My Dinosaur Era Chapter 23

 

I sit in front of a plate of pastries

they’re piled up, askew, thrown there

next to them is a plate with some sausages on it

a cup of coffee, a glass of orange, a yogurt pot

I reach out for the coffee, nothing happens

could be a dream, that’s a dream trick

you tell your body to do something

then realise that it is not your body

 

across from me sits ginny, complete with jackie o shades

she grips a cup, brings it to her mouth, shivers

the man who checked us in comes scuttling by

still rushing around, he stops at our table

good morning, sir, is everything ok, he says

I feel my brow furrow, I want to ask him

is this a dream

and

why are you always in a rush

but no words are forthcoming

he’s fine, we just didn’t get much sleep, says ginny

ah, ok I see, I hope the room is comfortable though, he says

I smile a little smile, just the corners of my mouth

yes, it’s lovely thanks, he’ll be fine when he’s had some coffee, ginny says

excellent, have a wonderful day, it will be sunny once more, he says

I hear him clicking away, reach for the coffee again

this time my arm responds, I grab the cup, staring at the brown liquid within

jesus, timmy, are you ok, says ginny

I nod as I put the coffee to my lips, it is almost cold

I drink the whole cup in one

ginny is probably looking at me, hard to say through the glasses 

better now, she says

yeah, I say

my speech surprises me, it’s back, it’s throaty and dry

I don’t remember getting here, I say

where, here, to the dining room, she says

from the bar last night, to bed, down the stairs, sitting here, none of it, I say

yeah, it’s called getting very drunk on holiday, timmy, I did too, she says

what do you remember, I say

hmm, bits, I think we got an uber here, patrycja got us up to the room, I think she carried me and kinda dragged you, jesus she’s fucking strong, she says

oh, fuck, I say

it’s all good, we made it to the other side, she says

did patrycja kiss me last night, I say

yeah, a few times, she kissed me too, I think she likes kissing, she says

I’m glad that bit wasn’t a dream, I say

nope, definitely happened, she says

I pick up a sausage and feed it into my mouth in one movement

it’s spicy, succulent, I accept it greedily, grab another

wash it down with orange juice

bloody hell, you’ve perked up sharpish, she says

I just remembered something, I say

what, that a hot woman snogged you last night, she says

no, well, yes, that too, I say

then what, she says

I remembered that I am not sad anymore, I say

 

I go back up to the breakfast bar

scoop scrambled eggs onto my plate

more coffee, more yogurt

the abundance is heady, fill me up

make me whole again

at the table ginny is picking at the pastries

tearing off tiny corners, rolling the pieces into balls

sucking them into her mouth

why don’t you actually eat something, I say

she takes off her shades and looks at me

timmy, I am ruined, she says

the bags under her eyes hang solemnly between us

you’ve been hungover before, food will make it better, I say

those eggs actually look decent, she says

have some, I say

she picks up a fork, lifts the eggs to her mouth

hmm, need salt, she says

patrycja appears at the table, stripey hotel uniform shirt

crisp, clean, efficient, her face healthy, flushed with the morning

good morning, she says

she sounds like a hotel employee

not  someone who got drunk with us

dragged us up to our room

morning, I say

oh, hey, hi patrycja, hi, says ginny

words stumbling out, tripping on her lips

how are you feeling, says patrycja

I feel fine, well, I do now, I say

patrycja nods approvingly, looks down at ginny

oh, me, yeah, sure, just a bit tired, says ginny

yes, you very drunk last night, both of you, it was fun, says patrycja

yeah, sorry, I say

no, it’s good, we had nice, how you say, nap, yes, says patrycja

we had a nap, I say

yes, all three, nice nap, then I go to work, leave you two sleeping, says patrycja

oh, I don’t remember that, says ginny

yes, I have photo for memories, timmy, I send to you, says patrycja

um, ok, I say

I have to go, bye, says patrycja

and she goes

striding off across the dining room, disappears behind frosted glass

I look at ginny, she looks at me

we had a nap with patrycja, I say

apparently, no fucking idea, she says

I drink more coffee, ginny eats my eggs

you’re in love with her, aren’t you, I say

who, patrycja, what the fuck are you talking about, she says

yeah, you are, I’ve never seen you like this, it is incredibly cute, I say

fuck off, timmy, she says

ok, ok, I’m just saying it so that I can say I called it later down the line, I say

she looks down at the table, sulky

shall we go to the guggenheim today, I say

hmm, maybe, I need about three showers and a crate of red bull first, she says

phone buzzes, message from patrycja, a photo

holy fuck, I say

what, she says

look at this, I say

I show her the photo

the three of us, shoulders bared

maybe naked

the duvet at our waists

elbows obscuring breasts

patrycja in the middle

taking the selfie

we are smiling, eyes swirling

having the time of our fucking lives

well, I do not remember that, she says

nope, no idea, I say

we look happy though, she says

I laugh

what, she says

it’s funny that I have known you for ten years and the first time we are in bed naked, there’s another woman there too, I say

she laughs too

well, timmy, you definitely can’t be sad now, not after a nap threesome, she says

we both laugh, loudly, like when we were in the bar last night

or perhaps earlier this morning

people at the other tables look at us

the british couple

socks and sandals

aghast

we don’t care