1991

1991 Part 32

"So you and Chris, wow!" I smile at Kirst and take a bite of my sandwich. It's actually warm today, like properly warm for the first time this year, there's a delicious breeze flowing through the park. Our weekend tradition, finally back after four months. Kirst called me on Thursday morning to arrange a time for Saturday and for the first time ever she arrived first. Last time we were here it was significantly colder and I remember how distracted I was. It was the day after the whole Becky incident, the Stone incident and the very intense staring at Eddie in the mirror as he undressed incident. He'd really shaken me up, I remember I'd not been able to think of anything else as Kirst and I had sat and talked on this very bench. He'd invaded my dreams after one meeting, leaving me so worked up I couldn't bear it.

"I know," Kirst grins like the cat that got the cream, because well, she has in fact got the cream. Chris is beautiful and funny and charming and well, ridiculously talented but most importantly he seems to be making my friend very happy indeed.

"I love being with him, does that sound corny?" Kirst says wrinkling her nose.

I shake my head, emphatically. "No, of course it doesn't, it sounds right, like it should be."

Kirst is beaming, "I can just be myself, with him, you know. There's no game playing or rules to figure out." I know she's referring to Stone, all those picnics and cultural excursions and waiting. It all sounded great at the time but in retrospect it was all a bit forced and well, weird!

"It's like, we went out last night right, just to a bar and then afterwards, we decided to walk home instead of catching a cab because we wanted to talk, and you know it was so warm and the streets were quiet," she smiles at me shyly and continues, "and we grabbed a slice of pizza from a place on the corner because we were so hungry and just ate it as we walked, nothing fancy just the bare minimum,"

I nod encouraging her to continue.

"And we just walked for miles, further than we needed to, just holding hands and laughing. When we got back to his place we just stayed up for hours just talking and well, you know..." Kirst blushes for maybe the first time ever in her life.

"And...?" I ask.

"And nothing Sam, that's the point. There was no planning or effort or pressure but it was perfect, we were just together. Just doing regular things with Chris is more than enough on it's own, everyday life with him is enough. He's so funny! I laughed so much my stomach hurt you know? I had actual pain in my abs!" Kirst takes a bite of her sandwich and sighs. She actually sighs!

I look at the blissful look in her eyes and I can see she is completely smitten. Her look reminds me of someone, someone else who looked at me like that, once upon a time. I push the thought away quickly. 

"I know," I say quietly, "that sounds perfect, truly it does."

"And it didn't start off with a whole big thing, we just started talking, you know, that night at mine," Kirst looks at me awkwardly, she's referring to the fateful night. We're finally at a stage where we don't even want to remember it. 

"and I could tell immediately he wasn't trying anything on with me, he wasn't interested in that, he was just concerned, genuinely concerned for me. He cleared up my whole apartment, everything even the kitchen where Stone puked! Then he sort of gathered me up, wrapped me up in his coat and took me out the door, away from Stone lying face down on the floor."

I raise my eyebrows. So poor old Scrunch had woken up alone on Kirst's floor the next day. I feel a rush of sympathy, the poor guy hadn't done anything wrong. Sensing my feelings Kirst continues.