Said Roommate

26: Said Fantasies

"And she left me." The guy told me as I refilled his beer. "She took everything. My car, our kid. She burned my clothes." It has been almost twenty minutes. I knew this guy's entire life story. I saw Carter in the corner laughing at my pain.

"Um, sir-," I tried to cut in.

"She's going to take the house. She sent me the divorce papers last night, and now I don't know what to do." Don't get me wrong, I felt bad for the guy, but he was wasting my time.

"I think we should-," he cut me off yet again.

"What do you think I should do?" Oh now he's allowing me to speak.

"First, stop drinking. Pick yourself up. Sober up, and fight to stay in your child's life. In the end, that's all that matters." I printed out the bill and handed it to him. "Here's your tab. Call me when you're ready to pay."

Mr. Roberts added me to full time. I was going to do night shifts for weekdays, but apparently they were full leaving me with Carter and some days and Dean on the others. On Wednesday, I am stuck with the both of them. Imagine that.

"I cannot believe you let me suffer like that." I picked up the five glasses of beer sitting idle on the table, piling them into a bin.

"He's been coming here every day for the past two weeks. Dean and I know his address. We've walked him to the hotel across the street more than once." I shook my head, reveling in this sudden drop of knowledge.

After hours listening to the day drinkers drone on about their lives, Gavin, Dean, and others I haven't gotten to know joined the bar. I ripped off my apron, hanging it on the rack. "Eager, are we?"

"Very. I'm going shopping for my sister." I twirled my keys around my fingers. After saluting my friends, I got into my car, speeding out of the parking lot. I parked outside Friday's, waiting for Reese to finally get off shift.

She came out wearing a dress, her work clothes in her hand. "Hey Sweets." I smiled before heading in the direction of the mall. "Ellie and Elliot. Twins with separate taste."

"Talia would be better at this," I complained.

"Where is she?"

"Morning sickness and fatigue. She stayed in bed." Reese winced.

"Things like that make me not want to have a child." We got out my car and began to walk around the mall.

"I'm just going to buy her a shitload of clothing."

"We are poor, college alumni wallowing around in student debt." I laughed as Reese reprimanded my idea of throwing money around like it was nothing.

"She's turning 17. That was the year I began throwing parties and getting drunk." I waltzed into Dick's Sporting Goods looking around for something Eli would love. "I might just get a group pack of tickets for them to go to Disneyland with friends."

"That's over one grand. You better stick to the basics." I cringed before walking up to a store clerk wondering what's the best thing to get for a boy obsessed with football.

~∞~

"You are so lame." I told Talia while buttoning up my oversized plaid shirt, courtesy of Elliot. "I'm going to be surrounded by teenagers."

"Have fun." She giggled while flipping another page of the book she was reading. "Did you get them anything good?"

"I got Ellie expensive make up and heels my dad will kill me for. Elliot got a signed jersey from one of his favorite players." I adjusted the shirt, which was shy of promiscuity. "Eh?"