Things To Say Before I Go

Chapter 8: Nate

I made it back to my apartment after what felt like my first day of doing a realistic amount of work. I slumped onto the couch, exhausted both mentally and physically. I didn't plan on moving for the rest of the evening. But of course, nothing goes according to plan. Mark came home really jazzed about something. 

He wanted me to try to guess what it was but I really want in the mood, so after what felt like forever, he finally spilled it, shouting, "I GOT PROMOTED!" 

Turns out he got moved up at the firm so he was now going to be first chair in a high profile murder case. 

"Mark, that's incredible!" I said. 

He threw his bag on the floor and sat down next to me with a satisfied sigh. 

"We're going out to celebrate, okay? I just figure I'd give you a little bit of time before going out again since you looked dead when I walked in," he said. 

I grumbled, "Ugh," but said I'd get cleaned up and go celebrate with him. 

I was happy for him, don't get me wrong. I was just lazy and tired and that is a HORRIBLE combination. I got off the couch and went into the bathroom. I splashed some cold water on my face, threw on a questionably smelling shirt I found on my bed and a pair of jeans and told Mark I was ready. 

"So, where are we going to celebrate this joyous occasion?" I asked, faking enthusiasm. 

"Mike's Pub," he said, putting his arm into the sleeve of his coat. All of a sudden, I was ready to go out. At least we were going somewhere that I could kick back and have a beer.

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"Thanks," Mark said, handing the taxi driver a $20. 

He told him to keep the change, something he was only doing because he was in a good mood. We walked through the thick wood doors and into the bar, smelling onion rings and hearing a man at the pool table shout curse words like sailor. 

We scanned the room for an open table and found one on the left by the dart boards, which was good because I didn't want to be near the potty mouth at the pool tables. If he was cursing now and he hadn't had anything to drink yet, I could pretty much guarantee that he would be much worse once he got a couple beers in his system and I didn't want to be around for that. We sat down and our favorite server, a young girl named Kailey, came over. 

"Hey, what brings you two in tonight?" she asked cheerfully. 

"Well," Mark said, taking off his coat, "we are celebrating a couple of things. Most of all, we are celebrating that I got a promotion at work, but we are also celebrating Nate's new job which is long overdue." 

She handed us each a menu and said with a smile, "Well, in that case, two beers on the house!" 

She walked away to get our drinks and I started to browse the menu. We liked Kailey. She had been our server for a while now at Mike's and she was always great. She told us that she was working here to save money so she could put herself through college. She was looking at the musical theater program at NYU, but knew that she had to save like was living in the Great Depression so we always made sure to leave a little extra for her tip. 

Mark and I talked randomly for a little. I started to look out the window. Traffic was heavy as usual and I watched a taxi almost run over a man on a bike. 

Mark broke my concentration by patting my arm, saying, "Dude, who is that?" 

I followed his eyes and couldn't believe that Tenth Floor was sitting at the bar, waving to me. It was like two worlds colliding here. There was no holding back now, I would have to introduce them.