Tech Romance.

John.

“Knock, knock.”

I pushed the tray through the doorway looking over at the old man sitting on the bed. He looked over at me and then back to the Television. I let out a laugh before placing the tray on his bed side, Alison was completely wrong I wasn’t going to like this guy.

“Hello Mr. Keene.”

“Who are you?”

“John O’Callaghan”, I said simply staring down at the old man and once my name was out in the open his features on his face changed to acknowledgment.

“The fuck up”, he said with a snort. “The one who drove his car into the wall like a dumbass because he was drunk, Alison told me about you boy.”

“I bet she did”, I said with a roll of my eyes before turning to the door.

“What kind of man are you, son?”

I turned around at the question and looked at Mr. Keene with a strange look, I wasn’t too sure what he was asking and I wasn’t sure of an answer so I simply shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know that I am a man yet”, I said simply. “I’m working on it.”

“I’ve worked on it my whole life”, he said with a laugh.

I watched him reach under his pillow to pull out a bottle of brandy, a smile was brought to my face, and maybe Alison was right.

“Grab a cup”, he said as he poured himself one.

“No thanks”, I said simply waving my hand to earn a dirty look. “I’ve got to keep my wits for the drive home.”

I watched a smile form on Mr. Keene’s lips for the first time before he nodded his head with a laugh. I watched him place the bottle back under the pillow and then take a sip of the dark liquor.

“You’ll sit awhile?”

“I will”, I said with a nod.

The rest of the day was spent talking to Mr. Keene and I took a mental note that I had to thank Alison, Alison who knew everything.

“Have her home by one”, Sherriff Jacobs said with a stern look on his face. “Any later I will hunt you down and I will kill you.”

I nodded my head with a smile before walking out to my BMW with Alison walking behind me, and I could hear her laugh at how nervous and scared I was of her father.

“And drive carefully John!” he yelled out behind me. “You have a bad track record.”

I could heard Alison crack up as I opened up the door for her politely and then walking around to my side, still feeling his glare on the back of my head. I quickly got into the car and started the engine as fast as I could hear Alison laugh.

“I can’t believe you asked my Dad.”

“I wanted this to be a date”, I said turning to look at her, and a smile was on her face.

I continued driving as Third Eye Blind played softly. I let out a big burp holding on to my chest as it escaped my mouth. Suddenly I felt Alison’s small hand hit my chest with a laugh.

“Excuse you.”

“Your turn”, I said looking over at her with a laugh.

“No.”

“I know you want to.”

She let out a laugh before letting out a small burp, her hand instantly going up to her face covering her mouth in embarrassment.

“Bring the air all the way up from your stomach”, I said as I turned into the restaurant. “Like so.”

And I let out another loud burp, louder than before. She looked over at me with a big smile on her face before breaking out in a fit of laughs. I watched her suck in the air and try to burp but her laughs got the best of her.

“Come on world’s worst burper, let’s eat.”

She let out another laugh before getting out the car and taking my hand in hers as we walked into the small restaurant. Nothing too fancy and nothing too casual, just a small restaurant that a lot of people went to on dates; but I wouldn’t be the one to know I never went on dates before Alison. We walked in hand in hand being led to a small booth, that’s when I saw Megan and her friends staring over at us.

“Of course we would sit right next to them”, Alison said letting her head hang low.

“Who cares”, I said with a laugh. “Don’t let things like this get to you.”

“How can I not?”

“It’s easy”, I said with a smile before looking down at the menu. “I’m doing it right now.”

She let out a laugh before looking down at the menu trying her hardest. I looked over the menu and watched as she looked down and then suddenly her eyes looked up at me with a laugh.

“I can’t do it.”

“You need to live a little Alison”, I said with a smile. “Live the carefree life. You’re so by the books, I need to break that out of you”, I said looking over at her with a smirk.

“What are you thinking about O’Callaghan?”

“You, like always.”

[&]

Alison.

I watch as John pulls into the parking lot of the Fun 4 All, I could see the big castle shaped arcade along with the batting cages. Sports was never really my thing when I was younger, my Dad really tried to push it but I always ended up hurt or just not good at all.

“Before we do this.”

“Do what?”

“Before we do this, I want to tell you that a good life isn’t just about achieving stuff. It’s not about living life full of rules and regulations.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That little bit of larceny in your heart”, he said simply confusing me even more.

“Excuse me?”

“Fun.”

And with that we got out of the car, John pulling me by my hand showing me what his definition of fun was. I always thought John’s type of fun included a whole lot of beer and weed, not an arcade and batting cages.

“Swing!”

I watched as the yellow ball came flying full speed in my direction but once again I missed the ball. I looked back at John, my eyes practically covered by the yellow helmet on my head.

“Come on babe, get in there and show the balls whose boss.”

I let out a laugh before stepping up to the plate holding the very heavy bat in my hand lifting it up to my shoulders.

“Swing! Keep your shoulders parallel to your feet. Follow through with your swing! Swing!”

I swung the bat and once again I missed the ball. I tried my hardest to hit the balls as they came in my direction but I missed every single one of them. I jumped out of the way as the ball made its way in my direction almost knocking me out. I leaned against the fence laughing way too hard to keep swinging at the balls; John leaned against the fence laughing as hard as me.

“Let the pro show you how it’s done”, he said with a smirk as he opened the cage.

He looked down at me with a smile pressing his lips against mine and then grabbing the helmet placing it on his head. I handed over the bat before walking out the cage and watched as he hit every single ball coming in his direction. I stood there watching with a smile on my face. When our time was done he looked over at me with a smirk as his arms were wrapped around my shoulders back to the car.

He drove as I ate my ice cream, lending it over to John’s face so he could get a lick every now and then. John drove off and ended up driving into this parking lot, looking almost abandoned. I looked over at him confused as to why we were here but he didn’t say anything. So I followed him out of the car and watched as he lay on top of his hood waiting for me to take a seat next to him. We leaned back and my eyes were instantly glued to the night sky above us.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I knew you would appreciate something like this.”

I looked over at him and saw that he was staring back at me; I couldn’t help but to smile before leaning in and giving him a soft kiss on his lips. I pulled away leaning my head back to look up at the sky, John following my actions as Ryan Adam’s played behind us. His hands in mine, our fingers twisted in each other’s.

“You make me feel”, I said still looking up into the sky.

“Good?”

“Yeah and-“

“Loved”, he said and I could feel my heart beat a little faster but I just nodded my head not daring to look over at John.

“That and less strange”, I said as we both let out a laugh.

“Alison.”

“Yes?”

“Be my girlfriend.”

I stayed quiet unsure of what to say, my heart and my head saying two completely different things. I turned to look at John and there he was staring at me intensely. I could hear Ryan Adam’s singing When the Stars Go Blue and this moment was perfect, way too perfect to be reality. Way to perfect to be happening to me.

“Okay.”