The phone wakes me up. I try to look at the screen to see who’s calling me, but my head aches so bad that I can’t stand hearing the ringtone for another second. My face is stuffed in the pillow, and I realize I have no idea how I got into the bed.
-Hi Tom.
This makes me laugh.
-Dude, whoever you are, you sound exactly like my mother.
-That’s because I am your mother.
-Oh.
Shit, shit, shit.
-Are you on drugs, Tom?
-No mom, I was just joking.
-Right. Anyway, you’re still coming for dinner tonight with that girlfriend of yours, aren’t you?
-Sure mom, sure. Don’t worry. See you tonight.
The conversation ends right before my brain starts functioning. Girlfriend, dinner, headache, dry mouth, break-up, Jess, black out. Oh, marvelous. I look around the room and see an empty bucket near the bed, and some towels. Just tell me I did not vomit all night long and that she had to stay and take care of me.
I walk to the living room and there she is, sleeping on the couch, in a quite strange position. I gently walk past her, and go to the kitchen to make coffee. While the coffee machine does its thing I have enough time to wash my teeth and drink some water.
When I return to the kitchen she’s already there, sitting at the table, with two cups of coffee. The image looks so familiar, so normal.
-You move fast, I say.
-Taking in consideration the latest events, I totally approve.
And that little smile I love sets on her face.
-So, can you put me up to date? I kind of blacked out at some point last night.
-Yeah, I did not expect that, so you almost knocked me over when you fell.
-Did I hit my head?
-Probably.
-I think I might suffer from permanent brain damage.
We laugh.
-You’ll survive. So, after that, I dragged you to your bedroom and you kind of vomited on everything you own.
-Splendid.
-But I cleaned everything.
-I owe you like one year of doing your homework.
-Too bad we’re not in school anymore, I would’ve totally accepted that offer. But anyway, it was not that bad. It was basically whiskey.
-Still, let me buy you breakfast or something. I guess you like Starbucks.
-I can never refuse Starbucks.
-It’s a deal.
-But we have to go to my place first, I need to change my clothes and brush my teeth. I live two blocks away.
-You’re kidding. Why have I never seen you around?
-Because you have never got drunk before.
-Right.
