Don't Drop Your Mask

Charlie was at work the next day. “Hey,” I said awkwardly.

“Hey!” he said.

“So… what’ll you have?”

“Reuben and a club soda.”

I wrote down his order. Then I stood there. Like an idiot. “Um, about last night…”

“Between us, it never happened,” he said. He smiled.

“So we’re cool?”

“Yeah. We have nothing to be uncool about.”

“Except that I stole your DVD.”

“Well, I figured it was all a plot.”

I laughed. “I’ll bring it up tonight. And I’ll show you how to fix your heat. So it’ll be continuous.”

“Cool, thank you.”

I finished my shift and got off around ten. Weekdays haven’t been busy since it started getting colder.

I slowly trudged home. “Hey sunshine!” I heard from behind me.

I turned around. Awesome. Now I get to deal with the other guy that I kissed yesterday.

“Hey…” I started awkwardly.

“So, dollface, what have you been up to?”

“I, uh, just got off work.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t mean to seem rude, or anything, but I have someone to see,” I said.

He smiled. “I’m sure he can wait.”

“I need to give something to him. It’s already ten. I don’t want to be too late.”

“Well, who is it?”

“My neighbor. Upstairs. I have his DVD.”

“Oh?” he asked, intrigued.

“We were watching a movie and he left without it.”

“Oh really? Is he as devilishly handsome as me?” he asked.

“Well, take your mask off, step into the light, and maybe we’ll see.”

He laughed. “You are a piece of work.”

“So, as you can see, I have to get going now.”

“Nah. He stays up late.”

I paused and looked at him. “How do you know this?”

“Well he was when I was at your apartment.”

“Right,” I said, awkwardly trying to change the subject. “So I thought of a new name.”

“Lay it on me.”

“The Statutory Sailor.”

“What?”

“Well, you fly out my window like a boy running from a fifteen year old’s father. And sail like sail through the air.”

“First of all, we just kissed.”

“Okay,” I said, about to change the topic.

“Second of all, I think we need to think a little more positively.”

There was an awkward pause until I said, “Well, I should be going now.”

“Yeah. You smell like work.” My jaw dropped open. He kissed my cheek. “Later, love!” he said, turning the corner and disappearing into the darkness.

I went up to my room and took a shower. After drying my hair, I threw on some clothes and walked up a floor to Charlie’s apartment.

I heard him say something, then a loud noise, then the door flung open. “Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah. Everything is fine.” Just as he said that, a noise came from the closet.

I looked towards the closet and said, “I brought your movie back.”

“Thanks, Layla.”

“Sure thing,” I said. He was acting suspiciously. “Are you feeling okay? You sound a little different, are you coming down with something?”

“Err, I guess. Maybe a little cold, or something.”

“Do you want me to show you how to—“ another noise came from the closet. “Is there someone in there?” I asked.

“Um… yes.”

“Should I… leave?”

“Oh, no. It’s fine.”

I nodded and we stood in his foyer in silence. “Can I ask… why he’s in the closet?”

“Well…” Charlie started.

“I’m naked!” said a muted voice.

I snorted. “He’s naked?” I asked Charlie. “Is he… really your brother?”

His eyes widened. “Yes, yes. He’s wearing a towel. He’s just naked under it.”

“Okay. Here’s how this is going to work,” I said, loud enough so that his brother could hear. “I am going to turn around and close my eyes, at which point you will promptly exit the closet and return to the bedroom or shower or where ever your clothes may be. Okay?”

“Right,” he said from inside the closet.

“On the count of three,” Charlie said. I closed my eyes and turned away from the closet. “One. Two. Three.”

I heard the closet door fly open and feet padding against the floor quickly. Another door slammed, and I peeked out from behind my hands. “Is it safe?” I whispered.

“Yes,” Charlie whispered back. “But why are we whispering.”

I paused. “I don’t know.” I started speaking normally again. “So… you’re heater.”

“Oh, right. Just stay here for a moment. I’m going to go talk to my brother.”

I nodded and sat down on their couch. After he shut the door I quietly slipped over towards the door and put an ear up.

I couldn’t hear anything but muffled tones. I sighed and held my breath. Still nothing. I heard them walk towards where I presume the bathroom was and decided to just sit back down.

About three minutes later, Charlie came back out. Wearing different clothes. And his hair was wet. “Did you also decide to take a shower?”

“No. My brother got mad at me and pointed the nozzle at me.”

I laughed. “Oh.”

“So, I have a wrench,” he said. “The heater.”

“Right. So flip this little flippy thing open,” I said, “and then you reach down here to the second bolt, and voila. You now have access the building’s heat whenever you want. But be careful. If you twist it to the left too far, you’ll break it.”

“Who told you that?”

“Well, that’s why my heat is broken.”

“Oh. Well thank you for helping me. And for my DVD.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’m going to get out of here before anything gets any weirder.”