Kevin had gone back to his room with an enormous grin on his face and a glow in his cheeks. He strutted through the hallways of the hotel like he was 16 again and had just gotten Patty Sinclair to remove her panties for the first time. He felt 16, he felt reborn. He fell down onto his bed without even taking off his pants. He was sure that he was going to lie awake for what was left of the nite, reveling in the after glow of cheap, tawdry, yet fantastical sex, but instead he drifted asleep without even getting under the covers.
The next thing he knew, the phone was ringing on the night table. He rolled over and picked it up, it was Brian. The clock on the table read 11:15am. Brian reminded him of their brunch date with their new friends (“friends indeed,” Kevin thought) at 11:30am. Kevin said that he would shower, put the same clothes back on and meet them all down in the dining room in 10 minutes. Brian was the first to arrive for this awkward brunch date with complete strangers. He sat down at the table and ordered a coffee and an OJ to calm his pounding head. As he waited for the others to join him, he replayed the past 24 hours over and over in his mind. 24 hours ago, he never in a million years would have believed it if someone had told him that he would be having his wedding day breakfast with a man whom he had bearly known 18 hours, who had been kind enough to drive him to Vegas to meet his cheating bride and a seemingly nice couple that they meet in a bar last nite. He shook his head and pondered his existence. He was interrupted by the arrival of Howie and Morgan at his table. He had been in quite a funk last nite and he apologized to them for his behaviour. As he spoke to them, he for the first time realized how lovely they were, not the typical melting pot of people that he had observed in Vegas, but real, down-home kind of people. Howie was well dressed, like Kevin and Morgan was a rare beauty; her sapphire eyes distracted him from listening to her as she spoke. “I hope that I haven’t kept you all waiting long,” Kevin said as he pulled out his chair and motioned for the server to bring him some coffee. “We just got here ourselves,” Howie said. “Did you sleep well?” “Like a baby,” Kevin answered while shooting a smile in Morgan’s direction.
They all ordered breakfast and without even realizing it, fell into conversation like they had been long lost friends, who just picked up where they had left off so many years before. There were no long pauses, no awkward silences, just free-flowing friendly banter. “So, where are you two off to next?” Howie casually asked as he pushed his empty plate away from him. Kevin glanced over at Brian who shrugged his shoulders. Kevin was in no hurry to go home to California, he felt he could very easily avoid going home to face Jennifer for the rest of his life, but he knew that he would have to....eventually and from what he could tell, he was pretty sure that Brian wasn’t in any big hurry either. “I dunno, Bri, what do you want to do? I’m in no hurry to go back and face my shunned fiancee, that’s for sure!” Kevin said as he added another packet of sugar to the almost empty cup of coffee. “Well,” Brian said clearing his throat. “I’ve already booked the next month off for my ‘so-not-happening-now’ honeymoon. I dunno, Kev......” he hesitated like a sweaty-palmed school boy about to ask a girl to dance. “I’ve enjoyed our spontaneous adventure so far.....I’m all for staying a few days longer......take in a show, do some gambling.......” “What about Arizona?” Morgan jumped in. “Have you ever thought about going to Arizona? Phoenix to be exact!” “Phoenix?” Kevin and Brian both said together. “Why Phoenix?” Brian asked. “Well......if you’re both up for an adventure, why not come back to Arizona with us? That would be fun, wouldn’t it Howie?” Morgan asked while shooting a look at Howie. Kevin and Brian exchanged glances. Morgan was grinning from ear to ear. “Hey and we’re not just trying to avoid taking the train back, either!” Howie laughed. They all laughed. Kevin sat and thought and then raised his glass of OJ and said “Onward to Phoenix then!” Brian, Howie and Morgan followed and raised their glasses and together, they toasted, “TO PHOENIX!”
As Howie and Morgan went upstairs to pack up their belongings, Brian felt it was time to go and get Kevin some new threads. They drove to a nearby mall and found an Old Navy. “This will do,” Kevin said as he picked out a pair of navy shorts, white T-shirt and red sweatshirt. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to buy? Man, you’ve got nothing!” Brian said crossly. “Hey! I’ll buy it as I need it, y’know. My car ain’t that big, one of us has to travel light and I know it ain’t gonna be you ‘Mr.Two Suitcases!” Kevin teased as he paid for his clothes and tried to convince the clerk to let him wear his new clothes out of the store. “Did you lose your luggage, sir?” the clerk asked. “Ya, somethin’ like that....” Kevin said as he followed her back to the change rooms.
Kevin being the control freak that he is, drove the entire 5 hour trip to Phoenix, not allowing anyone else to navigate his precious baby for a moment. He did love to drive, when he was a child he wanted to be a race car driver, but doesn’t every kid. He wanted to be a race car driver or a fighter pilot, those were two dreams out of his trilogy, the third involved him becoming a rock star. He knew that they weren’t too original, but they were his just the same. Morgan had fallen asleep on Howie’s shoulder for the last couple of hours of the trip. Howie woke her up as he navigated Kevin to her apartment. They had agreed to drop Morgan off at her place and then Howie would take Brian and Kevin back to his apartment where they could relax for a while before meeting up for dinner and hitting the clubs later.
Kevin pulled into Morgan’s driveway and hopped out to help her with her bag. Howie dashed up the walkway to buzz CJ, Morgan’s roommate, to let them in. Kevin closed the trunk and stood awkwardly, staring at Morgan. He knew that he would see her later, but he was sure that the moment called for something.....a hug?.....a kiss?...a handshake? He wasn’t sure. Instead, Howie bounced down and relieved Morgan of her bag. “It’s so sweet the way you take such good care of your sister,” Kevin said as Howie and Morgan began to walk toward the door. Morgan turned and shot Kevin such a look, that he immediately knew that he had said something wrong. “Sister? Where in the world did you get the idea that Mo was my sister, she’s my girlfriend....of almost 4 years!” Howie said to a stunned Kevin. Kevin stood speechless. What had he done? He had been ‘the other man’ in someone’s relationship. But he had done it under false pretenses, he reassured himself. How was he to know?