Playing Sleep

ten » the process of falling apart

"Insomnia is a bad dream from which you must wake. And, when you do, you find that you're asleep." - Jamie Contreras

I arrived at 'DKD' fifteen minutes later to find Emily situated in a window booth. Her hair was windswept and draped around her shoulders. A slightly oversized denim jacket replaced the typical anorak and a simple blue and white striped shirt lay beneath. She looked wonderful, and my stomach clenched at the fact.

"Jay! You made it!" Emily cried out, leaping from her seat in order to give me a welcoming hug. As she brought me closer to her, I could smell a summery citrus-y scent which was probably her shampoo.

I laughed, pulling out of the hug, "yeah, I said I would! Besides, I didn't have to walk far." Grinning, I took a seat across from her, pouring myself a glass of water from the jug sat on the table.

Looking around, I saw all the usual customers of 'DKD'. A young family sat about two booths down, the one of the fathers sporting two tattoo sleeves while the other sat with a striped polo. The combination looked a bit odd, some guy who looked as if he should be in the suburbs, while the other could've been rocking out at three in the morning. They were holding hands over the table as their two kids chatted over a shared bowl of chips. To our right, only one booth down sat a young girl, only about fourteen or fifteen, all alone as she scribbled away in some kind of journal, a coffee by her side.

Our waiter, a guy with big ears and an even bigger stretcher, sauntered up to us, a notebook in his hand. "Any ideas on what ya'll want?" He had a southern-American drawl to his voice, the kind of accent you never really heard in the city, it was mostly full of born and raised Australians.

Emily picked up a menu and spent about five seconds flipping through the pages before she looked up at him, "I'll have the biggest fucking burger on your menu, large chips and a large coffee. Thank you."

The poor guy looked so shocked. He was probably so used to serving girls who ordered salads and trim lattes that seeing Emily order such a huge meal which was so different to what he usually dealt with, frightened him. I mean, good on those girls for eating salads, they taste great, but sometimes what you really need is a huge burger.

"I'll have the same." I couldn't keep the grin off of my face as he scribbled the order down, eyebrows raised as a steady smirk replaced the shock.

"Alrighty, and do you want milk with that coffee?"

I said "No," just as Emily said, "Yes please." Which resulted in us bursting into impromptu laughter, the waiter included.

"Awesome, it'll be ready in about fifteen minutes." With that, the guy left for another table, his stretchers wobbling ever so slightly as he moved.

"God, I love this place." Emily stated, smiling as she looked around the fast food joint. Regardless of her slightly bloodshot eyes, she looked extremely lively for someone who was supposed to have a killer hangover.

Leaning back in my chair, I smirked again, looking back to the gay men and their family, "I know right, I love how open it is."

When 'DKD' was first established a couple of years ago, the owner had wanted to create a place where all kinds of people, from different races, sexes and identities could come together and do something as simple as eat good, greasy food. Today, that is exactly what it is.

"Tell me about it! I think that's one of few things that can brighten my day in a second, seeing an LGBT couple being really open in public. Like, I'm so sick of people being all reserved about romance." She's smirking at me as she says this, her glossed lips shaping the words. While I'm leaning back on the chair, she's got her elbows on the table, her hair spilling down to touch the polished wood.