Song of the Firebird

Seven

Time flew so fast that he didn't have enough time to shave his beard. Looking at the mirror, he saw a ghosted image of himself as if he aged a little more. He was thankful that he had enough rest in the hospital and Danny's place. He would never have had the same in his, on the other hand. Living is exhausting, most of the time. But, it gave him liberties and privileges. Who was he to argue against that?

Jay had mixed feelings in leaving this place. He had to leave behind all his precious moments here that he himself was not sure when he would be able to connect back with them. He hoped that his lady love would wait for him.

Sans enough experiences in packing, he stuffed his casuals, few formals, toiletries, chargers, perfume, socks, a pair of shoes and some perishable-in-a-week edible goods, courtesy of his pantry. He did not miss his prestigious Canon gear, either. He was debating whether to take the gear along or not. Would that help him to relieve his stress?, he thought. He then checked his lens and filter kit, secured his tripod and put them in his baggage. He could miss Tasha, but not his gear. In case, if he ever happened to lose or damage any of the objects in his gear, he planned to cut short his expenditures for some months and find replacements, accordingly.

Locating his next important device, exactly in the right end of the couch, he moved towards his laptop. The only device that could help him make dollars even when logged on from his own den.

Jay held his laptop and stared at his television. He was taken down the memory lane, where he played video games on guys' night, saw chick flicks and horror movies with Natasha, saved some cooking videos so he could try later to impress both his girls. There were days when he and his friends from his hometown would watch together the live and highlights of IPL and other cricket matches and exchange commentaries, after June fell asleep. 

He stood up to take his carry-on baggage that he left on the coffee table and checked for the contents. In the middle of his search, he came across a packet of condoms. His body relaxed and could not help himself letting out a dry chuckle.

Both were dead drunk.

Natasha didn't want to crash in her place because she had a bad day. She did not want the city at all. An angry customer threw a hot latte on her just because it was not hot enough. Also, she slipped over the tea in her new boots in-front of a fully packed café. She then received a call from her mother, who was also in hiding. Her mother's calls usually meant one thing - she would have to lose sleep for a week in a pool of disgusting drunken drabbles. It would only subside when the older woman settled with a new partner.

Giving all those reasons, she managed to convince Jay and finish his entire bottle of priced whiskey.

Jay was fixated on finishingt the leftover vodka from the previous night.

Both of them had a high tolerance to alcohol so they  did not bother trying their hands on tequila shots as well. They were watching a sitcom on the TV and that's when a scene came up. One of the underage teens gulps down a Long Island Iced tea in the place of a virgin Iced tea and they rant without a hint of embarrassment during their date in a posh restaurant. Jay and Natasha giggled like madmen making some cackling noises.

Jay saw that Natasha was finally at her own spirits and scooted close to her. That time, he did not seem to care about those famous jokes. All that mattered was her smiles and cackles; how her hair bounced waverly at her shoulders; how her hands clutched her stomach, rolling in laughter; how she snorted at a lame scene when the boy failed to impress his crush; how she smiled with that weird sound; how she looked at him in between those scenes with a playful glint in her eyes. It was his first time watching a woman enjoying his company, apart from the rest of his male friends. Sure they were going out for weeks, but they decided to take it slow.