I bunched up as much of my covers as possible. I imagined that it was I who was cuddling with Faye instead of Cory and attempted sleep.

Barely an hour into the night, Maggie decided she didn't like the couch. Jack hadn't fallen asleep yet either, so he was glad to trade places. Maggie pulled more of the covers away from me, so I didn't have enough to wrap my arms around.

I almost leaned over toward Maggie. But Maggie's no Faye.