Thread: Toxic (Ms Catailia & CharmSnake)

For some reason he had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the kitchen. Josh had kept telling himself that he would for the past couple of weeks but had been putting it off. The thought of him actually getting to the task just because he had run into Lena seemed ridiculous, still it felt like quite a coincidence that their conversation had injected a small amount of energy into him that otherwise would not have been there. He collected all the empties that had covered the table and packed them into the trunk of the car. There was quite a few, mostly whiskey bottles and beer cans with the odd bottle of wine. The dishes were done too, although there weren't that many as he had been eating his share of pizza and other takeout. Maybe wear something a bit ... less. I guess. The comment stuck with him, along with the awkward smile that went along with it, as he got himself ready to head over. Perhaps it was subliminal, as he told himself that there was no way that she had been flirting with him, but he changed into his plain black t-shirt and threw his rusty red and copper plaid cowboy shirt open over top. It fit him well, just as the jeans he was wearing that afternoon. After a couple of Jack and cokes he shut off the baseball game on the TV, tied his hoodie around his waist in case it got chilly later, grabbed the food for the barbecue and left for Dave's rooftop. It was a party and parties were supposed to make you feel good. The sun was setting and many were already there and still arriving. Dave offered Josh a can of Bud and he cracked it open with a nod of thanks. The building behind was one storey taller and formed a wall to lean on. Out across the street the park was bustling mostly with families. Children sat upon the shoulders of fathers. A Bruce Springsteen cover band performed a cheesy rendition of Born in the USA from a flatbed truck on the other side of the park. At the far end to the right, the grass was cleared away and flashpots were being tended in preparation for the evening's pyrotechnics. When the beer was done Josh went to his own bottle of Jack stashed in a bag next to everyone else's stashes near the grill. and poured himself a plastic cup straight. It was getting dark and the stars were beginning to show. The salty sweet smells of the barbecue wafted about in the still air. There she was. She stood alone off in the corner. He had not seen her arrive. Josh's feet carried him slowly towards her, but when he got close he stopped himself. He was about to drink straight whiskey in the direct presence of a recovering alcoholic. It would be rude to walk up and then just walk away. He thought about downing it really quickly before she noticed him standing there, but then he was interrupted. Hey Josh, what are you drinkin'? It was Greg. He was short, round and rotund with a trimmed beard. They had been friends back in high school as they both shared an interest in computers, although Greg's fix had been rather limited to shooting things on the computer. Josh had moved in to college and Greg moved in to be a hunting and fishing guide. Cheers, brah, he said. Been a while. Good to see you man, said Josh and he touched his cup to Greg's can of beer. It was a toast. He had to drink.