Chapter 24 - The Tea Room

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We walked back the way we had come, mostly in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable silence. We alternated between holding hands or walking with my arm hooked in his and just enjoyed the presence of the other, letting the tension from the run-in with the Dragon Cunt Whore Ballerina dissolve with each step we took away from the theater. 

We arrived back on 3rd South and both gravitated towards the Squatter's Brew Pup, both for its excellent selection of craft brews and for its immediate proximity to our current location.

We sat at the bar, he ordered a High West Campfire Blend neat, and I ordered a Stumbling Missionary #2 and after we had each taken a generous sip we both turned to each other and started talking simultaneously.

"I'm so sorry about the way she treated you..." he said.

"We totally don't have to talk about her at all..." I said.

We laughed, took another sip, and relaxed a bit.

"Agreed, let's not talk about her at all. In fact, let's just pretend that we went to Valter's had an excellent meal and then came here." He took another sip of his whiskey, looking at me for confirmation of the excellence of this plan.

"Can I just ask, when did you realize it was her?"

"Midway through the first act." He said, looking down at his drink, "even through all of the hair and makeup and costumes, she has a distinctive... face."

"How about we pretend that we went to Valter's, went to the ballet and stayed up until about two minutes before you realized it was her and then magically, somehow, we got transported here for drinks. I just want to give you props for taking me to the ballet, which was really very sweet of you."

He laughed, almost to himself, "next time I'll make sure who the principal dancer is before buying tickets."

"I'll cheers to that" I said, clinking glasses with him.

"Slainte," he said.

"Since we're unanimously decided that we won't talk about her, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, specifically, a question about Michael. Have you talked to him since he's gone back?"

"He texted to let me know that he got in ok, but we don't really talk on the phone regularly. Why, what's up?"

"Nothing. I just thought I'd do some reconnaissance for Zack. He's pretty broken up about where they left things off and I wondered if you'd heard anything from Michael."

"Not a peep. The whole disappearing from the radar for a few days or weeks is definitely something he learned from our Dad."

"You don't really talk about your Dad much. Is that why?"

"I guess so, I don't really know him, I mean, not really. They divorced so young and he was over in Scotland, and we didn't visit much, what with the cost of travel and being in school. He'd call for the holidays and birthdays, and he came to visit a few times, but I really didn't get to know him at all until I grew up."

"You were visiting him just before I met you the first time, weren't you?"

He looked at me quizzically, and then remembering the circumstances of our first meeting, smiled knowingly and took another sip of his whiskey.

"In fact, I was. He got remarried and I was coming back from the wedding. Met Michael and Jessica out there, which is really the only reason why I went. I don't get to see them much anymore and it's nice for us all to be in the same place at the same time."

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