Love Is a Losing Game

“…thankfully Jimmy had called in to see Scarlet so he was able to help him out.” Angie said as she lay on Stuart’s bed as he finished getting ready for his shift at the bar.

“What an asshole.” Stuart replied with wide eyes as he grabbed his cologne off his dresser.

“Yeah, Jimmy reckons he’s seen him around before around some of the other bars around town.” She replied as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

“Who’s working tonight?” Stuart asked as he looked himself over in the mirror once again.

“Um, I believe Matt’s there tonight.” She replied, watching a smile appear on Stuart’s reflection.

“Down boy!” Angie warned playfully.

“Oh like you wouldn’t! Right, I’ve gotta head off. What are you going to be up to while I’m slaving away earning my keep?” he replied grabbing his wallet off the dresser and placing it in his pocket along with his phone and grabbing his set of keys.

“Well, I have a date with Mr Walker, a bag of chips and the TV remote.” She replied pushing herself off the bed and following Stuart out of his room.

“Cool, see you later babe.” He replied kissing her cheek before heading out the front door.
Angie sighed with content and walked over to the sofa, grabbing the TV remote as she flopped down, spreading herself across the length of the large sofa. After spending fifteen minutes, flicking aimlessly though the seven hundred odd channels their cable TV carried, Angie sighed again, this time a sigh of boredom and annoyance. It seemed that whenever she had a night off word there was never anything good to watch on the TV. She pressed a button on the remote, the TV screen immediately going blank; she pushed herself up off the sofa and walked into her bedroom, unplugging her ear phones from her iPod before placing it in her ihome and allowing the sound of Pantera fill the house before heading back into the kitchen and grabbing the bottle of Johnnie Walker Red label whisky from the cupboard, followed by a glass, a large bag of chips and her Marlboros and walked outside onto the decking. She placed everything down onto the table and returned briefly into the kitchen to grab her shades and the copy of The Green Mile. She poured herself a glass of whiskey and lit a cigarette before finding the dog-eared page of the book and stretching her legs out onto the chair opposite her.

The sound of raised voices over the sound of her music brought Angie back to reality, causing her to jump slightly. She looked up and around, looking for the source of the disturbance fining it seemingly was coming from Brian and Aimee’s house. She couldn’t hear what was being said but she could tell by the tone that they were arguing. Having been interrupted from her book, Angie leaned over to the table and took another drink of the whisky and grabbed a handful of chips. She tried to return her attention to her book but failed as the yelling got louder.

Placing her book, face down on the table, Angie took another cigarette from her packet and lit it, inhaling deeply as she glanced out towards the ocean, watching the sun lower in the sky. As much as she tried to concentrate on anything but the arguing going on next door, it also seemed to be the only thing she could concentrate on.

Five or so minutes later, she heard a door slam, followed by the sound of a car’s engine roaring to life, the tyres screeching as it was backed out of the driveway. Seconds later she heard another door slam shut and footsteps take a few steps over the decking. She listened in silence as she heard a clicking sound before a growl echoed over the fence.

“Fucking useless piece of crap!” Brian yelled. Angie lifted herself slightly in her chair just in time to see him throw an object across his back lawn. She watched as he ran a hand through his hair, an unlit cigarette pursed between his lips.

She stood up from her chair and ran over to the bench that was resting against the fence. Stepping on it she reached her arm over the fence, clicking her lighter into life. A small chuckle floated over the fence so Angie peered over, watching Brian take the few steps towards her, leaning up slightly to reach the flame.

“Thank-you.” he muttered. Angie retracted the lighter and stuffed it in the pocket of her shorts.

“Wait, there’s more.” She said with a smile, stepping off the bench and turning to grab the bottle of whisky. She jumped back onto the bench and again stretched out her arm, offering the bottle.

“Now you’re talking.” Brian said with a chuckle. Angie watched him pull one of the sun loungers across to his side of the fence and stepped up onto it before taking the bottle from her and taking a drink straight from the bottle. Angie leaned closer to the fence, crossing her arms on top of it and resting her chin against them.

“Thanks. I kinda needed that.” He said as he passed her back the bottle. She stood straight, unscrewing the cap to take a drink herself. “I take it you heard that. Sorry.” He added nodding his head in the direction of his house as Angie blushed.

“No, well, I um, I heard raised voices, but nothing more.” Angie replied feeling somewhat guilty as if she was lying. She looked up at him and passed the bottle back to him. He took it with a weak smile and a nod. Angie noticed him glance over her shoulder towards the table as he took another mouthful of whisky.

“Have you been out here drinking by yourself?” he asked.

“Hey, I’ve only had two glasses, that wasn’t a full bottle when I brought it out. I’ve been reading mostly.” She said defensively.

“Really? What you reading?” he asked stretching his neck to take a better look at the table, as if checking it for a book.

“Green Mile.” She replied simply.

“What like the film?” Brian asked quirking an eyebrow.

“The very one.”

“So you know what happens in the end?” he replied, Angie nodding in reply.

“So why bother with the book?” he replied with a shake of his head.

“Because, as with most books that get turned into movies, the book is a lot better than the film.” She replied simply. Brian shrugged in reply as he raised the bottle to his lips once more.

“Are you comfy there?” he asked, indicating to how she was stretched up slightly, resting on the fence.

“I’ve been comfier.” She replied with a shrug.

“Fancy joining me on this side?” Brian asked with a smile, gesturing to his side of the fence. Angie screwed up her face.

“That would require far too much work, can’t you come over here?” she replied. Brian rolled his eye and sighed before taking one last drag on his cigarette.

“Give me a second then, here take this.” he said, first throwing the butt to the ground and passing her the bottle of whisky. “You may wanna move.” Angie shot him a confused look before stepping down off the bench as Brian hoisted himself up and over the fence, dropping with ease onto the bench. He looked up at Angie who was looking at him with wide eyes and patted the space beside him. She shook her head and took a step forward before she was stopped by Brian’s raised hand.

“Are those chips?” he asked pointing at the half eaten bag on the table. Angie turned her head to look and nodded. She then silently walked over to the table, grabbing the bag and her pack of cigarettes. She passed them to Brian and turned to drag a chair over towards the bench, smiling at Brian’s questioning look. She sat down beside him and swung her legs up to rest them on the chair with a smug glance at Brian.

“Ah, good thinking batman.” He replied swinging his own legs up onto the chair. “May I?” he asked holding up the pack of Marlboros she’d given him.

“Go ahead.” She replied with a smile. He took two out and passed one to her as she retrieved her lighter from her pocket.

“Stuart in work hey?” he asked as she reached for the bottle that Brian had placed on the floor between them.

“Yep.” She replied simply as she took a swig of the amber liquid. They were both silent for a long moment as they enjoyed the whisky and cigarettes.

“Listen, I want to say sorry again for earlier, and for any other argument you’ve heard me and Aimee having since you moved in.” Brian said suddenly, his voice low as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

“Don’t worry about it, and today was the first time I’d heard you.” she replied with an assuring smile.

“Really? How have you managed to avoid that? We’ve been fighting loads recently.” He said with a sullen smile.

“Honestly, I haven’t heard anything, and neither has Stuart, cos believe me he would have told Me.” she said with a warming smile as she offered him the bottle once more.

An hour later, Angie drained the last drop of whisky from the bottle with a giggle. “Wait, you think I’m a what?” she yelled, almost choking on the liquid as she interrupted Brian.

“A lesbian.” Brian replied quietly, a little taken aback by her small outburst.

“A lesbian? What gave you that idea?” she asked with a bemused look on her face.

“Well, um, I think it was Zack who suggested it, we thought that maybe because you live with a gay guy, hate shopping and love sports….” Brian explained his face turning a deep shade of red as Angie burst out laughing.

“Of course I love sports, I have four brothers and our dad would take us to games all the time.” She replied laughing. “Oh my god, wait until Stuart hears this one, he’ll crack up.” she added as she continued to laugh. She leaned back against the bench, resting her head on the back of it as Brian too began to laugh.

“I told them you were too pretty to be a lesbian.” He said leaning back against the bench, turning his head to face her.

“Too pretty?” she asked gazing drunkenly into his dark brown whisky hazed eyes.

“Beautiful.” He replied in a whisper, Angie blushing with his single word.

“You think I’m beautiful?” she whispered as they continued to gaze into each others’ eyes.

“Mmmhmm.” He replied his head sliding closer to hers until his lips were gently brushing against hers. At first she responded, allowing his lips to press harder. She soon came to her senses and pulled away.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have…” she began sitting up again.

“No, it was my fault, I’m sorry.” Brian interrupted as he sat up as well. “You don’t hate me do you?” Angie’s head shot up, her eyes once again finding his.

“Of course I don’t hate you. Why would I hate someone who called me beautiful?” she replied with a slight giggle.

“Yeah I guess so.” Brian replied with a sighed laugh. “We’re friends though right?” he asked.

“Of course we are dumbass.” Angie replied playfully nudging him with her arm.

“Great, I call you beautiful and you call me dumbass.” Brian replied with mock hurt just as there was the sound of a car pulling into a drive way followed by a door closing.

“I better disappear, be ready with the apologies.” Brian said, glancing over his shoulder towards his house, watching a light flicker on in one of the rooms at the side of the house.

“Ok, good luck, see you tomorrow.” she replied with a smile as he stood up on the bench again and hoisted himself over the fence.

“Night Angie.” He called in a whisper from the other side, where he was out of sight.

“Night Bri.” She replied with a smile, leaning back into the bench and closing her eyes. She sat there for a long moment before she decided that it had gotten too dark and cold to be sat outside and so gathered up her stuff and wandered back into the house, crashing out on the sofa and flicking aimless through the channels again.