dance with me

Garett [21.40]: sorry pal, can't. next time

     A short walk to the living room, and Kolton placed his things on the coffee table, plucked the joint free, and dropped into the couch, lying limp for a moment before straightening.

   “Okay, but—” Kolton stood, perching the joint between his lips, the thing muffling his speech as he picked up his plate and the one of his glasses that had liquor in it, “I’m bring m’pasta.”

     “Okay. Good. I’m gonna come back for mine once I’m a little toastier.” Rowan picked up plate as she stood, bringing it back to the counter for when she was ready to finish it, then began searching through drawers again for a deck of cards. She didn’t find them in the kitchen, heading into the living room to see they’d already been on a small table next to a chair in the living room. 

   “Nope.”

   “Nothing besides ‘give it back.’”

   “I wasn’t feeling bad.”

   “But… yeah.”

     “I know.”

   “Might be the weed, but… I’m gonna take credit.”

     “You should!”

   “Oh—” Rowan’s arms enveloped him, and he could smell her hair, his hands lifting to squeeze her back before she pulled away.

   “What’s that for?”

   “When it’s you — yeah, I do.”

   “Well, you never know. Could get that back.”

     One more hit, and Kolton handed it back, careful not to burn her fingers as he did. His worries were trickling away already — slowly, lessening to be replaced by a thoughtless calm.    “Never met anyone who isn’t.”

     “I wasn’t.”

   “Good. Randos in bars don’t know shit.”

     “They aren’t always all bad, though.”

   “’Cause I am.”

   “Forehead-reading used to be my job.”

      “Right. Well, I believe you.”

   “No you don’t.”

   “Oh, shit.” Leaving his food for the time being, Kolton rolled a joint with paper he found in the bag, borrowing a lighter that was laying next to the ashtray on the table to get it lit.

   “This yours or Garrett’s?” he asked, passing it to Rowan.

     “Garrett’s. And… mine. I got some a little bit back.”

   “Outta, like, anything?”

   “I wanna smoke until I can’t feel my body and I don’t know what year it is.”

     Rowan rose her eyebrows, amusement drawing a smile across her face. “Alright. I think I can probably get some.”

     Kolton took a sip of the drink she’d made him, glancing at her with a shrug.

   “Whatever you wanna do.”

     “Well…”