Surviving the Apocalypse: Pandemic

Chapter 2-2

“You’re not planning on driving home, are you, buddy?” the night bartender asked.

“Huh?” Laurie raised his head and blinked at the two men standing behind the bar. He shook his head and blinked again, relieved when the two morphed into just one man who stood watching him patiently.

“I said you’re not planning on driving home.”

“Oh. Uh…No. I don’t live too far from here. I’ll walk.”

“Okay. You might want to go. I’m closing.” He held up a hand as if to keep Laurie from giving him grief, although Laurie hadn’t planned to say a word. “You’ve been the only one in here for the past hour and a half. I mean I know it’s Wednesday, but that’s never stopped my regulars before. I’m losing money.”

“Yeah. Right.” Laurie looked around. The bartender was right. The place had been like a morgue earlier, and now it was empty. “I’ll just…” He put a few bills on the bar.

“Thanks.”

“Welcome.” He got up from the stool, located the front door, and wobbled toward it.

“Hey, can you make it home?”

“Sure. G’night.”

“Well…‘Night.”

Just as Laurie reached the door, he heard an explosive series of sneezes from the bartender. “Bless you.”

“Th-thanks.” The bartender sneezed again.

“Welcome.” Laurie opened the door and stepped out into the balmy night air. He peered down at his watch, then held it up toward the streetlight, trying to make out where the hour hand was on the face.

Geez. It was almost one in the morning. Where had the time gone? He hadn’t even been having fun. He should have called to let Mom know he’d be missing dinner. She and Pop would probably have a fit.

He couldn’t go home, not now. Maybe not ever. He was a failure, in every sense of the word. But where could he go? In spite of what he’d told the bartender, his apartment wasn’t close—it was on the other side of town—and he was in no shape to drive. He supposed he could call for a taxi, but Laurel Hill was too small a town for that kind of service. Folks were more likely to rely on friends or neighbors for a ride. He took out his phone to call Jo. She was the one sister he could count on, the only one who looked like him, with the same strawberry blonde hair and violet eyes, while all the others were brunettes. They’d both heard the “teasing” remarks that the milkman was their father, which was stupid. Who even had their milk delivered anymore?

He pressed the screen, but his phone didn’t light up. Dammit. The battery must have died. He glared at it, then put it away. He’d have to come up with something else.

He looked up and down the street. It was empty of cars. Well, at this hour on a weeknight, most people were home in bed. Except for Lync. He’d be at work for the night. That was another reason why they hadn’t been able to make it work. Lync worked nights at the Laurel Hill Mall, while Laurie worked—used to work—days. But Lync’s apartment was nearby, it would be empty, and Laurie knew where Lync kept a spare key. And he was pretty sure his former boyfriend wouldn’t mind too much if Laurie crashed at his place.

He turned and started walking down the street, then had to stop and turn around. Lync’s apartment was the other way.

* * * *

It shouldn’t have taken Laurie as long as it did to get to Lync’s place, but that alcohol on top of an empty stomach played havoc with his balance as well as his sense of direction. Finally he arrived at the building where Lync lived. Laurie rounded the corner and stood at the bottom of the steps that led up to the small apartment on the second floor. He managed to climb the stairs without putting his foot through a riser and lifted the welcome mat when he reached the top. It was such an obvious hiding place, no one would expect anyone with half a brain to use it. Sure enough, though, the key was there.

Laurie unlocked the door, put the key back under the mat, let himself into the tiny apartment, and closed and locked the door, then made a trip to the bathroom before he fell headfirst onto Lync’s bed. The pillow smelled of Drakkar Noir, the aftershave Lync always used, and for a second, Laurie felt a stab of loneliness. They’d had good times. If only Lync could understand his fear of coming out of the closet.

Well, there was no point in crying over closed closet doors now. Laurie wrapped his arms around the pillow, cuddled it as if it were a lover, and fell asleep.