When the Sun Comes Up

Gabe took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. He counted to three and rang it again.

The door opened revealing Kaitlin wearing a sparkly top and pajama pants. She looked at Gabe and sighed, “Work ran late and I had to change, and my hair was a mess and it won’t
stay and I’m sorry I’ll be done in a few.”

He smiled, he felt bad that she was so stressed lately but it was a bit humorous to see her so worried about something. “Actually everyone went off and is doing their own thing now, I just wanted to see if I could hang out with you?”

She ran a hand through her long blonde hair, “what do you mean everyone is doing their own thing?”

“Ry and Nate are off with their girls; Alex and Vicky have some friend that is throwing them a party or something like that. Claud is splitting her time between Greta, Ryan, and Pete.”

“Oh.”

“So can I come in?”

“Oh um yeah,” she stepped aside, “come in.”

Once he was inside she locked the door. “I’m going to change out of this, did you want to go out or. . .”

Gabe had originally wanted to go dancing but she seemed like she needed a night in. “nah I thought we could just hang here?”
She smiled, “that sounds good, do you mind ordering some take out, you know where the menus are right?”

“Yeah, is Chinese okay?”

“Perfect,” she began to ascend the stairs and paused halfway up, “I-uh never mind.”

Gabe smiled at the thought that he might be making her nervous. He went into the kitchen and rummaged through the drawer filled with take-out menus. He picked the first Chinese menu and ordered the food. He then rummaged through the fridge there was no soda or Red Bull but he found a pitcher of lemonade he took it out he went to the living room and set it on the coffee table. He then went back to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets until he found the ‘nice’ glasses. He set the glasses beside the pitcher and turned the on TV. He flipped through the channels until he spotted Danny DeVito, he knew Kaitlin loved It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

He pulled off his hoodie and set it down on the sofa, and kicked off his sneakers. He finally sat down and got comfortable.

“I’m sorry I took so long, I got a phone call and . . .”

“Don’t worry about it.” he replied, turning to watch her come down the stairs.

“Did you try that lemonade? Claudia made it this morning and I don’t trust it, last time she made some it was way too sour”

Gabe poured himself some and took a drink he set the glass down and smiled, “she totally put alcohol in this.”

“Well in that case pour me a glass,” she smiled and jumped onto the couch. He poured her some and handed her the glass, she took it and took a long sip.

“They said the food would be here in forty-five minutes or so.”

“okay,” She gave a small nod and focused on the TV.

He watched her for a moment unsure if she would say anything else when she didn’t; he turned his attention to the TV.

“So since when do you not have any plans?”

Gabe didn’t turn away from the TV he thought she might be able to tell he was lying if he looked at her. He took a sip from his lemonade, “I mean I could have gone with Vicky and Suarez but I didn’t feel like partying. Claud is already annoying Pete by bringing the kid along with them, and making them go to Greta’s dinner party; I couldn’t add to that. Besides I just wanted to hang out in comfy clothes and watch TV.”

“Well then you came to the right place”

He smiled, “yeah I did.”

She nodded, “Alright. So umm . . . Nate and Jen are pretty serious huh?”

Gabe shrugged, “I don’t know I think Ry and Kristen are more serious than Nate and Jen.”

Kaitlin turned her body so her feet were on the couch; she hugged her knees to her chest, “okay what do you know that I don’t know?”

He shrugged, “why do you care so much?”

“I like Jen, and she really likes Nate . . . so I just wanna know that she’s not gonna get hurt.”
Gabe shrugged, he didn’t think he should be talking about Nate’s love life, but he also had nothing bad to say about him. He decided he’d just explain why he thought Ryland’s relationship was more serious.

“I don’t know. I don’t mean serious. I just mean that Ry’s relationship is uh what’s the word,” he waved scratched his head, “ah it’s more intense yeah intense. Like Ry and Kristen have been only going out for a few weeks and he already wants to move in with her as soon as we get back, he’s really into her ya know?”

She nodded, “yeah I get it. I mean it does seem a bit rushed but I don’t know maybe it’s real? I mean she seems nice.”

“Oh yeah Kristen is great but I don’t think that it is normal to be that intense.”

She shrugged, “everyone is different. Isn’t this the most serious Ry has been with a girl though?”

Gabe nodded, that had to be why he was so invested in the relationship, he wanted a lasting relationship. “yeah.”

“So this might sound mean or whatever but don’t you think they make a weird couple? I mean it’s not that they look weird it’s just I don’t know it doesn’t seem right.”

“Oh my God,” Gabe exclaimed, “yes finally someone who thinks that! I tried to talk to Claud about it the other day and she just kept saying that I was just jealous because she was taking up Ryland’s time and that I was too used to having him around all the time. Like what the fuck does that have to do with anything, then when I said the whole he wants to move in with her already, she just told me that I was overreacting and that he is an adult and blah blah blah.”
She shook her head, “that is so typical she’ll never say what she’s really thinking. I get what you mean though it does seem a bit soon, but then again sometimes you just know right? At least that’s how I think it’s supposed to happen.”

He shrugged, “I guess. So how’s work?”

She sighed, “so busy lately, and we got this new kid in, and I’m in charge of training him. He is so awful he keeps messing everything up and I’m the one who has to deal with it.”

Gabe nodded he knew what it was like having a shitty job, “do you like working there though?”

She stared over Gabe’s head for a few seconds before answering, “Honestly it’s a great restaurant, but no. If I’m being completely honest with myself I hate it. I always just assumed I’d open up my own place.”

The doorbell interrupted their conversation, Kaitlin jumped up, “can you get it I’ve got to go grab my purse.”

“nah I’ve got it,” Gabe assured her making his way to the door.

“But-“

“I said I’ve got it. Sit down and relax alright?”

He paid the man and took the food. He carefully balanced the food while he closed the front door. “This smells so good I’m tempted to keep it all to myself.”

She laughed, “But sharing is caring.”

He set the box of food on the coffee table, “alright I’ll share, you’re lucky I like you so much.”

She kept her eyes on the food, and he realized he probably shouldn’t have said anything about liking her it just made everything awkward. A silence fell over them the only sound came from the TV show that neither was watching.

He didn’t want it to be so awkward so he figured if he changed the subject she might feel more comfortable. “So um. . .what kind of restaurant would you want to open?”

She looked at him and shook her head, “not a restaurant, it’d be a café. I mean I love cooking but I’d love to have a café, I mean I’d probably sell food too but just simple lunch type things like soup and sandwiches.”

He smiled at how her face lit up when she talked about it. She was so into the conversation she had forgotten her food but continued to wave her chopsticks around as if to emphasize her enthusiasm.

“I like it.”

She nodded, “I also want it to have a small stage, so I can have open mic nights, or like close it and let local bands preform there on certain nights. I don’t know I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately it just seems like the most perfect thing.”

“Then do it!” Gabe said as He picked up the empty food containers and took them over to the kitchen.

“I don’t know I mean I’d have to find a space, and then I’d have to take out a loan and it’d be a lot of money to invest in something that might not even work out you know. I don’t know, I guess some things should just stay as ideas.”

He came back into the living and turned the lamp off so they could watch TV in the dark.
“Well I mean if it’s something you love you should pursue it. I mean look at me, everyone said I
was fucking up my life by sticking with music instead of college but I’m going to start recording my band’s first album. I mean there’s always a way, and even if you fail at least you tried. You don’t want to end up wondering what would have happened, right?”

A sigh escaped her lips, “I don’t know I guess you’re right. But I still have student loans to pay off and I don’t know it just seems like it’s too hard.”

“Have you talked about this with Claud? I’m sure she’d help you out, and I’d love to hang out in your café so I’d help. I bet your dad would be more than willing to pitch in.”

“I guess I never really thought about asking for help.”

He nodded, “yeah, sometimes it’s like the last thing you think of but it’s usually the only thing you need. I know you can make it work.”

She laughed, “You are such a hypocrite you never ask for help you just complain until someone does something.”

He laughed, “Well maybe you shouldn’t be taking my advice.”

They grew silent again only this time it wasn’t awkward it was a comfortable silence. They watched TV and drank lemonade enjoying each other’s company.

“Gabe?”

“yeah?”

“I’m really sorry I didn’t show up to your show last month.”

He shook his head, “it’s fine I know you were busy.”

“I still feel bad we promised we’d be there, and none of us showed up.”

“I get it though, the kid was sick so Claudia was watching him, she would have done the same for me so I can’t hold it against her. She was supposed to pick Pete up from the airport which is why he didn’t make it in time, so if anything I should be annoyed at the kid but I’m not. You were working and couldn’t leave.”

“umm. . .about that Claudia had asked me to pick Pete up since she was with Ryan. . .and uh I had already gotten out of work, I just swung by the house to change into a better outfit. Um and I was really tired . . . so I fell asleep and didn’t pick up Pete. Claudia covered for me but it’s my fault.”

He laughed, “I can’t believe you admitted to that. Still thanks; it’s nice to know you care enough to tell the truth.”

“Yeah”

“Well since we’re being honest I um. . . I’m the one who broke the whale cookie jar.”

“You broke Walter? That was my favorite cookie jar!”

He laughed so hard he snorted, “You named your fucking cookie jar?”

“No! I- okay yes I named my cookie jar!”

“Did you name the toilet too?”

She giggled and playfully punched his arm, “shut up! I hate you!”

He smiled, “too bad cuz I love you.”

She stopped laughing.

“Uh Kait?”

She didn’t reply. She shifted until she was further away from him.

He realized he’d made her uncomfortable again. He hated himself for saying anything, he was lucky she hadn’t told him to leave. He had already fucked up the night; he couldn’t really make it any worse by talking about what he wanted to talk about.

He looked over at her the glow of the TV making her skin look blue, “Kait?”

She didn’t look at him but replied with a small, “hmm?”

“I um. . .” he reached over and turned on the lamp, “I just I don’t know how to say it.”

Her eyes met his, “I don’t think you-“

“I’ve wanted to say this for the longest time and now I don’t know how. I you obviously know I like you. At first I just thought you were pretty. Then I got to know you and honestly I think you’re insane, you’re friendly one moment and hate me the next but it’s you. The more I got to know you the more I liked you. I just- I want you to know that I love you.”

Gabe stared at her hoping she would just come out and tell him she loved him back and they’d be happy.

She didn’t reply, she bit her lip and seemed even more uncomfortable.
Gabe sighed she was too stubborn to say anything.

“Do you love me?”

She didn’t hesitate to say “no.”

The fact that she had to blurt it out without even so much as thinking about the question let Gabe know that she was lying.

He didn’t know if he should call her out on it or if he should let it go. He wanted to get up and storm out in hopes she’d try and stop him. He wanted to do something, anything but too many things were going through his head. The only thing he could really focus on was how pretty she looked when she blushed.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back.



“Gabe,” he was being shaken, “Gabe get up, your flight!”

He rubbed his eyes and focused on Claudia shaking him.

“What’s going on?” he yawned and sat up.

Claudia averted her gaze, “umm. . .you’re probably not wearing any clothes, this is too gross.”

She walked out of the room and said, “umm put on some clothes I have to drive you to the airport and your stuff is at your apartment.”

“The flight isn’t until two”

“Gabe it is already twelve forty, and it takes fifteen minutes to get to your place from here, plus you need a shower, and I think I’m supposed to pick Vicky up too, and just hurry.”

He pulled the blanket off and was glad to see he was wearing his boxers. He got up and pulled on the rest of his clothes. He noticed a piece of notebook paper on the nightstand. He looked at it and saw a note addressed to him.

Gabe,
Can we pretend this didn’t happen?
-Kait

He smiled; he knew she cared about him even if she didn’t want to admit it.