"Can't tell you how good it is to be away from the old man," the guy was saying. "All that coughing and harrumphing. I swear, the more disgusting it is, the more Dad loves it. It's not healthy."
Sam thought about werewolves and ghouls. "Tell me about it."
"You don't wanna know." Brady took a swig of beer.
"No," Sam said, "you don't wanna know." He was grinning, but truth was, it unsettled him a bit. This guy Brady kept saying exactly what Sam was thinking without even noticing. But it was comforting to the same extent it was unsettling, and when Brady started migrating to the back porch, cup of beer in hand, Sam found himself following.
Outside, with the high buzz of music and conversation safely tucked behind them, Brady lifted his glass. "Here's to a blank slate for both of us."
Sam's eyes narrowed, and he shifted, suddenly feeling like he'd been targeted by X-ray vision.
But Brady put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I wasn't sure if I was gonna come to this party," he said, his eyes suddenly pleading. "But I have to say, I'm glad I did. You're a stand-up guy, Sam. It's been a while since I've felt like someone was really listening to me, you know?"
X-ray vision, nothing. Sam had just gotten smacked in his weak spot by a Superman punch. He folded. "Hey, look," he said, "anytime you need to talk, just give me a call, all right?" He couldn't not give Brady his number. He wouldn't be him if he didn't.
Even if a sudden sense of dread locked up his gut as he wrote down the digits on the other man's warm hand.
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timeasmymeasure
X-ray Vision
Date: 2010-07-06 03:42 pm (UTC)Sam thought about werewolves and ghouls. "Tell me about it."
"You don't wanna know." Brady took a swig of beer.
"No," Sam said, "you don't wanna know." He was grinning, but truth was, it unsettled him a bit. This guy Brady kept saying exactly what Sam was thinking without even noticing. But it was comforting to the same extent it was unsettling, and when Brady started migrating to the back porch, cup of beer in hand, Sam found himself following.
Outside, with the high buzz of music and conversation safely tucked behind them, Brady lifted his glass. "Here's to a blank slate for both of us."
Sam's eyes narrowed, and he shifted, suddenly feeling like he'd been targeted by X-ray vision.
But Brady put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I wasn't sure if I was gonna come to this party," he said, his eyes suddenly pleading. "But I have to say, I'm glad I did. You're a stand-up guy, Sam. It's been a while since I've felt like someone was really listening to me, you know?"
X-ray vision, nothing. Sam had just gotten smacked in his weak spot by a Superman punch. He folded. "Hey, look," he said, "anytime you need to talk, just give me a call, all right?" He couldn't not give Brady his number. He wouldn't be him if he didn't.
Even if a sudden sense of dread locked up his gut as he wrote down the digits on the other man's warm hand.