Where Will I Be When I Wake up Next to a Stranger

On Thursday night, Katherine was yet again working. She was serving up drinks non-stop, even for a Thursday night, when Peter showed up on a stool in front of her.

“Hello there.” Katherine smiled at him as she slid a beer down to Jonathon.
“Hey.” He grinned back at her, as she popped off caps to 3 more beers, and slid them again down to Jonathon.
“Where’d you learn how to do that?” Peter asked as she leaned over the bar.
“Bartending school of course.” She smiled as she tended to some customer’s orders.
“What are you doing here anyhow?” Katherine asked him as he nervously bit his lip.
“Oh just, thought I’d drop in and say hi.” He said innocently as they just smiled at each other.
“Well actually, I was thinking that maybe we could get something to eat after your done here. If not, it’s cool.” Peter said casually as Katherine continued working, considering it.

What could she have to lose really?

“Depends on where you’re taking me Peter Wentz.” She played with him as he smiled.
“If you like Chinese food, I’m your man.” He said as she laughed.
“I love Chinese food! I get off in about, an hour.” She said as she momentarily looked at the clock, then back at him.
“Perfect. I’ll be back soon.” He said as he stood up from his seat and left, grinning like a little boy.

Peter took a cab, to Penny’s Noodle Shop to pester one of his good friends Paul about dinner.

“I told you we close at ten Pete.” Paul pressed as Peter kept begging him to keep it open for at least an hour longer.
“I’ll give you DOUBLE of our check, AND you still owe me for that one time…” Pete said as Paul rubbed his temple.
“ONE time Pete, this is the ONLY time I will EVER do this.” Paul gave in as Pete smiled and gave him a big bear hug.
“I know I know, go on, we’ll be open for another hour just for YOU, so you better show up.” Paul yelled at him as Peter ran out of the restaurant to the cab waiting for him.

An hour later, Katherine gave Jonathon a hug and a kiss on the cheek as he exited alone, and she exited the club with Pete. They both slid into a taxi, and were off. When they pulled up to Penny’s Noodle Shop, it was dimly lit, with no one else inside except a couple of workers cleaning up, and Paul standing at the door waiting for Pete’s arrival.

“Welcome to Penny’s Noodle Shop.” Paul greeted, as he showed them their table, in the center of the room, and handed them menus.
“Thank you.” Katherine politely said as Paul let them be.

As they both sat there overlooking the menu, and ordered their drinks, there was no words exchanged between the both of them. Like if this kind of stuff happened all the time.

“So do you always go on dates with people you fuck?” Katherine boldly said out loud as Pete raised an eyebrow.
“We’re on a date?” Pete questioned, not caring about hers.
“I asked you first.” Katherine acted as a small child as Pete had to smile at this.
“Well I asked you out to dinner, not a date necessarily. And who said I fuck a lot of people?” He said as Katherine had to chuckle at his question.
“You’re in a band, you’re good looking, and you’re asking me who said you fuck a lot of people?” She kept on chuckling as Peter didn’t have a smartass remark for this.

Truth be told, he did fuck a lot of people, to put it bluntly. Most were unplanned, like a couple of nights before, but some were with girls he thought meant something. But only some of them. There was somewhat a pained look on Pete’s face, at just hearing the truth from a total stranger that he himself didn’t even begin to face. At this, Katherine’s face softened, and her confidence deflated.

“I was only kidding, Wentz.” She said as a waitress came around and took their orders.
“Yeah, I know.” Pete said as he cleared his throat, and messed with his silverware.
“So is being in a band your only occupation?” Katherine tried to lighten the mood as Pete accepted the change.
“At the moment yes actually. I should go get a job, but I don’t really have a college degree so…No one really wants me.” Peter shrugged as he sipped on his water.
“Eh, fuck everyone anyways.” Katherine smiled as Pete smiled back.

Food came faster than usual. It might have been the fact that they were the only customers in there, or the fact that the rest of the workers wanted to go home. But it seemed fresh, and ready to eat. Katherine indulged herself with Chinese Fried Rice, as Pete ate Pad Thai.

“Jesus, this is really good.” Katherine complimented as she had already finished a fourth of her plate.
“I told you that if you liked Chinese food that I was your man.” Pete said as she laughed at him, quoting himself.

They both seemed to finish at the same time, and grabbed the check at the same time. Katherine blushed at the contact.

“I’ll get this.” Peter said as he took the check into his hands.
“I thought this wasn’t a date.” Katherine challenged him as he grinned.
“It’s not. I just feel like being a gentleman is all. Is that okay with you?” Pete smiled the whole time as he said this, and shoved a credit into the small plastic pouch and called for Paul to pick it up for them.

They were quiet up until they exited the restaurant, when Katherine didn’t know exactly what to say.

“Wanna go for a walk?” Pete asked her suddenly as she just smiled and nodded.

They came across the Sheil Park, closed off at this hour they sat on steps out front. They sat there in a comfortable silence, drowning in their thoughts as he spoke first.

“I kind of had a reason in taking you out to a late dinner.” Pete said quietly as he nibbled on his lip.
“And what is that reason?” Katherine asked in the same quiet tone.

He took a moment to respond, occupying himself with his hands.

“I just wanted to say I was sorry. I’m sometimes a selfish asshole and I like to take advantage of people. But I just thought that maybe we could be friends…” He said nervously, waiting to get rejected just a friendship like so many other times.
“You’re not a selfish asshole.” Katherine stated as Pete finally looked at her.

He laughed nervously and scratched his head.

“I mean…You aren’t the one to blame for whatever happened the other night, at least not entirely. I don’t want you thinking you’re responsible for it all. I’m just as responsible.” Katherine explained as best she could.

She held nothing against him, and she wasn’t even entirely sure if she regretted her own decisions.

“But…Of course we should be friends.” Katherine finished her thoughts as he smiled at her.
“Good. I was worried that you wanted nothing to do with me.” He mentioned to her as she raised an eyebrow.
“If I didn’t want to be friends with you, don’t you think I’d be trying to avoid you rather than eat dinner with you?” She asked him as he visibly shrugged.
“Who knows what goes through girls’ minds anymore.” He grinned sheepishly as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.
“Well I’m not like most girls.” Katherine said matter-of-factly as Pete laughed.
“Yeah, I know.” He agreed as an awkward silence now fell over them.
“Uh, so do you want me to walk you home?” Pete asked as he pulled at his hair out of habit.
“Sure.” Katherine said as they silently started to walk towards Katherine’s dads’ house.”

“Fuck.” Katherine muttered to herself as she saw Brian standing outside her father’s house, seeming to wait for her.
“Where were you?” Brian asked, ignoring Pete at her side.
“Out.” She said coldly as she turned to Pete.
“Thanks for dinner and what not.” She said to him, ignoring the glare Brian was giving them.
“Oh, no problem.” He said quietly as he didn’t want to become the problem.
“I’m Brian, her boyfriend.” Brian introduced himself coldly and stuck his hand out.
“I’m Peter, her friend.” Pete shook his hand, unphased by the coldness.

Katherine ignored this exchange as she started to interrogate Brian, like he did her that other morning.

“What are you doing here anyhow?”
“Well I am your boyfriend. I have every right to be here.” He murmured as Pete didn’t know whether or not to stay or leave at this point.
“I don’t want to see you. Thanks, again, Peter. Goodnight.” Katherine talked to Brian then abruptly turned to Peter.
“Goodnight.” Peter said quietly as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off toward his apartments leaving Katherine and Brian arguing.

“Just get the fuck away from me.” Katherine pleaded as she stood in front of her door.
“Not before this…” He said as he shoved her into the door and pressed his lips against hers roughly.

She didn’t kiss back as his teeth grinded against hers. As his hand started to run up the side of her ribcage, she pushed him off. She didn’t bother to say bye or anything of the sort as she closed and locked the door in his face. Why couldn’t she just tell him to go away forever?