wanderess

With the final box in the space, Aless found himself slinking down on the floor as he pulled out his phone to answer some texts and then pull up a menu for one of the local eateries they enjoyed getting food from. He scoured the menu as he took in Chloe’s question. When he moved in, he had a roommate who was barely around and then one day their stuff was just gone. “I mean I kept the cardboard boxes I had for Stella’s entertainment.” He said. That was before he went a little gungho with the items that would keep Stella entertained. The truth was, with his longer hours at the shop, he felt bad having her alone by herself so if she could at least be stimulated while he was away that made him feel better. Aless then passed his phone over to Chloe so that she could peruse the menu, and once they landed on what they wanted, he called the order in before looking at the daunting instructions for the bedframe. The swedish was blurring together and he had forgotten how they were written instructions they were merely illustrations and he had to hope and pray they knew what to do. 

Does she make you happy? Suddenly it felt like it wasn’t about the inside joke anymore, and he knew that Chloe wasn’t dumb. Even if he never revealed to her who ‘Lady Mario’ was, she knew well enough that there was someone besides her occupying his time in different ways. He found himself looking at the floor then as he contemplated the question, and was surprised to find that he wasn’t afraid of the answer that he had for her. “It’s still really new to me, but she makes me feel like the world is in different colors or whatever.” He shook his head at how cheesy that must have sounded. “I feel like I could be a better person, that I am one, if that makes sense.” 

“I think we need to have an intervention about how many things you keep for Stella as opposed to yourself.” Chloe fully believed if given the choice to save her or Stella from a burning building, he would choose Stella. However, as the cat rubbed against her legs, bright little face shining with delight to have company over, she couldn’t really fault him. She’d probably choose Stella, too. She reached over to scratch the cat behind the ears, earning a purr. She took the phone, holding it above her as she scrolled through the menu as if she’d change up her usual order much anyway. She had glanced over his shoulder at the instruction manual. “Are we going to have to look up a YouTube video for this?” It was such a big bed frame. She was starting to wonder if she could get away with faking an injury from all the lifting. But, Stella wouldn’t be of much help, so she willed herself to stay and be a good friend.  It was quite a response to a question she expected a simple yes or no from. But, Chloe knew he was happy, and that mattered above all else to her. If it truly was Lady Mario... gross. But, no matter who she ended up being, Chloe just knew it was good for him. He’d get some well earned happiness out of a quick fling, and he’d be on his way. Maybe someday she would get to know the mystery woman’s identity, but she’d be long gone before Chloe would have to worry about it. “Well, good. I can’t promise I won’t break any more glass, though. It’s a hazard of being friends with me.” She fell right back into the inside joke, finding it best to let it be that for now. She reached past him to grab the instructions from his hand. “So, are we learning Swedish today or playing a game of Pictionary?” 

The laughter fell from his lips as he drew away from Chloe, the tremors from his body getting shakier by the second. “That’s all it takes sometimes,” He said in between breaths, he could feel actual tears falling from his eyes as he swiped them away, giving her a playful shove as he settled upon his drink. He shook off her remark though finding himself shaking his head once again. “I think it’s only because it’s you, Chlo.” He said, and usually that could have been taken out of context but he had a feeling that they both understood what he meant. “The reason why you tragically haven’t fallen for me is because you and I are too much alike, wouldn’t you say?” Aless ordered another round of shots and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder to tousle her around. “I’d like to see you try, like with the brunette over there.” 

He pointed over, clearly catching the gaze of the woman who’d been staring at their direction. “I can’t tell which one of us she’s actually interested in, so work your magic.” Aless challenged, before he asked the bartender for a menu for the food. “Sharing or you want your own?” He then leaned over again to joke with the woman on his ability to flirt, the doofy grin, the once over, and all he could see was Chloe’s face getting increasingly more confused. “Are you telling me you’ve never used a once over to attract attention?” 

Chloe gave him a look of feigned offense at his words, though she knew the meaning behind them. They were eerily similar, and had discovered that early on. “Oh, because you like to copy my life, right,” She teased. Still, it was a small blessing to have someone like Aless as a friend. Being able to lament about never wanting to cross the border of Maine again with someone else was a blessing Chloe never knew she needed. She would take that over some hook-up any day of the week. Chloe’s glanced at the woman in question, who was most certainly looking in their direction.  “Fine.” Chloe couldn’t turn down a challenge. Even if it meant striking out with someone who she could not read well enough to tell if she was would even be interested in women. Yet another disadvantage for Chloe. Aless sure bragged about being a good flirt for someone who had a laundry list of things in his favor. “Share?” Being near carbon copies of each other made sharing food a breeze at least. “Would you-” Chloe nudged him lightly, his consistent interruptions preventing her from working said magic. Still, she glanced at him, rolling her eyes. “Okay, yes. But, sparingly. Take notes.” Aless had his method of flirting, Chloe had her own. But, as a nod, she decided to use the once over. She slid into the next seat over by the brunette, chatting her up. A laugh, a shoulder touches, and a kick little tattoo tour later, Chloe slid back into her seat next to Aless, pushing her phone towards him, the seven digit number on display. “And not one octave drop.”

– 

“Until you meet the one.” Ofelia was certainly not the dating type herself, she had been bad at it before she had met her ex and then after she hadn’t make it past a few dates here and there and the odd drunken one night when she had decided she wanted someone else to take care of her for the evening. “You do, I’m not going to tell you I’ll let you remember on your own.” Chloe had done it before, the chef new she had, it was just for a different food item. “I’m just here to make sure you prep and don’t burn things, you’ll be doing most of the cooking yourself.” 

Maybe it was the tunnel vision he’d been under since he’d started casually seeing Ofelia, but he hadn’t paid much mind to the eyes that were on him. Or maybe he had just been used to it by now, but still with Chloe’s analogy he couldn’t help but laugh. “It can’t always be that easy could it?” Aless questioned before he found that her trick in putting her leather coat next to his empty seat had done enough to ward off a group who had thought about making a move. Then Chloe seemed to stare into his soul for an unsurmountable amount of time, one that made him feel uneasy. He wasn’t sure what her question was going to be next, could have been a continuation on Lady Mario, or whatever other ruse he would have to think about, but then, his mouth nearly fell upon. “I’m sorry, you want me to what?” There were a multitude of reasons why Aless and Chloe would never been romantically linked, but one of the main ones was simply because they were far too similar to each other. Did it make people do a double take every time they were together? Probably. But Aless valued Chloe’s friendship far too much to sully it with one night stands or even anything remotely in the realm of romance. 

When he looked at Chloe he just saw a beacon of security, someone who had steadied him in the months they had known each other, someone that honestly he considered family, which was why her request left a dryness in his mouth. “Are you sure?” He asked, only confident enough to take it as a challenge. He was sure she wouldn’t be swayed, but he was curious himself to see what it was that he had done to garner the attention. He took a sip from his drink, before he clapped his hands together to slip into the part, pretend he wasn’t already overwise metaphorically spoken for (was he?). He gave Chloe a smile and looked down at her outfit, the tip of her lips and then her eyes, and then back down to the tip of her lips. “Have you been waiting long?” He uttered, his voice an octave lower, but inside all he could feel was a burgeoning laughter trying to get out of him. 

“I don’t know, you tell me. I’m pretty sure it’s a shorter list to talk about all the times women haven’t flirted with you in the middle of one of our hangouts.” She was being dramatic, sure. There were plenty of moments where it truly did just get to be their time to enjoy each other’s company. But, she couldn’t help herself. And, she certainly wasn’t sure she wanted him to actually attempt to flirt with her. Mostly because she didn’t want anyone else getting the wrong idea of their already confusing friendship. They were more so siblings than they ever would be lovers, and that’s the way she liked it. But, curiosity did kill the cat as the saying went.  She settled back in her seat, waiting for the show to begin. Then, he gave her a once over, an awkward smile, and a shaky question. She couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped her at his sorry attempt. If she ever needed any confirmation that there would never be romance between the two of them (she didn’t) this was it. Her face scrunched up, and she shook her head. “That’s it? A dopey grin, and a voice drop?” Chloe took a sip from her drink between laughter. “Now I really have to wonder how you think you’re the better flirt.” He had the unfair advantage of an accent, and being over six feet tall, but on actual skill, Chloe was sure she could beat his flirting ten fold. 

Chloe’s off-hand comment had come at him so quickly that he couldn’t stop himself from blushing. Truth was, his eyes hadn’t wandered even for just a moment because he had been so struck and consumed by everything the woman he was presently seeing offered to him. He clicked his tongue against his cheek before he shrugged, “Paradise is still nice and sunny for me,” He said with a grin. It was a vague enough answer, and it was mostly the truth. Things had been better than ever, especially considering he was starting to feel like a better man every single day. “What are you drinking? Beer? Something harder to start? I think they have tapas here too.” He mentioned, before another leggy blonde slipped into the open seat on his left. Her voice sounded like it had been through a garage disposal, her scent was one laden with cigarette smoke, and Aless was incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation. He brushed her off gently, before looking at Chloe apologetically. 

He hated putting her through fighting the people who wanted his attention, and now that he wasn’t presently in the playing field, it was dawning on him how often it appeared to happen, and all he had done was simply exist in the space. He ordered drinks, they clinked their glasses and Aless tried to get closer to Chloe to make it clear he was enthralled in conversation with her, but still they kept coming. “Has it always been like this at this bar?” He chuckled as he shook his head. 

Chloe raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? This is a long winded thing for you,” She hummed. Chloe had been hearing things about Lady Mario, as she was now named, for weeks now. Just small things here and there, usually jokes to poke fun at her. But, she couldn’t ignore the fact that it was always about her and no one else. Chloe was almost impressed, but it would fade as the cold months came, and this mystery woman turned out to be overly clingy. Aless didn’t do relationships, that much Chloe knew to be true. “Beer, I’ll hate myself tomorrow if I drink anything else.” Perks of her job meant being up a 6 am to train an all too eager business man trying to find a way to deal with his midlife crisis that didn’t involve a sports car. She opened her mouth to say something else when a woman slid in the seat next to him. She cracked her knuckles a little more aggressive than necessary, shooting a look at the woman in question who slinked away. At least someone could take the hint.  Chloe tossed him her jacket to fill the vacant seat to hopefully ward off anymore invaders. She almost laughed at the question, not entirely sure if he was serious. “It’s always been like this everywhere. What are you talking about? You attract women like flies to honey.” Chloe eyed him for a long moment, trying to find what every other woman in town seemed to in him. He had always been her best friend, never once had a romantic thought crossed her mind. But, he had also never even attempted to put a move on her. Most of their time was spent competing to be the best flirt in the room, but she was morbidly curious to be on the other end of it. “Flirt with me,” She stated, nonchalant in the request. “I’m curious to know what every woman in America sees in you. Plus, it might keep some of these wolves away.” Chloe shot a warning glance at another brunette that seemed to be working up the nerve to make her own move.

He’d gotten the bedframe, but now he needed the nightstand and of course he was going ahead with the cat tree for Stella because she deserved it. Box after box, he and Chloe heaved it onto the cart until he was sure there wasn’t any room for Chloe to ride along in. The rest of the conversation had died down about Lady Mario and the lessons she’d been taking with Ofelia, though his palms were slightly sweaty thinking about the fact that his best friend had been growing closer with the woman that he’d actively been seeing. Everything with Ofelia was still incredibly brand new at this point and the last thing he wanted to do was put Chloe in a position where she might end up having to choose which person to side with, so his silence felt like a way that he could be less of a burden to her. 

They’d run into an issue when going back to his car to get the boxes in, they all nudged in enough but with the fault of him not being able to close his trunk all of the way. He had to barter for some cords to tie them to his bumper and the drive back to his apartment was a blessing as the boxes hadn’t fallen out in the freeway. Once he parked, he made sure to get as close to the door as possible as they would have to make several treks up three flights of stairs with each box. The combination of the steps, the weight of the boxes, and making sure they pivoted in time, when they finally got the last box up, Aless looked at Chloe apologetically. “Okay, you have permission to ask me one thing and one thing only about this Lady Mario fiasco,” He joked, before he grabbed for a beer in his fridge, one that she had definitely earned. “I’ll grab us dinner too, my obvious treat.” 

Chloe helped shove each box onto the cart, each one awkward and hard to grip. She was reminded with each ‘one, two, three’ why she hated moving so much, and she was grateful most of the possessions she cared for most could be kept in a box and a bag. Still, being a little mass of muscle usually meant she was at the top of the list for tasks like this. If it were anyone other than Aless, Chloe would have said no. But, he would bend over backwards for her, so the least she could do was shove some heavy boxes around in return. Seeing as he wouldn’t allow much more than that usually. There were times the fleeting thought of whether their friendship was actually a two way street entered her mind, but she was quick to shove those thoughts away, writing them off as old doubts festered in the darkest parts of her mind from a past she tried too hard to forget.  When the final box landed on his apartment floor, Chloe collapsed dramatically onto his couch with a sigh. She could feel the thin layer of sweat that had formed somewhere between box two and box five. “Were you living off cardboard boxes before this,” She asked sarcastically as she took the offered drink. However, she did perk up at the offer. Not that she believed it was Lady Mario, but since this was now code for his mystery prospect, she figured it best to play along. “Is she worth betraying your best friend,” She teased. “No, that’s not my actual question, don’t answer that.” Chloe thought for a moment, looking her friend up and down. He seemed lighter today than she had seen in him before. His jokes more frequent, and laughter almost louder than normal. She couldn’t help but notice it all. “Does she make you happy?” The question came out more deep than she intended, quickly tossing in a quip to throw off the overly emotional bullshit. “Because, I guess I can find it in myself to forgive all other atrocities for that.” She nodded. “Especially if you’re roping me into helping you set any of this up, which I’m sure is what’s coming.”

–

“Well then in your mind judge away.” It was pointless even trying to hide the smile on her lips as she read the messages, the flash of an image he had sent her enough to draw a chuckle. Ofelia hated the lack of control, almost as much as she felt vulnerable to it all, but there was nothing she could do about it. “You know, I really wish this was you on the end of this, so that I could be the one taunting you.” The girl sighed before she glanced at the potato’s. “Amazing, we just need to blanch them and whilst we start that we can wrap the fish… we should turn on the fryer too we want the oil hot.” 

With the music on Ofelia let herself dance it out. As much as it sucked that he had ditched the two of them, Ofelia would be lying if she said that it didn’t feel somewhat better that at least she wasn’t the only one in the dark, that she wasn’t the only one that had been duped. Wine glass in hand and dancing around the living room though, with Chloe laughing with her, she knew she would be alright. Hearing the sound of the buzzer managed to catch her attention through the music though and she jumped mid mouthful of wine. “Oh food is here! I’m ready.” 

“Hey now, it’s not an impulse I’m having. I just think you’d look badass with an undercut,” he said. “Did you have it shaved before? Or was it just super short?” It was late, and Kai was curious. He had gone through various hair styles and colors before he found what he called his signature look. Crossing his legs underneath the blanket, Kai looked at Chloe across the room. It was late, but Kai didn’t go to work until noon tomorrow. He didn’t know what Chloe’s schedule looked like, but if she was willing to be up this late, she probably didn’t have a 6 AM appointment. “So what else haven’t you done?”

“Maybe, but today is not the day that we’re going to find out.” Chloe didn’t want to deal with the grow out process of an undercut anyway. “I cut it a few years ago on an impulse. I’ve been growing it out ever since.” The impulse was in a motel bathroom somewhere in the middle of the country where she was trapped waiting out a tornado warning. She was depressed, lonely, and bored. So, off came her hair. “Lots of things, I guess. Skydiving, swimming with the sharks, climbing mt. everest. There’s a lot of things to do in the world.”

where: Hometown Bar with: @chloeeli-archive

Another week had passed which meant the titular time where Aless found himself hanging out with Chloe, the routine they had had for months now that they both swore they would never taper off from unless one of them had fallen seriously ill. Ofelia, who had been staying at his apartment unofficially, had a longer shift and so he let the chef know he would be out, not any later than usual but that he’d see her before it was time for bed. He chuckled softly to him as he slipped his phone into his back pocket, what was this new feeling or knowing she would be here waiting for him? Or perhaps even just already succumbing to sleep from the long day. How had he had someone to come home to? 

He didn’t dwell on the moment for too long before he set off to meet Chloe at their agreed upon location. The local bar was a scene that they frequented plenty of times. Sometimes it was just convenient location wise, other times they had some sorrows to drown, today they were meeting in good spirits or at least that was what he had hoped for before the women in the bar seemed to be bold enough to try to interject on their one and one time. “I’m sorry, you want me to what?” Aless addressed one such woman who had tried to take Chloe’s seat that he had been saving. He caught a glimpse at the woman walking towards them, “Unfortunately my plans are sealed for the evening, darling.” He said apologetically. Not before she slipped him his number. He shook his head as Chloe took her seat beside him, sharing a hug with her before he followed suit. “Do you want this number? Way cuter than Lady Mario.”  He teased. 

Chloe always looked forward to her weekly hangouts with Aless. They had become a staple of her routine, and she could not imagine a time without them at this point in her life. Of course, they had ended up at the town bar this week, for lack of anything better to do. Sometimes, they were there with an intent to drink, but today it was just for the sake of keeping up their tradition. The majority of her friends had been in high spirits as of late, and it was a relief for her. There was nothing more she loved than for the people around her to be happy.  As she entered the bar, she was reminded of the only downside of spending time at the bar with Aless: The women. She didn’t fault him for being a flirt, and she couldn’t fault the women in town for fawning over him. With the accent and his appearance, it was a recipe for disaster. But, after months of weekly hangouts, it got tiring. Chloe was not tall, but she was intimidating. Tattoos on display, a leather jacket draped over her shoulder, and muscles on display. Usually that was enough to chase off the girls she didn’t want to deal with, but some of them were bold enough to stare her down. This particular girl seemed to be one of them, Chloe making a point to shoulder check her on the way to her seat. She settled into the seat next to Aless, pursing her lips and shaking her head. “Trouble in paradise, huh? Finding other woman more beautiful than your lover? But, no, thanks. I’ve already burned that bridge.”

“Well I’ll find a bunch of eligible candidates and I’ll send you a presentation on them so you can make up your mind.” The woman beamed. She may have been wrapped up in herself at the moment and she was unsure and she was scared but when she wasn’t? When she was with him she was the happiest she had been in years and she wanted her friend to have that too. “It was brutal but worth it…right if you wash those potatoes we can chop them next.” Ofelia instructed before her phone buzzed once more. “You gunna judge me if I answer that?” 

Kai burst out in laughter, knowing well that his parents had given up all hope of ever having a grandchild– let alone a daughter-in-law. “As long as you don’t tell her your intentions are to tag up the town, I think she’ll be pleased to see someone that isn’t Aless,” he teased. Mama loved Aless like a son, which meant that she also fed him like a son and chastised him like a son. Seeing a different face would probably be great for her health. 

“I can do an undercut,” he attempted to negotiate. Reaching his car, Kai pulled a screwdriver out of his pocket and tossed his bag in the back. “Sorry ‘bout the shithole,” Kai said before he sat in the drivers seat, leaned over and popped open the other door for her. It was second nature for Kai to use a screwdriver to start his car, so much so that he forgot how it could appear to other people. “Back to what I was sayin’, I could do an undercut on you. If you hate it, you can wear your hair down to hide it, and you can curse me out every day,” he grinned over at her. 

Once they had arrived at his house, Kai made a mental note that his parents were probably asleep. “Shoes off when you come in,” he said quietly, but negated that softness by slamming the car door. Kai liked the way his night with Chloe had gone; it was relaxing. Easy. Surprising, really! She didn’t chastise him or tell him he was immature, she just…let him exist. Bursting through his bedroom door, Kai grinned at his fishtank and grabbed an extra blanket for himself. “You can take the bed and I’ll sleep over here,” he planted himself in a beanbag. “My buzzer is on the nightstand if you change your mind,” brows wiggled mischievously. 

Chloe let out a small sigh of relief. “Alright, I’ll try and bite my tongue, scouts honor,” She said tossing up her fingers in a scout salute. Honestly, the idea of waking up to more than a bowl of cereal, eggs, or a poptart was too enticing to turn down even if she was going to be grilled. She could handle it for a home cooked meal.  Chloe shook her head, her steps slowing for a brief moment as they approached Kai’s car. It wasn’t the fact that it was a little dingy and dirty. She wasn’t one to judge on that, but the screwdriver concerned her. Still, she got into the car anyway. It had gotten him here, so it would probably get both of them back to his house. Still, she found herself, white knuckling the door handle just in case. “Not happening. I’ve been growing it out for years, I’m not messing it up for your impulses.”  Chloe nodded, wincing slightly as the door slam cut through the night. With shoes deposited at the front door, Chloe followed Kai back into his bedroom again. “Not happening,” Chloe sing songed, shifting the shears away from her. There wasn’t a dollar amount he could put on this to get her to agree to shaving even a single part of her head.

Kai remained in his squat position, feeling intense glee run up and down his body as Chloe made her first mark. Between the mask and the darkness, Kai couldn’t tell if she was enjoying herself, but she was still here. That was what counted, wasn’t it? As she took a step back, Kai turned and nodded in approval. “You did it!” Pulling his own mask down, his teeth were luminescent in the nighttime. “It looks sick,” he encouraged, hoping that they could go out and mark up the town more often. 

He began packing up his bag, not wanting to leave anything behind that could incriminate them. “So, I know we came here separate,” a soft grunt as he zipped his bag closed, “but if you wanted to spend the night with me and my fish, I’m sure Mama would make us a killer breakfast. Fried eggs, salmon…probably some tea and coffee,” Kai could feel his mouth watering as he thought about it. “I could shave your head too, if you really wanted.”

Chloe passed the spray paint can back to him, eyes glancing back at her childish handiwork every once in a while. She could finally see the appeal of the rebellious teenage phase that she never went through. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to make a more regular thing of spending time with Kai. Maybe it could be good for her to get to experience a little bit of the life she had missed out on.  Focusing back in on Kai’s offer, Chloe almost laughed. “As long as she doesn’t start to ask me about my intentions with her son, I think that sounds like fun.” She grabbed at the hair that hung over her shoulder in a clean braid. “But, you are not touching a single hair on my head with scissors or shears.” She was down for random tattoos, and spray painting things that could easily be painted over. But, shaving her head is where she had to draw the line.

Gathering the remnants of the meal they had clearly demolished to crumbs, Aless tossed what they couldn’t get to in the trash before he ushered for Chloe to get back in the moving cart as they made it to the bay where his bedrame would be. He wheeled in an even speed as he said the woman, “I mean, eventually when I feel better about going back to Italy again, I don’t see why we couldn’t go together, my family would love you, just disappointed that it’s not in any way romantic.” He teased. Then he felt a small flush run across his cheeks, Chloe had always been perceptive to his tells, but he tried to keep composure again. 

But how could he turn it around? Especially with the way that she confirmed that it was much more innocent things they were getting into. “It must be heartburn from the meatballs, did you bring any tums?” He redirected, before he pat on his chest. It was harmless, the things he had envisioned about his own best friend potentially charming her way into Ofelia’s life. He paused at the bay that he needed, finding now that it would have crushed him if she had had some upper hand because at this point, he really wanted to continue seeing Ofelia. “Alright, let’s see how strong your arms really are, ready? 1, 2…heave!”

She made a face at the mention of romance, but nodded. Italy was a bit of a pipe dream on her budget, though she supposed there was no better way to get her first experience out of the country than with her best friend. She had to wonder what it would be like to go home to such a large family, all loud, boisterous, and eager to chat. Even if they were pushing her down the aisle towards a person she could have no romantic connection with if she tried. “That could be fun. I could finally see your street legal motorcycle skills, too.”  Chloe’s incredulous look gave way to something more nonchalant. “No, sorry. But, hey, you were the ones craving those meatballs. Made your bed, you know?” She still felt her pocket to see if one had magically appeared in there at some point. They reached the bed frame of choice, and the box was far too small for the size of the frame he had picked. It was going to be heavy. Her mind wandered to the several flights of stairs they were going to have to take this up at some point, and she let out a sigh. Still, she got into position on the other side of the box, squatting down and getting a hold on it. Chloe followed his lead, and lifted, arms strained under the weight of the box. Still, she shuffled it onto the cart, and dropped the weight with an exhale. “The next thing you pick has to be so much smaller than that.”

“Whatd’ya mean?” he asked. “I get to be outside, I get to find new places…,” a small shrug. Kai didn’t need a lot to be satisfied with life, though he had a sinking feeling of where Chloe was coming from. “It’s pretty much free, too. Sometimes I run out of cans, but it’s not like I’m out here makin’ murals or anything.” he took a deep inhale as they reached the top of the bridge. The moon was illuminating their surroundings and Kai threw up a quick ‘thank you’ to the sky as he began to shake the can. “Watch me.” 

Kai threw a mask on over his nose and mouth as he bent down into a squat. Slowly, he drew a G…U…P…P…Y.. in his signature style. “You just wanna kinda let the paint do its thing, y’know?” Kai looked back at Chloe, wondering if she could see him smiling under the mask. “C’mere,” he motioned, taking a small step off to the side. “Pick a spot and just…go.”

Chloe thought about the explanation, nodding a little bit. She couldn’t find any sort of reasonable argument for that. He had found a way to express himself in a way that let him get out and see a little more of the town. Paint could be removed and painted over. Who was she to judge him for one harmless act.  Chloe watched him work, almost impressed by the accuracy with how he worked. She crouched down herself, a pace away from where he had spraypainted Guppy, and tucked the mask over her own face. She didn’t allow herself a moment of hesitation, and she did her best to make a legible painting of “Froggy”. She finished, taking a step back to examine the work. It wasn’t anything to write home about, the paint a touch runny, and sloppy gs whose tails interwined. But, she could see the appeal, suddenly. A little mark on the world, whether it stayed there for days or months. She pulled the mask down to sit under her chin. “Alright, you got me. It’s fun.”

Aless was delighted to know that Chloe was one step closer to breaking up with the Prego brand altogether, but the noodles he couldn’t fault her for. Sometimes there just wasn’t enough energy or time to get the sheets made and dried out in time for a hearty family dinner. “I’ll even whip out the pasta maker I got from Nonna,” He beamed. The device had been in the Di Natale’s life since even before Aless was even a thought, it was also a sore spot to talk about during Christmas as his siblings lamented about not being chosen to keep the device. Then with her teasing nudge, he could feel his stomach flip. Was she doing this on purpose? He didn’t know. There were times where Chloe and him would scope out random strangers and rate whether or not they’d give it a shot, and any time they landed on the same answer for a woman he found himself at odds with her, betting on who could get her number first. 

But thinking about the term she had thrown at him, not everything stayed in the kitchen. Sometimes it started in the kitchen, sometimes it rushed quickly back to an apartment in a taxi cab, sometimes it brought him to meeting a brown cat and then suddenly finding himself in front of a chef wearing only a towel, and then the rest was an evening in her sheets and their clothes strewn on the floor. Had Chloe been subjected to that? Was that the lingo? Did she have a head start? And a bottle of wine? “What wine did you choose?” Aless implored, “Bore me all you want.” His mouth felt dry, did his voice crack? Fuck. 

Chloe gave him a small look of surprise. “Is making Italian food correctly all I had to do unlock a new part of our friendship?” She felt a touch like she was being adopted into some Italian family with such an offer on the table. Then, there he went again, looking as if she had just admitted to a crime. She wasn’t sure what was going on his head, but she could tell the gears were turning. She just wished he’d stop beating around the bush and say what was on his mind.  “Ofelia usually gets to pick. She knows about pairings and all that stuff,” Chloe shrugged again, still trying to piece together where all these questions were going. “You’re being weird. You know you’re being weird, right? You never ask me this many questions.” She crossed her arms over her chest, but acquiesced, anyway. “I don’t know, we just talk, sometimes we’ll watch a movie. Usually, it involves eating. Duh.” She leaned forward, arms on the edge of the table. “What do you think we were doing?”

His facial expressions displayed nothing but disdain as she spoke so fondly about the piece of cardboard with barely a feasible sauce and questionable cheese. It was one of the reasons why his mother was fond of leaving the American landscape if only to get away from more of the processed foods, but oh if she could see him now. He said a private prayer to Saint Anthony for his swift protection. He perked up with pride as he gave her a round of applause, “No way, from scratch? You have to make it next week,” He began, “And maybe I’ll show you my tried and true garlic bread recipe, it’s a Di Natale secret though so take it to your grave,” He warned. 

She passed him the meatball without another word, her nonchalant tone making him increasingly nervous. They’ve met up it seemed, multiple times now. Sometimes her place, sometimes Chloe’s, god did that mean she knew Frank? It depends on what we’re doing that night, that time he couldn’t stop himself as he attempted to eat the last meatball but missed his mouth and the meatball fell to the floor. “Does uh, Ofelia offer you some type of reward system when you’re learning that late at night? Like…what do you do exactly?”

Chloe gave a little bow. “Almost. The sauce was. Noodles, not so much, but I promised Ofelia they would be next time. So, you’re helping me with that, if I’m making it again.” It had been the greatest stressor she had known in a long time, making such a dish from (mostly) scratch, and she would only repeat the process with a buddy. “I’m honored. What happens in the kitchens, stays in the kitchen.” She said, with a teasing nudge.  Chloe tracked the meatball all the way down to the filthy tile floor, eyes tracking back up to Aless. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out exactly what had gotten him so frazzled as to lose a meatball to the floor of an Ikea cafeteria. She couldn’t seem to figure out his angle on these questions. Was he starting some teaching endeavor he hadn’t told her about? “Uh, I guess so. If you could call it a reward. Usually, it involves a bottle of wine. But, I don’t really want to bore you with the details.”