unchained

two

Phil
8:09pm

Dan and I had been deep in conversation for hours, talking about anything and everything as though time was non-existent, and we didn't have our own lives to return to.
We had turned a blind eye towards the rest of the world carrying on as normal around us. As people walked in and out of the coffee shop all evening, we continued to converse and laugh at each other's jokes amongst the muffled background chattering.
I was so consumed in desperately trying to conceal how interested I was in him and his life story, that for a moment I almost forgot he was engaged. I brushed away the thought of him connecting on such a deep level as this with someone else.

I was not in love with him... anymore. He wasn't mine to begin with, and he wasn't mine now, either.

Over the past three hours, he opened up to me about all the major events that had happened in his life since we parted ways in the summer almost 7 years ago. I had missed so much. I wanted to know every little detail. I asked him how his family were doing since we had all been close at one point, and not much had changed. He told me his mum and dad had no intention of moving back to England, they had both settled into their new jobs. He talked mostly about his fiancé, Amelia, and how they met in Law School and how happy they were together.

After he told me he hated his job as a salesman, I even opened up about my stifling job as a waiter, and how I was keen to become an author but I was struggling for solid ideas.
"You were always so good at English," he said, "I know you'll make an amazing author, and you can dedicate one of your books to me." He laughed, and his dimples re-emerged innocently.
My heart churned at his compliment, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop the burning in my cheeks as I swept the strand of disobedient black hair away from my face.

As time seeped well over 8pm, Dan made the first cue to leave. "I better be getting back, Amelia will be wanting me home," said the brown-haired boy reluctantly. "This has been really great, Phil, you look great. I wish we could talk a little longer."

What's stopping you? I said to myself.

"Well, I'm free pretty much always," I sniggered, "you've got my new number. Just give me a call and we can do this again."

"Where are you off to now?" he said curiously.
"Oh, uh I'll probably just get something to eat somewhere," I said, taken slightly off-guard by his forward comment.
"I wish I could come with you..." he began.
"Why don't you?" I shrugged, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

He sighed a heavy sigh, and glanced at his watch morosely. "I, I can't. Amelia... she'll be wondering where I am..." he said as we strode out of the cafe. The summer sun was beginning to set over the park, replaced by a chilly undertone in the air.
He laughed half-heartedly. "She's not even in the country. She has a case to finish off back home- you know, with her being a lawyer."

'back home' the words resounded over and over. I had gotten lost in us and what we were doing, I had forgotten he wouldn't be around this time next week.
"What?" I blurted, not judging how loud I would be before I spoke.
He laughed pathetically at himself once again, scuffing his feet underneath the gravel. "I know, it's stupid, but she wants to know exactly where I am." he muttered, his cheeks blushing. "I guess she just worries."
"What the hell, Dan?" I yelled playfully in an attempt to mask my anger at him for being such a god-damn pushover, "You're a grown man, you know that, right?" I said.
I didn't have it in me to be curt or rude.
"I know, I know!"
"It's just dinner, that's all," I raised my hands defensively.
"Yeah," he finally asserted, "Yeah, you're right. So where do you want to go? Are you still as crazy as you were back in high school?" Dan said, "Are we going to start with fast food and end up on a beach or something?"
"What do you mean?" I retorted with a tinge of humour.
"Well, you know, you were always a bit..."
"I think the word you're looking for is spontaneous," I asserted, catching a glimpse of him sniggering. "And yes, I am."

We began to walk slowly over to my rusting car, gazing beyond the trees of the park opposite the cafe and into the sunset as we did so.

I actually didn't have a clue where I was going to take us, but Dan seemed to think I had a specific plan for us. I was just going to do what I did best, improvise. As long as Dan was by my side, I had nothing to be afraid of.