Drown

Chapter 15

About ten minutes later, I had Sam stop at a 24 hour diner I'd seen a sign for on the highway.  Greyson was reluctant to leave my lap, but I could hear his stomach growling.  He definitely needed to eat. 

There were a lot more people inside than I expected.  Most of them were drunks trying to sober up before they went home to their families.  Sam asked for a table while Greyson and I hung back a little.  He was holding my hand and had his forhead resting against my shoulder.  There were people watching us and giving us weird looks.  But at this point, neither of us could even try to care what they thought.

"My name's Emily, I'll be taking care of you tonight." said our waitress in the same tired, generic voice they all had.  "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

Sam ordered water for all of us.  I felt so lucky that she was here.  We wouldn't be getting by so well without her. 

When the waitress came back with our drinks, she flipped open her generic little notepad and took our generic American breakfast orders (Minus the bacon, of course).  Sam and I talked a little while we waited.  But everyone was too emotionally and phycially exhausted to really say much. 

The waitress brought us our food ten minutes later.  While I was trying to eat, talk to Sam, make sure Greyson was eating, and ignore the stares we were getting, the man in the seat behind me was breathing down my neck.  He was alone in a booth with a cup of coffee.  All he could do was watch us.  I ignored him for a while,  trying to just finish eating so we could go home.  But I decided that since I'd already yelled at a good amount of people tonight, what's one more?

"Do you need something?" I snapped as I turned to face him.  "Because if you don't then I'd really appreciate it if you stopped watching us."

He ignored me, like I expected, and in a half drunk voice said, "You two shouldn't be so touchy.  People might think you're homos."

"Well we are, so why would why would that bother me?" I asked.

His eyes got wide and he started to laugh.

"You mean, you're like, together?"

"Yeah."

"You guys have some weird kind of sex?"

"That's a little personal, but yes.  We do.  Now, are you finished? Because I'd really just like to eat and get out of here."

"Why's this one not talking?" he asked, disregarding my question.  "Is he embarrassed?"

"No, he isn't.  He's had a really bad night."

"Why?"

"Is that your business?"

"Does your mother know your gay?" he asked, changing subjects and letting the alcohol in his body take over.

"Yes, and she's fine with it."

I knew there was no point in having this conversation.   This man was drunk and probably not even listening to me anyway.   He kept talking while I turned around to finish eating.  I gave him short yes and no answers to all of his annoying questions,  just so he wouldn't make a scene if I ignored him.  Sam kept making faces and mimicking his drunkenness.   Greyson laughed.  He actually laughed.  It was a sound that I hadn't heard it a long time; and was calming me down so much. 

When we finished,  I threw 30 dollars on the table and we basically ran out of the building.  I gave the car keys back to Sam and told her to start it and find a good station on the radio.  I pulled Greyson away and went around the side of the building.  I had only just realized that I hadn't even gotten to kiss him yet.  Well, there were little ones, but nothing I could really feel.  So, I brought him to a dark spot, pushed him against the wall, and kissed him.  Hard.  It was like the first time we kissed all over again.  I held him so tightly,  and kept going until neither of us could breathe.