ACQUAINTANCE (Book #3 - EMAILS TO DAN)

30 Janurary 2023

/alcohol/

For some unknown reason, Phil wanted to go to a club for his 36th birthday. It was a surprise, considering I never thought he'd actually want to go to one, but he did.

And that's where we were headed.

"Thanks, mum. Love you, too." Phil hung up his phone as he walked out of his room and approached me. "Ready?"

I looked up and down at him, examining his black shirt and skinny jeans. "Uh, yeah. Time to get drunk again."

"Dan, don't get too drunk, please." He looked at me with his blue eyes that stared into mine.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to mourn. Just having fun on your birthday."

"Fair enough."

With that, we walked out to catch a cab. "Pacha, please," I told him. He nodded and drove off from Phil's flat.

The ride was quiet and abnormal. Our argument from two weeks ago hasn't settled down with tension that was arising each time we were together.

Together, I thought. I wish.

Though once we arrived to the club, he immediately got out as I payed the driver. "Thank you." I climbed out and he drove off, but stopped when two drunk girls walked out of the club and needed a ride home.

"PJ! Chris!" Phil cheered, giving them a hug. "Thank you for waiting. Dan took too long to stop by the flat." I rolled my eyes as he smiled, bringing a smile onto my face as well.

"Let's get hammered, bitches!" Chris shouted, pacing inside with his shirt that said, 'I'm here, where's the beer?'

"If he gets drunk, don't except me to leave with him," PJ joked. He patted my shoulder, walking inside as I followed him and Phil.

Bright lights shined of my face, blinding me and made me into others. "Dan, over here, you baboon." Phil pulled me along.

"Did you just call me a monkey?"

"Yes, I did. Problem?"

"Not at all," I smirked, but soon wiped it off when I realized what I was doing. "Anyways, drinks?"

"Surprise me." Then he went off to the dance floor, wiggling around to music. I smiled at the sight of him and giggled - knowing it's his birthday and he wanted to have fun for a change this year instead of sitting at home, emailing me.

"Are you going to tell him?" Chris asked, already a beer in his hand.

I shook my head. "No." Turning to him, I sighed. "I'm not. And I probably never will."

"Don't jinx that tonight, bud. You and him are going to get drunk. I know it."

"Yeah, well, you and PJ go have fun. Someone needs to look out for you three."

"Suit yourself." He finished his beer by necking it before grabbing PJ's hand and taking him out onto the dance floor where they swayed to the music with kisses every-so-often.

I began to wonder why it was so easy for Chris to be with PJ. Though I already knew.

He told him.

• • •

Phil drank two shots of vodka, currently drinking his third. As he did so, I had my mouth open with shock as to why the hell he wasn't drunk yet, because he never use to get past the second, let alone a third. "You seriously don't feel anything?"