Page 6 of Hitched at Randy’s (Diner Days)
Six
Evan
P acking up my things makes me realize how little of Vi’s things there are here. She’s been living with me for a few years, but between plays and odd jobs, it seems like she’s always on the go. It takes me longer to pack for the trip to Boston. I don’t know when we’ll be back. I just know we need to figure something out. I can’t marry Viola if I’m already married to Cam. This whole thing is a cruel twist of fate. I love Cam, but not like that, even if I did have a little fantasy of us together while I was half awake in the shower. Cam and I go way back, and liking him was part of what helped me realize I’m bisexual back in high school, even though I never acted on that crush.
I grab another pair of underwear, shoving it in my suitcase. We’re going to talk to a lawyer and see about getting a quick divorce, and before we know it, this whole thing will be over. We’ll be laughing about it in no time.
“How’s it going?” Cam asks, popping his head in the room. He came with me to my apartment from Vegas. We’re taking an Uber to the airport and heading on another airplane to Boston. Since I already had the return tickets home, it just made more sense this way.
“Just about done,” I tell him. I’m not sure how to act around Cam right now, and I think it shows. He’s been off since he woke up with my ring on his finger. This whole drunken marriage threw both of us for a loop. “You sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow? We could get some sleep here. It’s been a long day.” Cam fidgets with the hem of his shirt as he talks.
“There’s a plane leaving in a couple of hours. We can sleep on the plane.” I grab my bag, and Cam grabs his, following me out to the car. He doesn’t talk during the drive, but his hand keeps picking at his shirt. I want to say something or do something to comfort him, but I’m not sure how to put him at ease. I don’t know how to fix this.
“You ever think about moving back?” Cam asks. He isn’t looking at me, his gaze is firmly out the window.
“Sometimes,” I admit. “I miss seeing everyone.” Part of me even wonders why I stay in California when I’m alone more often than not. Vi might not find out about my impromptu marriage, but in the short amount of time Cam’s been around, I think we’ve spent more time together than I’ve spent with Viola in the past couple of months. Even when she is around, we’re doing our own thing near each other. It’s almost like we’re roommates more than an engaged couple.
“What about you?” I ask. “You ever think about leaving Boston?”
A smile spreads on Cam’s face, “No, never. Oh, you have to come to game night with me! I told you how I’ve been meeting up with friends every week to game at Randy’s diner. You’ll love it.”
He’s looking at me, and his face lights up with the topic at hand. I think of the video we saw earlier from the security footage. Cam’s lips on mine after we said I do . What would it be like to kiss him again? Especially without the booze. It’s a thought that I’m better off burying and not thinking about. I’m engaged to Vi … or I was. I’m not sure what she’ll say if she finds out about all of this.
I wonder if Ashley has told anyone. She knows how to keep a secret, but she wasn’t the only one who liked the picture on my instagram. That’s not even counting the people that might have seen it and not liked it. Keeping this whole thing on the down-low is probably impossible. Sometimes I really hate living in a digital age. Why did we have to take that selfie and post it online?
We pull into the airport, and I pay the driver. We make our way back to the desk to get tickets for our flight. My stomach growls, reminding me we’ve been running nonstop most of the day. The only real meal we had was pancakes for breakfast, so I grab something from the vending machine. I slide my money in the slot and push the buttons to select a soda and a bag of chips. It’s not the best choice, but it’ll have to do for now. Cam follows my example, putting a few coins in the machine and selecting a candy bar.
“When we get to my place, I’m gonna crash so hard,” he says before taking a bite of his chocolate.
The announcer calls for our flight to board, and we quickly finish our snacks along the way. It’s only after we’re seated side by side that I take the time to really think. I know this isn’t the worst thing. If I was going to get drunk and married in Vegas, Cam is definitely the one to do it with. He’s a great friend, and sure, this is a costly mistake for us to make while drunk, but all things considered, he’s not going to fight me or make a big deal about getting the divorce. We just need to jump through the hoops and sign all the papers.
Cam falls asleep first, leaning into me as he drifts off and lets out a soft sigh. With how we’ve been running around all day, it was only a matter of time until one of us passed out. The way his glasses are pressed into my shoulder can’t be comfortable. I carefully shift and place my hands on the arms to slide his glasses off of him. Cam doesn’t wake up but looking over at him as he sleeps, he looks almost younger. It’s easier to see how he’s still the same person he was growing up.
I was a little surprised by the changes when he was first transitioning, but now it’s hard to even think of him as the awkward teenager he was in high school. My fingers itch to follow the thin line of facial hair connecting his mustache to his barely there beard.
I fold his glasses, setting them safely in the pocket of his carry-on, and a yawn escapes my lips. I’m not far from sleep myself. All it takes is letting my eyes focus on the movie playing and leaning against Cam. Next thing I know, my eyelids get heavy, and I’m drifting off.
A sudden shake wakes me up. I blink my eyes, trying to take in my surroundings. “Did we land?” I ask.
“No, it’s just turbulence,” Cam tells me. He’s wearing his glasses again and now has a book in his lap.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask, sitting up straighter in my chair.
“Maybe thirty minutes,” Cam says with a shrug. “We should be landing soon.”
“Great.” I try to shake off my tiredness. My sleep schedule is going to be off, thanks to all of this traveling. Maybe staying overnight at my apartment wouldn’t have been a terrible idea, but it’s too late now. “I’ll be back. I need to use the facilities.” I shuffle past Cam to get to the aisle and make my way to the restroom. After emptying my bladder, I wash my hands and splash some water on my face.
Focus, Evan. We’re going to Boston to take care of this blunder. It doesn’t matter how cute Cam is in his sleep. I’m already engaged to Vi, not to mention I have a job and a life in California. This marriage is a mistake. It only happened because both of us were shit-faced.
I’m still repeating that back to myself as I open the door and return to my seat. Cam turns the page in his book, not bothered by my internal panicking. I get seated just as the fasten seat belt light clicks on. “Please return to your seat, and fasten your seat belts, we will be landing shortly,” comes the voice over the speaker. People shuffle in the aisles, making their way to their spots. I gaze out the window at the cityscape. From this high up, Boston is a cluster of lights. Despite the fact that it’s night, the sky is lit up bright from all the buildings. It’s something I’ve missed living in a smaller California town. The city here is always alive, even at night.
Cam’s hand squeezes my thigh as the plane lands. When I look at him, he just gives me a tight lipped grin. He seemed okay when we flew to Vegas, but it’s been a long weekend for both of us. I shake off the thought as passengers begin to exit the plane. “We going straight to your place?” I ask Cam as we shuffle along with the crowd, heading to the baggage claim.
“Yeah, except maybe I should’ve mentioned this earlier. I don’t have a guest bed. I mean I was supposed to, but at some point the extra bedroom just turned into my art studio.” His hand goes behind his neck, scratching idly as if he’s embarrassed by the fact.
“That’s fine, I can sleep on the couch, I guess.”
“Right, well, uh, you can take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch,” he finishes the sentence in a hurry as he grabs his bag.
I want to protest, but then a different thought pops into my head. “How big is your bed? Maybe we could share it. It’s not like we can’t manage another few nights.”
“Oh, uh, sure,” Cam mutters, but his cheeks flush with color.
I don’t call him out on it, but as we walk toward the exit, I notice a different issue. “How are we getting there? Should we get an Uber?”
“Yeah, Ash dropped me off when I left. It’s probably better if we don’t wake her up.” Cam pulls out his phone, hitting the screen to open his app. “Shouldn’t be too long,” he tells me.