Secrets of the Past

Hungover

Brian woke to the sound of Sal calling his name. His brain pounded against his skull as he attempted to sit up.

"Dude, we're late for work. Are you up in there?" Sal was standing right outside the door.

"I'm awake. Stop yelling." He stood up and opened the door. "I need to take a shower. And I need something for my head."

"I'm finished in the bathroom so go and hurry up. There's Excedrin in the medicine cabinet."

"How late are we?" he asked, heading to the bathroom.

"As of right now 45 minutes."

When they got to set they were greeted by Joe,  Murray and the rest of the crew, who were all sitting around. They were 90 minutes late. Sal was late most days so they were used to waiting around.

"Rough night, bud?" Joe asked with a wide grin. The ball busting never ceased.

"Yeah, drank a few too many," Brian said.

They were filming inside today but Brian kept his sunglasses on for the better part of the morning.

When they broke for lunch Brian went off on his own. He wanted quiet but he was pretty limited being in Manhattan. He found a coffee shop that was relatively empty. He bought an iced tea and sat at a table away from the other patrons.

He took his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. Several missed calls and texts from Joe, Murr and other crew members. But nothing from Giovanna. He missed the sound of her voice. He wanted to reach out but wasn't sure if he should text or call. After the way things had ended he decided a phone call would be better. It rang several times before she finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Brian." He held his breath hoping she wouldn't hang up on him.

"Hi," she said after a brief pause.

"Look, I'm really sorry about the other night. I...I don't want to fight. I really care about you, but if the past is too painful for you to talk about, I'll drop it."

Another pause before she answered. "Thank you. And I don't want to fight either."

"Can we try to get past this? Can I see you tonight?"

"I have plans tonight," she said. His heart sank a little. "But I'm free tomorrow night."

"So is that a yes?" Another pause.

"Yes."

"Ok. Pick you up at 7:00?"

"That's fine," she said. "See you then."

"Bye," he said.

When filming ended for the day Sal drove Brian to get his car. When he got home he fed the cats and played with them a little before going straight to bed. He was mentally and physically exhausted.

The next morning he woke up feeling rested and in a good mood. He laid in bed with the cats for a while, thinking about his impending date that night. He wanted to take her someplace intimate, where they could talk.

They were filming in Brooklyn that day and when he got to set he was surprised to see Sal was already there. He also appeared to be in a very chipper mood.

"Someone's in a good mood today," he said as he approached Sal.

"Got a date tonight. Right after work."

"Wow. So that's what motivates you to get to work on time. Pussy."

Sal snickered. "As if doesn't do the same thing to you. I can tell you're in a good mood. Did you smooth things over with Giovanna?"

"Yeah. Well...sort of. We're going out tonight. We just talked for a minute last night. I wasn't sure she would answer the phone."

"Good luck buddy," Sal said, patting him on the back.

After work he went home to shower and change. He fed the cats and gave them some love before heading out. When he got to her building he sat in his car for a minute. He was nervous again. He didn't like letting a woman have this much emotional control over him, but he wanted to be with her.

She answered the door wearing black leggings and a t-shirt. Her hair was piled in a loose bun on top of her head. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hi," he said. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

"So where are we going?" she asked once they were in the car.

"Is Geno's ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

It was a short drive to the restaurant and when they got there Brian requested a table on the open patio. It was a nice night, not too hot, and there was a cool breeze. Brian ordered a pitcher of Sangria and when it came he poured them each a glass.

"I want to apologize again," Brian started, but she cut him off before he could finish.

"Look, it's over and done with. Apology accepted. There's no need to mention it again." She paused and took a long drink from her glass.

"That being said, I feel like you deserve somewhat of an explanation." She took another long drink. She was nervous and Brian could see it on her face. He reached across the table and took her hand.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. It won't change how I feel about you."

"I don't like to talk about the past because it's painful and embarrassing. A lot of ugly things happened, some of them self inflicted. I never thought I would get out of that hell. But I was finally able to pull myself out of it and make a fresh start here. I don't talk to anyone there now. Not even my family. Especially not my family."

Her eyes were glistening with tears and Brian squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry for whatever it is you went through. I can't even begin to imagine what must have happened. From this point forward it will stay in the past. Nothing good can come from rehashing it and opening old wounds. Trust me, I know."

She smiled at him as a single tear rolled down her cheek. He reached over and wiped it away with his thumb. "No need for tears." He smiled back at her. "Let's talk about something else."

They talked and ate and drank for a couple of hours. A sense of relief came over him as the conversation and the alcohol flowed. Relief that things were back to normal.

As they were walking out of the restaurant he took her hand in his. "So now what?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Make up sex, of course."