The beep of the machine woke Terrence up, even though he was already standing. He slowly took the two-minute lasagna out of the microwave. It was a bit big, but he was always a big eater.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAZdDCQVog4j
He looked at the small but unmoving line in front of the coffee machine and sighed. His throat was parched but he said nothing. His digital watch said '1:24'. No time.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAE20lwuQVOL
He sat at an empty table and began ingesting the cheap cheese and sauce. Each bite reminded him of a better meal from home.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAXRlz1skI8z
He finished early, so he spent the rest of the time looking around the room.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWfwFJl5yfI
May was still a looker after all these years. Her pencil skirt accentuated her curves. He thought she was wearing a little bit of makeup but he couldn't really tell.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAbvSeOlngge
She was talking to Kei, who appeared to be chatting her up. Terrence heard something about Kei's home country but couldn't decipher words heard so far away, hidden under the grumble of the old coffee machine.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAG80a5nSQYr
Kei had a misshapen mouth that moved to the side when he talked. When he laughed (this happened with alarming frequency), the nostrils of his oversized nose would jump up and down. When he smiled his dimples showed and a few lines could be seen past the outer corners of his eyes. He used big gestures when he tried to explain something, whether it be an idea in the meeting room or the size of the fish he caught last Sunday. Terrence couldn't help but watch.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAdkkWYrw2GV
May giggled like a schoolgirl. Terrence frowned. Of course.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARsTxV2zzDR
He looked back at Kei. The man was explaining something again. He bent his bony knees and held his hand about half a metre off the ground. That young? How old was this man, exactly?1117Please respect copyright.PENANAvGbeJK5UMy
May inched away but still listened. Terrence silently prayed for her to go away. He then chastised himself. If she left, Kei would have no one to talk to and laugh with.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAuG7MtPTVF0
He considered replacing her and having a friendly conversation with the man. He loudly scoffed at the idea. A couple of people turned their heads so he beat a fake cough out of his chest.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAAV9yP1E9aJ
He looked at his watch and stifled a groan. He hauled himself out of the chair and lumbered towards the door of the lounge, ears alert for any more conversations from Kei.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAU7txvBcO3s
Before he could make it to the door, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He turned around, his shoulders rising in preparation for him to fight like prey in a forest. They suddenly returned to their normal height when he saw a pair of dimples.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAXhKw4CIclJ
"Hey, did you get the fax I sent you this morning?" Kei's voice was smooth, making the twang of his broad accent more palatable. If Terrence didn't know better he could have sworn Kei was raised in the outback. Was it an act? He always talked like this.1117Please respect copyright.PENANADzMJh41OE3
Terrence nodded. Kei patted him lightly on the back. This soft touch felt excruciating to Terrence. He gulped, feeling his heart tighten as if squeezed by an iron hand. He was getting too old for this shit.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAEOsH0QaiZK
"Say, after work some of the fellas and I are gonna head down to the pub. You wanna join us?" Terrence took a moment to think. He eventually smiled. Kei leant in a bit closer. An agonising bit.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA8XrS23I8VE
"Hey, you've got a pretty nice smile." Kei patted his back again and pointed at him like a used car salesman. "You should wear it more often." He headed out the door and swiftly turned around. "I'll see you after work!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAKUw6a2sZy5
A loud, deep voice bounced off the walls of the room. "Time to get back to work, everyone!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAyb7ImYpo8R
Terrence brushed past his boss, eager to get to his own little enclosed space. He sat down in front of his computer and allowed Kei's words to sink in.1117Please respect copyright.PENANASZuE0oao8b
What the hell did he just say? What kind of guy compliments another guy's smile like that? In front of other people, no less?1117Please respect copyright.PENANAHyGFpLZdpZ
Terrence felt his chest become tight again. He took a deep breath and opened up an Excel spreadsheet. He blocked out all sounds of fax machines and printers and ticking clocks and whispers about days off.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAiCjr4I03Ty
Terrence got his daily work done with five minutes to spare, so he turned his phone back on and saw a message.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4hO5ZyaOXq
Mum: I met this nice lady on the shopping tour and I think she'd be perfect for you. Would you like to meet her after work today?1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjeTBYaPuV5
Terrence chuckled. Like it was even a contest.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUaUnPtWxxb
I'm busy. Sorry.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFIWB4e4ljC
He closed his eyes in exasperation. Shopping tour? His mother must have been getting desperate.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAqjAt6dir5o
His eyes popped open when he felt a buzzing sensation in his hand. He waited for it to pass. He was about to look at the message when he heard a knock on one of his cubicle walls.1117Please respect copyright.PENANADWhNBgH668
He looked up and saw Kei resting an arm on the top edge of the wall with a slumped back. "You ready to go?" Terrence blinked away distracting thoughts as he stared at Kei. He kept his eyes firmly on his.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAtnvqosKIMN
He nodded. Kei pointed his thumb backwards and turned around, his suit jacket floating up and down as he moved. Even his rotations were big.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAMe989UTLy8
Terrence grunted loudly and slowly as he pushed himself off his chair. Kei turned his head. "You okay?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAH6tncBZRC3
Terrence's heart, tighter than ever, decided that it would be a good idea to try and beat at a million kilometres per hour. The result was a rough throb as his heart tried to escape his ribcage. Had he still had colour in his cheeks, they would have been as red as the flame at the end of a ciggie.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAmzkiYUxFUX
He followed Kei, not letting his eyes move any more upwards than they needed to. So long as he didn't bump into something in front of Kei, he would be fine not looking into those dark quicksand eyes.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA1iBo8MNdXE
Outside the grey walls were more grey walls that surrounded Terrence like prison bars. His inmates were looking at their watches.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAs1zFyZ6mUt
"Are we going yet?" A man with black skin and perfectly combed hair asked in a gravelly voice. "Who's going help everyone get home? We need one sober person to watch over us and make sure we don't drive home or get kicked out of the bar. How about... you? What's your name?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAcywCHDwo2H
The man pointed to Terrence, who grit his teeth. "Terre-"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAgLcP7U1qpw
Kei stood behind him and grabbed him by the shoulders, giving them a light shake like a coach encouraging a failing athlete.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAZQqFRPUHWg
"Terry's gotta drink. He needs a good break. It's your idea; you stay sober."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAvWS0s2a0C1
A pale, heavily wrinkled man chuckled. He spoke in a loud, boganish voice. "It's probably best if the Abo stays away from alcohol."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAbDWl9FzLRn
The black man scowled at the wrinkled man, but his eyes were warm with mischief. "Shut up, you racist old cunt!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUuL1o6o4oR
Laughter from both men jumped into the air. It scraped through Terrence's ears, distracting him from the nickname Kei gave him earlier.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAY0eGhX83C1
Kei joined in. "I remember learning that word from an American and it was super offensive, so when I first heard it in Australia I almost punched the bloke! You Aussies!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFAWpmk88Zx
A younger man with a shiny face and glasses on his nose put a book on Keynesian economics in his briefcase.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAy2lCivxj08
"Mate, you're a bigger Aussie than half the blokes born here!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7SrL5lD4u8
Kei shrugged. "When you've lived in one place for twenty odd years, you tend to pick a few things up."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAiUKqBgEwJs
A tall, bulky man with tan skin, tiny eyes and a baritone voice crossed his arms. "Can we hurry up and get drinks?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAvPfLXpvDK7
Kei's eyes grew. "Oh. Terry, this upstanding blackfella's Bob." He pointed to the older man. "This is Gary." He took Terrence's hand and the younger man's hand and held them together in a handshake. "I think you and Dave'll get along." The tall man released a harsh grunt. "Oh, and this is Pete. Okay, let's follow Bob." Pete grinned as if he was a prisoner being told he could finally have some leisure time.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFgH3VrywU8
The group's footsteps against the pavement were out of sync with each other. Terrence made quiet, sluggish steps behind everyone else. Bob led the pack as promised with Kei not far behind. Kei was talking about his kid again and Bob, judging by his silence and decision to stay a step in front of him, seemed to be ignoring him. Following them was Gary, who was walking side-by-side with Dave and lightheartedly arguing with him over something political. If one was to not include Terrence, an easy mistake to make, they would say Pete was the one at the back guarding everyone from a king hit. The reality was that Terrence was in the middle of the danger.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeW1HsWTurB
Luckily no drunk tried to punch anyone, but Terrence's shoulders were tense enough to start aching. His eyes were wide and constantly moving, scanning the street for any threats. He held his breath when the group turned a corner. He gulped that air down when he saw nobody with a fist or a knife.1117Please respect copyright.PENANArBfbdbMTlF
He knew he was being stupid. He wasn't some twenty-one-year-old woman out on the streets late at night by herself. What was he afraid of? The Apex gang wasn't around here and besides, they weren't muggers. As far as he knew.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAIzQZKurYEc
He shook his head. Nothing bad was going to happen tonight. Nothing. Definitely.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWOXiQCzIU2
The cacophony of footsteps continued for a good ten minutes as the group turned corners and crossed streets without paying attention to the red man in the traffic light.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAf6wNWnbB4X
Occasionally a brown leaf would crunch underneath the weight of someone's foot. Other times the wind would tousle everyone's hair but Bob's. The regular slap of coldness sent shivers through Terrence's body.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeEo6WAT9mS
Finally, the pilgrimage ended. An acoustic guitar and a buttery voice massaged Terrence's ears. Warm light sent a beacon through the windows. When Bob opened the creaky wooden door, chatter leapt towards the group, welcoming them in. Strong beer wafted through their noses. Terrence remembered sitting in this same bar over thirty years ago. The memory of his father handing him a drink was submerged deep in his brain.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWqYNe65CnE
As they stepped into the building, they saw televisions displaying one of two things: horse races and running men passing a red oval ball to each other. One television had a man kicking the ball and getting a point instead of a goal, angering half the people in the bar.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAoM2yUkcsPv
"Oh, come on! Step up your game!" Gary shouted, raising and bending his arm with his palm facing the ceiling. It was if he was trying to figure out how the failure could have possibly happened.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARUrf4yPhmr
Kei immediately walked up to the bar and ordered a VB. Gary followed him with an order for a Foster's Lager.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA2uEV7g2Dee
"Mate, you must be the only one keeping Foster's in business!" Dave exclaimed.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAS6C3kVXBwU
Gary scoffed. "Well, it tastes better than that peasant's beer VB."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAVtWwlE1unp
Dave ordered a margarita. Gary burst out laughing. "You some sort of faggot? What right do you have to question my taste in drinks?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAnkktKWEK9U
"I... I just like the taste, okay?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANANX4hziLb9K
Pete got himself a Crown and no one told this big man that his choice was wrong. Kei looked at Terrence. "What are you getting?" Everyone turned to face him, their grins telling him they were ready to judge his taste before he finished the order.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAkqXsEWMN4u
Terrence didn't drink a lot. He never drank alone and it was rare for him to go to a bar with friends, as that required friends in the first place.1117Please respect copyright.PENANALsE1E7mDPt
He considered getting a VB just like Kei, but the thought of being suspected of anything made alarms sound in his head. There was no way in hell he was getting a cocktail. Foster's never tasted that great to him. Only one option was safe.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjUwG7gOec9
"I'll get a Crown."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAuKOSNGaSPu
Gary considered insulting him for the hell of it until he remembered the drink in Pete's beefy hand.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4Oace2kjc1
Bob ordered a bowl of wedges for everyone. "Do I have to pay for everyone's food? We should have gotten a tab. We really should have thought this through."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAsB6p39gQGG
"Oh shut it, you prig," Gary said.1117Please respect copyright.PENANASOt5ZJsaYL
Bob gave him a lecture on personal responsibility in the face of dwindling sobriety. As the two argued, Kei sat down at a table. Well, it was technically a barrel, but it achieved the same purpose.1117Please respect copyright.PENANASZwJjvYr1R
A novelty song blasted through Kei's pocket. He took out his phone and read a message. He frowned, but his eyes were vibrant with excitement.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUphiDcdMAQ
Dave sat next to him and leant towards him. "Who was that?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA1vVOUlS5in
"Jane. A reminder to pick up Lisa from her place tomorrow."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAF1yWqlFHoS
Terrence sat next to Kei as well, despite knowing that this would be a big mistake. The high chair creaked a little under his weight.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAMOOrnzi88f
He took a sip of his beer. The amber liquid slid down his throat easily, freezing his throat a little. Not too bad.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAAxG3GN3IUE
Pete sat opposite to Kei, sculling his beer down and slamming it onto the barrel. He smirked, staring at Terrence for some reason.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUZexgx7Kwg
Kei took a swig of his drink. Terrence rubbed his thumb against the neck of the bottle in his hand. He stared at the shiny surface. He looked back at Kei. He looked at Dave, who had already drunk half of his margarita.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjoFYqUuz45
Terrence chugged down the rest of his bottle. The rush of the cold temperature and the subtly bitter taste joined in unholy matrimony to burn his throat.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAn9mUcYBztF
He dropped the bottle on the barrel. It rolled to the top steel hoop. He coughed, ramming his fist into his chest repeatedly. Kei asked him something, but the blankie of shame covered his ears.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAc9RSwXlfah
Pete's deep laugh seemed to shake the barrel. Terrence hung his head.
He suddenly raised his head when he felt a hand pat his back. He gulped, keeping his eyes on the empty bottle. He could feel eyes on him from next to him. They were too soft to burn into him, but they did manage to make his legs feel like they were going to melt down the chair.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA0pF0WEmBSn
Bob and Gary finally settled their differences and squeezed into the leftover spaces next to Pete.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAvWKLaUr9Cd
"So, what'd we miss?" Bob asked, his words tough to hear through the potato wedge in his mouth. Silence followed, pushing Terrence's head back down.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUQ1DMdXAK3
Kei eventually cooked up an answer. "My ex-wife. Bob, you're married, aren't you? How do you two keep your relationship together?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAwcHTYTkCnz
Bob grunted instead of laughing. "I think the question that's more important is how you and your wife couldn't keep it together."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAcT1EtmrAWd
Kei looked down at the barrel and began flicking Terrence's bottle again and again as it rolled back and forth.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAKzFFBhvtBJ
"I... I'd rather not talk about it."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7J1TPKuvtz
Bob shrugged. "Then I can't help you."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAATJkmrRx0Z
Dave shifted his gaze between everyone at the table. "Uh, so... Terry, I don't know a lot about you. Uh... which team do you barrack for?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7Ksozlk5B1
Terrence's shoulders became rocks again. "Collingwood."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAGXfLdTvOeM
Gary's eyes glared at him but his lips were in a smile. "Seriously? Why the hell would you go for Collingwood?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA8iMhHtgS1m
"My mum's been a big supporter for decades."1117Please respect copyright.PENANACyxXP9N2t1
"Did she punch half your teeth out too?" Terrence's shoulders slumped. "What? You getting the Collywobbles?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAPZAbbgJzXc
"I just…. I don’t really ‘follow’ Collingwood like you probably do for your team. I don’t watch much sport. I'm not really a huge follower of anything, really. Or anyone. I'm not into sports or TV shows or bands or anything like that. I just kind of... exist."1117Please respect copyright.PENANANID67TDEqp
Gary fell silent, raising an eyebrow and staring at the pathetic man who dared to sit at his table.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAKEVTNWC1VI
No one else spoke for a while. Pete scratched his own cheek and looked around for anything to interest him. Dave smiled with a twitching mouth as if trying to think of something to say. Bob tapped his fingers against the barrel.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAF3BQQT5Net
Terrence sharply inhaled when he heard wood scrape against the floorboards. He whipped his head around and saw Kei standing.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAoXFfZUE9Lt
"I'm gonna get another drink. Anyone else?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAzTw3HccyTH
Gary, Pete and Dave ordered the same drink. Bob got a coke. Gary laughed at him for it, asking if one drink was all it took to get him drink, and Bob responded by saying that he made a promise to be sober and he was going to follow that to the letter.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWFERwvzDmn
Terrence remembered something his father ordered a few years ago. He remembered him falling off the bar laughing. He also remembered him flirting with women in front of his wife.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAdRGfRVYypa
"Do you still have the Grand Ridge Supershine?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAkXr6Xii75C
The bartender nodded and handed it to him with a concerned expression. Gary asked Terrence what beer he got.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAaOwSIwRzYv
Terrence took a huge gulp. He immediately felt his brain slow down a little. "Only the strongest beer in Australia. They don't sell it in many places, probably ‘cause of the tax."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAPp2r4XU7D2
"Good luck finishing that," Pete said with a laugh that was much smaller than before.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAMTas8rhuGg
Everyone sat back at the table. Kei began gushing over his daughter. Dave listened politely but Gary and Pete started their own separate conversation about the footy. Bob constantly shifted his attention between both conversations. Terrence listened to every word that dripped out of Kei's mouth like the sweetest liqueur.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA130i6dxzMK
As he took regular sips of the Supershine, Terrence started to feel the buzz everyone talked about when it came to alcohol. He smiled. Perhaps tonight would not be too bad.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAHeKiJYKlqu
Eventually the topic changed from Lisa to a range of subjects. Dave made a joke about Gary's fixation on the footy-showing television. Terrence laughed loudly despite himself. He stopped when he saw Kei's nostrils jump, gazing at the man in silence and taking in those dimples. Dave stared at Terrence, then Kei, then back at Terrence. He moved his mouth to the side and thought.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAsbLC3K5sJB
"Oh, come on! That was bullshit!" Everyone at the table looked at Gary with amused smiles. He continued ranting at the screen as a Collingwood player kicked a goal.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA0YPQp3F6UK
Kei had a few gulps of his VB. "Wish I could yell like that at Ian." He laughed at his own comment.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAOKKDFKNDAZ
Dave nodded and sipped his margarita. "Yesterday he made me go through all those files. That usually takes half a day and you know how much time he gave me? Half an hour. Then the bloke has the gall to chew my head off because I couldn't get it done."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAIBouqSlkcj
Kei held his bottle up with his index finger pointed at Dave. "That's nothing. Yesterday he wanted me to do all this complex stuff I couldn't understand and he barely gave me any direction. Said I should have learnt this where I came from. What the hell's his problem?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAQDvKNjHmNE
Dave' eyes widened so much it looked like his glasses were magnifying glasses. "You serious? Mate, you should see HR about that. That's not okay."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAMTERsMXKG7
"I wouldn't bother. It's really not that big a deal. It's just frustrating, is all. He hasn't said anything like that in a while. Ugh, that reminds me of when I told him I was going to be late but I made it just in time. You know what he said?" Terrence made the mistake of looking at his eyes. They contained the energy of a solar wind. Kei's eyebrows were furrowed and his face looked a little red. Terrence had never seen him like this before.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAzsbPPiv7KZ
"I heard it," Bob said. He put on a lower voice. "Geez, that was quick. You crash any cars on your way here? Man, you lot are reckless with cars." Kei groaned at the memory. Bob returned to his normal voice. "I already told HR about it and he said he'd tell Ian to think about his language. That was three months ago, wasn't it?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAhVDFUOYifO
Kei nodded. He stood up and ordered another beer. "But we're not here to talk about work. So, what's everyone going to do tomorrow?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWZpFC2rueg
"I'm working an extra day tomorrow," Terrence said quietly. He suspected no one would hear him under Gary's roaring shouts. Kei's arm around his shoulders said otherwise.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFRCGPAK8at
Kei used his arm to rock Terrence from side to side. "Oh, come on. When have you ever had a Saturday off?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAR8HeoDFvM8
"It's only for half a day. I'll be fine."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjoomwuh0y4
Kei sighed. "Dave?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAICeSgoHRIR
"A date with my new girlfriend."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAn72Rzbs4tn
Kei smirked, his eyes full of an emotion Terrence was all too familiar with. "She a looker? Got any pictures of her?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7BHueTm5xE
Dave took out his phone. He clicked on an app and went to the messages portion of the app. A woman with a thin body and long, wavy blonde hair appeared on the screen.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAll6Q9fAujr
Gary asked to have a look. Dave gave him the phone. "Pig's arse you got a date with her. It's gotta be photoshopped."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4T9AiM1I3p
"I'm meeting her in a public place so if she's nothing like the photo I can leave. I'm not a moron.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZFxyOi222
"What program is this?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA5LkLCht3VF
"It's an app called OKCupid."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAhEepDXf2WW
"Can I get it on my Samsung?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjNW51Ha8bQ
"Probably."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAW7S7M1A0Sl
Gary smiled. "Does everyone else look as good as this?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAV3yuXjod6w
"Most don't, but you can filter out the kind of people you're not into."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAvSJHrUhUTx
Gary huffed in approval, handing him back the phone. "Technology is a wonder. I'm thinking of dating again. Are there any apps for an old man like me?" Dave nodded. Gary turned his attention back to the television, which showed his team getting a point, but his strangely soft smile remained as his mind ticked with possibilities.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA66a5fP4qQ9
Kei's ears twitched like a rabbit's when he heard a familiar tune. He jumped out of his chair and asked Bob to watch his drink.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA82Q50FRFCo
"Going to the toilet?" Bob asked.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAH05jsCksFr
Kei shook his head. "Don't you know this song? It's 'Addicted to That Rush'!" Everyone stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Mr Big! You guys don't remember Mr Big?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4sU4vg4BQT
"I only know 'To Be With You'," Pete said. "How do you know them?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4eYPqLtZIV
Kei began swaying from side to side. "They were huge in Japan! So, anyone wanna dance too?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAoJR0OJZ097
Everyone immediately shook their heads.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARWdcl7i4Qm
Kei's furrowed eyebrows and anger-painted cheeks returned. "Well, fuck you guys." He turned around, the hem of his jacket leaping higher than ever.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAXw4ADygubw
He dashed to the band singing the cover. He began flailing his arms as he stepped from side to side and slowly spun around.1117Please respect copyright.PENANALfa3GbHWWG
Terrence watched him from a safe distance. Kei's energy was magnetic, but the magnet of public opinion was stronger.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA3tDpEJDH76
He heard a rustle and tore his gaze from the dancing man. Bob, Dave and Pete put a ten-dollar bill each in Gary's hand. Dave grumbled something.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAziiRqm7I1x
Gary gave a hearty laugh. "Why'd you think it'd take six drinks? It's never taken him more than four, you moron." Dave grumbled again.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUBMIxSbFtY
Everyone at the barrel ordered another drink. Kei came back to the table, swallowed the rest of his beer and got himself another one. Terrence decided to get another Supershine.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA08XDyZiQxY
"To Fridays!" Kei shouted. Everyone joined the toast. Terrence, in particular, took a huge swig of his beer.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAl7s6xOoL0M
He began to feel a little sleepy but Kei's smile as he held his drink up energised him in a way unfamiliar to him. Public opinion had already become less potent.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAzAVYhCosKq
Kei made a joke and Terrence howled with laughter despite all of the other men groaning. "You know, I used to think you were the biggest jackass I ever met," Terrence admitted; holding his bottle up and pointing at Kei just like Kei did to everyone. "You were always smiling like a madman so I thought you were takin' the piss." Kei giggled with a low voice like a child being given a water gun. "But after a while I saw you're not half bad. I like your dancing, by the way. Te...teach me a move or few... I mean two..."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAYoQm487R4N
The others stared at Terrence with open jaws. Keeping his eyes on the wasted man in front of him, Gary handed Bob back his ten dollars. Pete and Dave gave ten dollars to Bob as well.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAnK7AavxQ7p
As Terrence and Kei chatted, they inched closer and closer towards each other. Bob held on tightly to the notes in his hands. Gary chose to watch the television again. Dave and Pete joined him and had a conversation about work.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7WReqkvRhd
Terrence asked Kei, "Seriously, why would someone leave you? You're too fuckin’ awesome. Your ex-wife must be crazy."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAlM1c0RraQ0
Kei laughed and rubbed his neck before taking a few more gulps of VB. "She loved me but said there was something off about me. Said I should be more confident in the bedroom. Chicks these days are always about confidence."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAGrC39Wrnnd
"You? Not confident? You must be joking."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAVM1BRK9OMr
"I'm not. I loved her too and she was incredibly sexy, but I acted like there was some... thing that made me not complete, like there was something I hadn't figured out. I still don't know what it is."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeWpiLzxl2y
Kei squinted his eyes and studied Terrence's face. "I thought you reminded me of someone. You look like that bloke I slept with back in Japan!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAiiIRvKY4Ht
All of the patrons at the bar stopped talking and swivelled their heads in Kei's direction. Kei beamed at the dexterity his own memory.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAP6z4FaTSKi
Gary looked at him with eyes that popped out of their sockets. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARTpZCbDnTl
"You fucked a bloke?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAselQ0oa36x
Kei answered immediately as if he was having a conversation about the weather. "Yeah. He was a bit thinner than Terry here but he had the same sorta face. What a coincidence!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAhKMoruTHAL
Gary blinked, still stuck on one thing. "You fucked a bloke?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA3BgTtXTCS0
Bob sighed in relief and put his money in his wallet. "Why exactly did you do that?" he asked.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA9wO2Ik7CVz
Kei tapped his chin as if trying to tap into his memories. "It was his idea. How old was I? 19? He was in a lot of my classes at uni. It was pretty good if I do say so myself. I think he had a crush on me but I never really asked him about it."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA3viHwdHsUQ
Gary's jaw tightened. "You fucked a-"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAKv9DCndWDJ
David covered Gary's mouth. "I think what Gary's trying to ask here is... are you gay?" Gary pushed David’s hand away.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAYuqtDBy4im
Kei shook his head like a wet dog. "Nah, I'm not gay. We just had a little fun that night and didn't talk about it again. We stayed normal friends for the rest of our time at uni. In fact, I kinda forgot about it until now." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "I wonder if he still remembers it. I haven't called him in a long time. International calls are expensive, you know?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA9IjYzBNA7u
Gary puffed his cheeks and pushed air out. He raised his hands and then dropped them. "Okay."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAqnaaeLDgSG
"What was he like?" Terrence asked, leaning in even closer to Kei.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7mP1MlXT7P
Dave and Pete smiled smugly at Bob, who glared at them with his arms crossed.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFIqlwiwcs7
Kei tapped his chin again, seemingly unperturbed by the close proximity. "He was pretty eager. Also very experienced. He certainly knew how to use his tongue." Gary winced. "Like I said, I'm not gay but if a guy like that was in my life I'd certainly try it again- hmph!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFMl06BzIlo
Gary dropped his bottle. It hit the edge of the barrel and fell to the ground, creating a mosaic of broken pieces. He didn't observe how the pieces created a picture or appreciate how the light above made the slain bottle sparkle. He wasn't even angry at himself for breaking a perfectly good bottle, something an Aussie bloke like him would easily feel. He wouldn't have been able to avoid the sight in front of him if someone had ripped out his eyes and thrown them over the Eureka Tower.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA93SBG3EI21
Pete, Bob and Dave held their money and froze, waiting for the results. On one of the televisions, a single horse was 20 metres away from the finish line but another horse was catching up.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWCryeo3aIV
Reciprocation quickly caught up to Uneven Desire, with Nothing of Consequence straggling behind as a distant number three.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA2edyxC0xpG
Reciprocation passed Uneven Desire, but could he make it to the finish line first? After a rough start at the barriers, he made an impressive comeback. He was nearly there and the audience could almost taste the victory.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAXqvnWwTVB8
Kei added tongue and Reciprocation crossed the finish line half a metre ahead of Uneven Desire!1117Please respect copyright.PENANAgeHgTzLEid
Pete and Bob yelled out their frustrations as if their favourite team had just lost a game of footy. They handed some of their money to Dave, whose smile was drenched in a hundred litres of smugness.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeFj3j1YUo8
"Oh, come on," Bob pleaded. "They're drunk so it doesn't count."1117Please respect copyright.PENANACz67dDqp0F
Gary finally broke out of his self-sustained torture to decipher what the others were doing. "You all knew? How the fuck did you all know?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAt6WXZL2S9G
Bob shook his head. "I said neither of them is gay. Pete believed that Terrence's gay but Kei isn't. Dave said both of them are probably as straight as the sun."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAQkom7g3Xp7
Kei stopped his French kiss with Terrence just to say, "I'm not gay!" He immediately returned to the kiss.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAZAddGNbywD
They kept going at it, moving their hands anywhere and everywhere. A few people in the bar watched with shock.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8Ikfyhg3n
"Get a room!" One woman shouted. Kei broke from the kiss again, his cheeks burning and his middle finger raised upwards.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5A1K85HtB
Terrence grabbed Kei's chin and pulled it towards him so that the man was facing him again. "How was I? Anything like him?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAJR5orzEYBC
Kei hummed in thought. "You're not as good as him," he said with inadvertent bluntness.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjnyi3d94S3
Terrence kissed him again with more determination. He began to notice Kei's smells and tastes, from the sweat mixed with his cheap cologne to the almost metallic bitterness of his fermented breath.1117Please respect copyright.PENANANqCQ74QEHA
"How about now?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAe2HiDboao6
Kei shook his head. "Better, but not quite to his level. Maybe third time's a- hmph!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAUYsneQsVFs
The kiss continued. Kei slid his hand down Terrence's body until he reached his crotch. Bob immediately jumped out of his seat and ran to them, grabbing Kei's arm and pulling it away.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAqOm1ckVvDD
Kei tore his arm from Bob's grasp. "What's wrong with you? Let me have a break. It's Friday, for Christ's sake!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAiCSbEaNd2N
"I'm not letting you do something you'll deeply regret tomorrow. If I did that, I would be sober for no goddamn reason."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA3uMa0REVRx
Gary released loud, mocking laughter. "Is he already completely off his face?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA8rFAsBdu3u
Dave turned his attention towards Pete, whom he noticed was looking away with his arms crossed and rubbing his lips together. The man was blinking frequently. He picked up his bottle and tried to enjoy a few gulps. He threw the now empty bottle onto the barrel and pushed his chair backwards, the deafening squeak causing Dave to cringe. Pete walked to the bar and ordered another drink, but this time he got a Supershine.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAv3TrliNkgD
He made a ritual out of taking a sip and whispering to himself, a tear occasionally slipping out of his eyes like a criminal escaping their prison cell.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAHLLv163WRH
Bob and Kei continued arguing. "You a bigot?" Kei asked in a slur.1117Please respect copyright.PENANADFkWKafaAD
"I thought you said you're not gay," Bob retorted.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAHumgKWIhV5
"I'm not but you're still a bigot. You're against me doing this. Why can't I have some fun, ay? Why can't I have some fuckin’ f-"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAVSKOEkHqfU
"You don't know what you're doing." Bob took a whiff of Kei's breath. "You're not having any more drinks."
Kei picked up the wrong bottle (Terrence's, to be exact) and took several giant gulps in a startlingly short time. "Make me!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAn62QjWPtgG
Bob tried to wrench the bottle from his hand but Kei held onto it as tightly as a drunk man could. Kei tried to punch Bob but he missed him. He tried and failed over and over again. Bob grabbed the man's arms and held them with the strongest grip he could muster.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA3fvs6tE92W
A waitress from the restaurant section of the bar walked up to the group with slow, tentative steps.1117Please respect copyright.PENANADzDOG7s5VF
"We're going to have to ask you to leave. I'm sorry but you're disturbing the other customers."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA6ooHJN08Qe
Kei began a tirade of swearing in Japanese. Bob apologised to the waitress and pulled Kei out of the pub, the other men following them.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAGePZmoLPkZ
Bob asked, "Is everyone here?" with a sigh and the others nodded in affirmative with the exception of Kei. Kei growled, hissing Japanese words at the air.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAS8VrpncMku
Terrence tried to speak to him but the usually talkative man stared at him with eyes widened by confusion and an open but silent mouth.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAuityqFHs7O
Pete continued murmuring, but Dave was finally able to hear what he was saying. "Everyone's in fucking relationships." He noticed a few more tears sliding down Pete's face.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAlAIRUHlMW2
Gary laughed at the mental state of Kei, who leant against the wall and looked as if he was about to fall onto the ground. Gary swayed a little with each laugh that tumbled out of his mouth.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4tt8VTcBPi
Dave himself felt a little lightheaded but he still had a bit of control of his basic mental faculties. Bob asked him to look after the others and walked back to his car.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAphd1Goiglx
His shoes clicked against the pavement with solitary echoes, sounding completely different from the discordant orchestra of footsteps a few hours ago. He carefully considered what to do given that his car only had five seats. Letting David drive himself home could be a problem no matter how sober he acted. Public intoxication was outlawed and Kei and Terrence would be easy to spot, so he couldn't leave them. But could he really break the law himself and have two people share one seat?1117Please respect copyright.PENANAjUCfBChAoV
He slowed his steps as he ran through every possibility. He put the laws he would break or allow to be broken on a scale. Public Intoxication or a seatbelt offence? He sped up as he reached his answer. He entered his car and drove to the bar.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAW3o9s2EyRK
When he arrived, Dave gave him a weak smile. Bob’s eyes furrowed like a general’s. "Terrence and Kei can share a... on second thought, I'll get you to share with Kei, Dave. Terrence and Gary can sit in the back and Pete can sit in the front. Sound good?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA20fu7WPLoq
Dave, Pete and Gary nodded. Pete and Bob worked together to push a squirming Kei into the car. Terrence was a little easier as he didn't kick or punch, but his weight as he began losing control of his limbs put intense pressure on Pete and Bob's bent knees.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAy7q1cPynUw
The drive was silent except for a few sobs from Pete and the occasional whisper of Japanese from Kei. Bob dropped each man to their house except for Terrence, who was unable to clearly communicate his address. He let that man sleep at his house. Terrene fell asleep easily.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAMhdWKBRLfo
The beep of the microwave woke him up. He looked around and saw familiar grey walls. He slowly pulled out his beef stroganoff from the microwave. He sat at the empty table he always sat at, resting his head in his hand as it pumped pain through the area connecting his head and neck. He tried to piece together what had happened.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWnjvtiUBa2
He vaguely remembered apologising to Bob that morning and thanking him for letting him stay the night. He remembered being kicked out of the bar, but he couldn't think of why. His tongue began to recollect a few sensations, such as the taste of VB.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAmfYpU5t9PM
"Shit," he whispered. Was post-intoxication sleepwalking and sleep-apologising a thing? He took a bite of his stroganoff and tried to have it cover the VB like a rug hiding a dead body.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAtVuZEIb1Ua
The rest of the day carried the same haze as that morning.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAFvaboHn9za
The next day was no different, but he guessed that he was having a Sunday Roast with his family and answering each question directed at him with a generic answer. His mother talked about how she found another woman for him, but he made excuses about how busy he was.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWs2tgu38eZ
The mist cleared away when he saw Kei Monday morning. He said hello to him and was greeted by a small smile and nothing else. Kei brushed past him with quick steps.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAr27RZ9b78F
Terrence felt as if his heart, at first churning like a well-oiled machine at the very sight of Kei, had stopped working because of a cold, hard stone being thrown into that machine.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAq3qgB9ENBn
Kei didn't come to his cubicle to ask about a fax or anything like that. He didn't even send an email. Was he finally able to get everything done himself?1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeeUuEJAfrN
When the lunch break began, Terrence waved at Kei, who smiled again and looked away. No dimples appeared on his face. Kei chatted with the same girl from Friday.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA4iMsQNQ8Es
Gary sat next to Terrence. "Hey, how ya going? Have fun on Friday?" he asked, nudging his elbow onto Terrence's ribs. "I... I never saw you and thought, 'Well, he's a poof.' Do you know how the others guessed?" Terrence's eyes glued to Kei's face gave Gary the answer he needed.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAzKzRFngrC5
Terrence gulped and stood up, leaving his food alone. He made slow steps towards Kei, reassuring himself that whatever he did now would be no worse than kissing him.1117Please respect copyright.PENANA0LowQ8o3I4
He touched his shoulder. "Can I... speak to you?" Kei nodded. "Can we talk outside?" Kei nodded again.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARL851kK19W
The air outside was a tad cold, the breeze giving both men a shiver. The streets were mostly empty, with the nearest person well past hearing distance.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAgob0tCGUMj
"Are... I'm sorry for asking such a weird question, but... are you avoiding me?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAWYODOTLx1O
Kei looked around the area for a way to answer. "I... it's not like I'm trying to avoid you." He blew some air out, assaulting Terrence with the stench of peppermint. He leant against the wall. "I just see your face and... I can't help but remember what happened Friday night. Vividly, in fact." Terrence began to resent the peppermint. "Well, until we were kicked out of the bar. I can't remember a thing after that."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA1SPn6vwoyU
Terrence looked at the ground. "I would suggest we forget it happened, but..." He took a deep breath and lifted his head until his eyes met with Kei's. "To be honest with you, I don't want to forget."1117Please respect copyright.PENANA2nDr4gUV3r
Kei immediately looked away. "Is that how it is?" Terrence grunted his yes. Kei frowned, rubbing his face. "So you're going to remember every stupid thing I said that night for the rest of your life? Do you know what happened the next day? I woke up late so I had to hurry to pick up Lisa and when I saw Jane, I... I could barely talk to her because I didn't want what was happened slip out of my mouth. Her eyes were interrogating me like they always do, but this time there was something she might have spotted!"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAeAXxw57WGK
"You're divorced, so... would it make that much of a difference if you told her you're ga-"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA7FSQQW027g
"I'm not gay!" The woman getting into a car in the distance heard Kei's shout as it played over again in the air like a song on repeat. She entered the car more quickly and drove off. "I like women."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAURlOoKGIVe
"Are you… bisexual?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANAh1aqbVuQ3G
Kei's cheeks reached the colour of the Australia Post box. "That... let's not make this any more complicated than it needs to be. And that's missing the point. I managed to forget that incident with Ayumu and after Friday night I can't stop thinking about it. I hate looking at you right now because then every godawful memory comes back up like fucking vomit. How much do you remember?"1117Please respect copyright.PENANA18er5iE7I9
"I remember the gist of it."1117Please respect copyright.PENANABjKdwmBzd4
"I remember every excruciating detail!" Kei sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling. I don't... I'm really sorry, but I'd prefer it if we didn't, you know, talk or hang out... just for a little while. I need to forget about this. It would probably be best if you forgot about it too."1117Please respect copyright.PENANAwN2gGdRhMS
Terrence nodded and walked into the building with laboured steps. He spent the rest of his lunch break eating with his head down, ignoring Gary's chatter about the footy. He saw out the corner of his eye that Kei was laughing and talking with another woman.1117Please respect copyright.PENANAX7A7eoZltD
When he finished his meal he chucked the plastic container in the bin and headed back his own little cubicle, his shoulders low as he tried to do what Kei suggested.1117Please respect copyright.PENANARuY9d7aK08
What he didn't realise was that Kei was staring at him as he walked away, his eyes taking a swig of his features like a nice cold beer.
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