Chasing Cars

After lunch, Chris drove me back to the shop. I was a bit late due to going to the Olive Garden instead of our usual fast food place. But I didn’t care. We spent another few minutes in the car just kissing. Then he smiled, told me he loved me, and let me go. When I got back inside the shop, I was smiling.

“Did you and Chris make up?” Albert asked. I shrugged.

“We’re not—living together if that’s what you’re asking. We just had a really nice lunch,” I said. He smiled.

“Well, that’s good to hear. I hope you have many many many many more good lunches.”

“Thanks? And I kind of plan on that?” I shook my head and went into the back room to stuff my bag into my locker. Then I realized what he was getting at by his many many mores. He was trying to say he wanted Chris and me to have good lunches—like forever. And I said I planned on it. I shrugged. I wasn’t taking it back.

The next day my happiness started to wear off a bit. I missed Chris. I missed everything, and I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted us to be happy and together. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t afraid of marrying him after all. I was never really afraid of that. I was just scared of having kids. And now I was having one anyway. If I did decide to stay and be a mother, then marrying Chris wasn’t out of the question at all. In fact, if he asked, I probably would have jumped straight to yes.

On Wednesday, I was bored out of my mind, and I missed him. So I thought, “What the hell? I’ll make dinner for him and Vic.” And by make dinner, I mean I went to get a pizza. So I got the pizza, breadsticks, and potato wedges in the car and drove to Vic’s place. I pulled up out front and reached over to get the stuff. When I sat back up, I noticed the front door was open, and Vic was saying goodbye to that Rachel woman. I felt my eye twitch.

“Bye, guys. Hope you enjoy dinner,” she was saying.

Vic nodded, said, “Thanks,” and closed the door. She smiled and went back up the stairs to her apartment. I decided right then and there that this was over. I wasn’t going to let this woman sneak up on my men folk. Of course, I couldn’t really speak for Vic, but I didn’t think he liked her either. I think he was just nice to her. But I was done playing nice. I got the pizza and everything else out of the car and marched to Vic’s door. I threw it open and stomped inside. Chris and Vic were in the kitchen looking at the casserole dish Rachel must have brought over.

“Don’t you dare touch that!” I shouted. They both looked up at me like, ‘What the hell?’ “I brought you dinner,” I explained. “So goddamn it, let me feed you.” I put the boxes on the counter. “Give me that goddamn casserole,” I said, coming out of the side and pushing them out of the way.

They both remained silent as I snatched it off the counter and left the apartment. I closed the door loudly behind me and stomped up the stairs to ring the bell to Rachel’s apartment. She opened the door and smiled out at me.

“Can I help you?” she asked as if she had no idea who I was.

“Listen, Rebecca,” I said, shoving the casserole dish into her arms. “I understand you’re a nice person and all that. But those boys downstairs are my boys. They can feed themselves. And if they can’t, I like to be the one to do it. We’re not living together now, but I’m having Chris’s baby. And he doesn’t like being called Christopher. So I’d appreciate it if you backed off.” She seemed startled.

“I was just trying to help.”

“I understand that. And I appreciate you looking out for them. But it’s my job, and you’re kind of stepping on my toes, alright?”

“I—okay.”

“Thanks.” I turned and walked back down the stairs. When I returned to the apartment, Vic and Chris were helping themselves to the pizza.

“How’d it go?” Vic asked.

“Fine,” I said.

“You didn’t strangle her, did you?”

“It took everything I had to refrain myself.”

“What’d you say?” Chris asked.

“I told her she was overstepping her boundaries and kindly asked her to back off.” He nodded and grinned.

“Right. I’ve never heard you ask anyone kindly to back off in my entire life.”

“Okay, so I might have been really rude about it. But I’m hormonal!” They both smiled.

“Thanks for the pizza,” Chris said, kissing my cheek.

“You’re welcome. Now get out of my way. I haven’t eaten in like two hours, and I’m already ready to kill someone.” They both obliged and let me through to make my plate.

After we finished eating, we watched a movie together. Vic went to bed halfway in, and Chris and I ended up making out on the couch. We were both lying down on our sides, doing a lot of kissing and heavy breathing, and then Vic came back out. He turned on the kitchen light and got himself some water from the fridge. Chris and I stayed silent, hoping he didn’t catch us. Too late. He turned the corner and looked at us.

“I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t have sex on my couch,” he said.

“We weren’t—planning on it,” I said.

“We’ll take it to the bedroom,” Chris told him. I laughed, and he kissed me again. The kitchen light went off, and Vic returned to his room.

“Now, about what you just said to Vic.”

“Want to spend the night?”

“I have to leave early for work, but yes.”

“C’mon.” He climbed off of the couch and helped me up.