Chapter 2: Hangover

David’s regularly scheduled phone alarm screeched at him before he put it on snooze. He fluttered his eyes for a bit, winced at the horrid headache he had, and started to collect his thoughts about what had happened to him the night before. He sighed a breath of relief and was thankful that he didn’t sleep in his pale blue contacts. He slowly sat up and cracked his neck, and touched his own face to see if he remembered wipe off the make-up he had worn the night before and the sense to take off the black, shaggy wig as well. He did. He then started to worry that the two mobsters from the night before might have seen him out of his disguise. David took a couple of deep breaths and stared at the blank, dull, white walls of his bedroom before getting up.

“What am I even doing with my life right now?” murmured David to himself. He then grunted and pulled his blankets over his head.

The annoying alarm rang once more.

David turned off the alarm and tried to fall asleep again—until the rays of sunlight shone through his window on his face, and his roommate’s voice carried through the apartment. He groaned a bit and struggled with what felt like a hangover. “Did I drink last night? I honestly don’t remember,” muttered David to himself as he sat up in his bed. After he gathered his bearings, he got up and walked into the kitchen.

“Oh, hey David! How are you doing this morning?” asked Amy from across the living room area of the main apartment room.

“Fine,” said David curtly. He scavenged their sparse fridge and found a few eggs that weren’t his, as well as cheese. He turned around to look at Amy and asked “Hey, Amy, would you mind if I borrowed the—”

David froze in place after he turned around and saw that Zachary was also on the couch, with nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs on. Amy was in a pair of blue pajamas as usual and sitting right next to him, eating a bowl of cereal and watching a dramedy that she was currently obsessed with.

“—what’s a half-naked Zachary Taylor doing in our living room this morning?” asked David. He rubbed his temples and massaged his scalp to deal with the searing headache that started to flare up. As he tousled his dark brown hair, he looked down and realized that he was only wearing a pair of black boxer-briefs and a thin white t-shirt. He slunk behind the island counter and remained silent, waiting for Amy’s response.

“Wait, I haven’t told you yet?” asked Amy. “Zach and I started dating a few months ago. We started talking, going to a few coffee shops, and I decided to invite him over for Halloween yesterday to watch a few horror movies.” She ate another bite of cereal, swallowed, and grinned. Zachary looked at both Amy and David, smiled back at Amy, before he winced and grabbed a couch pillow to put on his lap. David smirked, before he remembered he would have to be cautious and clandestine if Zachary was going to be around his apartment on a regular basis. He knew that this could be a potential problem while he was in the same section of Economics and Law course that he happened to be teaching. “Also, how do you know him, David?”

David placed one of his hands on his face and began thinking of a way to explain how he knew Zachary already. He started with “Well…” before Zachary interrupted before David had a chance to finish.

Zachary answered “Oh, he’s the T.A. for my Economics and Law course. I guess it really is a small world.”

“Yeah, it really is a small world,” stated David, with a tinge of annoyance in his tone. “Anyway, Amy, I wanted to ask if I could borrow the last of the eggs in the fridge to make an omelet.” He grabbed a black apron from behind the counter and tied it taut around his waist.

“Sure, go ahead. I was thinking of getting more groceries today anyway,” answered Amy.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. Really, I do,” thanked David. He kneeled to open the bottom cabinets and pull out a skillet, before he heard Zachary’s voice ring through the apartment again.

“So…David, who were those huge, stout guys that brought you back here last night?” inquired Zachary. David opened his eyes wide and his heart pounded in fear once more. He didn’t expect to be asked this so early in the morning. He knew he was completely dazed on Halloween night after what happened, but he suddenly recalled the decision to drink quite a few homemade vodka martinis after he got home to cope with what had happened the night before. He couldn’t remember anything else after that. With the bitter taste of bad morning breath on his mouth, it clicked in David’s mind that there was no reason to wonder he blacked out and had a fuzzy recollection about the ordeal at this time.

“You know, Zachary, I have to wonder why you’re so eager to ask me personal questions in my home when you don’t ask me any useful questions while you’re in class,” quipped David. He rolled his eyes and fumbled around for a spatula and a cutting board in another cabinet. When he grabbed the things he wanted, he smiled for a split second, and then went back to the fridge to get the rest of the ingredients he wanted in his omelet.

“Ouch,” winced Zachary. “You’re even steelier outside of your job.” David glared at the young undergraduate that was dating his roommate.

Amy fluttered her long lashes at Zachary and assured him “He’s normally not like this, I promise.” She quietly sighed and pouted. “David, I don’t think that’s particularly fair,” interjected Amy. “I’ll be honest—seeing you brought to the door by a couple of hulking giants while you were groaning in agony scared me a lot more than the horror movie marathon Zach and I were watching.” She paused, twiddled her thumbs, blushed, and added “Also, you asked me if you should go to the hospital for blunt force trauma to your testicles, and— “

“—hold on, what else did I say that night?” asked David. His heart pounded more fervently, his face went red against his will, his hands covered his mouth, and his fears were bubbling up inside. He worried that he slipped up about his newly formed criminal connections or the man he killed.

“Nothing else, really. You just went to the counter, drank the vodka shot you poured for Zach before you left, and then kept making more dirty martinis,” said Amy. She counted on her fingers for a few seconds, although it felt like an eternity for David. “I think you had five additional martinis here. Kind of strange for you.” David sighed in relief, before Amy’s last comment caught him by surprise. “Oh, and you should be really, really, really careful about jumping into hardcore BDSM so quickly. You must go slow to be safe, especially when those two looked like they could snap you like a twig! I don’t need you to land in the hospital. We can barely pay the rent as is, and I don’t want to see you as a medical cadaver in my classes either!” David simpered and laughed under his breath in relief He was grateful that she was unaware of his actual situation. He was also amused by how accurate she was about some of his unspoken personal desires.

“OK, I promise I won’t get hurt from any more clandestine kinky escapades,” chortled David. He shook his head and grabbed a cooking knife and some olive oil from two more cabinets, and then turned on the stove. He opened the olive oil, poured a bit into the skillet, and then started cutting up some of the vegetables and meats that he had taken out of the fridge. “But Amy—I would appreciate it if you didn’t speak of my personal life in front of your boyfriend anymore. You know, professionalism and all.”

“I’m sorry about that. If this is because he’s a student of yours, I didn’t realize that he was a student in the class you’re assisting with until this morning,” sulked Amy.

“That’s fine. There’s no way you really could have known that unless he mentioned me by name, or if I broke the law and told you who was on Dr. Greene’s roster,” assured David. He took a couple of eggs to the heated skillet, cracked them on the side, and then put the eggs into the skillet, maneuvering them around with the spatula for an even consistency.

“By the way, David, could you make me an omelet too? “asked Zachary with a sheepish grin on his face. “I wanted protein, but I don’t really know how to cook all that well.”

“Do I look like your mother?” asked David rhetorically. He closed his eyes and then sighed at his own reaction. “Actually, wait…you know what? Fine. I will. The first one is mine, though.” David opened his eyes back up to look at Zachary with the sincerest expression he could muster.

Zachary looked stoked. “Wait, are you serious?”

“What, do I look like I’m doing a stand-up routine here?” quipped David. He blinked a couple of times, noticed that Zachary had a blank expression on his face in response to that question, and then sighed “Yes, I am serious about the omelet.” After a few minutes, the aroma of the first omelet wafted through the kitchen with the distinctive smell of eggs and cheese sifting through the air. Shortly after that, it was formed into an edible breakfast. Amy and Zachary both walked over to the bar stools near the counter in the kitchen and sat down, watching David grab two plates, place the first omelet onto the top place, and begin to cook a second omelet and eat at the same time.

“So, David—is this some sort of secret passion of yours or something?” asked Zachary.

“No. Didn’t your parents ever teach you how to cook? Or even worked in a restaurant? Knowing how to feed yourself is an important skill, you know,” responded David. He took a couple more eggs and cracked them on the side of the skillet.

“Well, my parents always had a private cook in the house, so they didn’t even cook themselves,” admitted Zachary.

“Oh. Of course. If I remember right, you have some roman numerals in your full name. Why am I not surprised?” David glanced at the second omelet forming in the skillet, poking at it and adding the remaining vegetables and meat that he didn’t use for the first omelet. “By the way, Amy, I hate to ask for another favor, but could you drive me to my car? I didn’t get back here in my own.”

“Sure! That wouldn’t be a problem. As I said, I was going to go grocery shopping today, so I could just drop you off on the way,” agreed Amy. She looked the stove with a glimmer of envy in her eyes and regretted her decision to eat a meager bowl of cereal when David was motivated to cook. Zachary was torn between staring at the creation of his own omelet in anticipation, and glinting at Amy with envy while she looked like she was gushing at David’s cooking more than she ever gushed at him.

“Splendid,” said David. He quickly grabbed the second plate, deftly plated the second omelet, and placed it on the counter before Zachary’s eyes.

Before Zachary could offer any sort of thanks, David slinked back to his minimalist bedroom. He then went back to his closet to get dressed in something that was more modest. He untied the apron around his waist and threw it on his bed, and then grabbed a pair of simple black Converse, a pair of black socks, a black belt, and a pair of black skinny jeans. Before he could think, he rushed to put them all on. In two minutes, he was almost ready to go—until he remembered that he needed his keys, phone, and wallet.

David looked around his room to see if his coat was in the room, and found it draped over his dresser drawers. He started rummaging through it to see if his wallet and keys were still there—and they were. He sighed another breath of relief but was quickly disgusted with the musty taste of hangover halitosis and the slight aftertaste of omelet. He quickly pocketed his keys and wallet, grabbed his phone, and walked out of his bedroom before he was interrupted by an exuberant Zachary. “Thanks, David! I think that’s the best breakfast I’ve had in a while now!” He gave David a notably aggressive pat on the back for his hard work.

“Oh—um, you’re welcome. It was nothing, really,” muttered David, before looking to the side and really noticing Zachary’s sinewy muscles. He was enraptured for a few seconds and felt his face flush before he side-stepped into the bathroom to try to compose himself. Amy slowly passed by and nodded at David in approval.

“You know, David, I would have held off on cereal if I had known you would have been in the mood to cook today. You never disappoint when you cook,” complimented Amy. She brushed her long messy morning hair behind her ears, hummed a little bit, and then added “But I need to get dressed if I’m going to drive you back to your car. I’ll be ready in just a bit.”

“Of course, of course! I just…have to brush my teeth,” quavered David. He immediately shut the door and locked it behind him. He stared at the mirror above the sink and looked at himself. He loomed over the sink for a few seconds before slapping himself in the face as hard as he could.

“Why am I looking at someone I’m teaching like this?” shuddered David to himself. He took a deep breath and turned on the water faucet in front of him. He glared at his own reflection in the mirror and shook his head at it. He splashed hot water on his face as soon as the water started to flow, taking deep breaths. The rotting taste of the previous night’s vodka and that day’s omelet began to bother him more than his qualms about his own desires, and he groaned “I’m just disgusting right now.”

David grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezed a small amount of toothpaste onto his toothbrush, and started brushing. He grabbed a cup from the counter, filled it up with water while he was still moving the brush back and forth, and turned off the faucet. He then took a swig of the distinctive Boston tap water, swished it around for a bit, and spat it back out. David wiped his mouth on a pristine, white hand towel that hung from a hook on the wall next to the bathroom light switch, opened the door, and stepped out of the bathroom before physically bumping into Zachary.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, David!” urged Zachary. He was dressed in the same red hoodie and jeans as the night before. David could only sigh when he noticed that, although he knew that the younger man didn’t have any other pants in the apartment. He would call it a walk-of-shame if Zachary had any shame about wearing the same hoodie repeatedly in class. David was curious if the young man ever wore anything else.

“I’m sorry. Please just keep in mind that this is a small apartment,” chided David with a carefully crafted fauxpology. He stared at the red hoodie again and wondered how he never noticed that Zachary was so fit. Perhaps it was because he was a dedicated teaching assistant who cared about teaching students who wanted to be there than paying attention to a student who annoyed him. Maybe it was because he was sitting and slouching whenever he saw him in the classroom. Whatever it was, he couldn’t quite pin it down.

“David, are you ready? By the way, where did you leave your car?” asked Amy. That morning, she wore her favorite black shirt with red petal trimming on the collar line and hem. The extra fabric of her shirt always swayed whenever she walked. She also had a small notepad and a pen in her hands, as well as a medium, white leather purse around her shoulder. She tapped her feet a couple of times, the leather of her basic black and red flats making a familiar clicking sound on the hardwood floor.

“I left it in a parking garage a few blocks from a place called Felt. I don’t remember exactly where that is, though. Hold on,” answered David. He tapped away at his phone to pull up the default navigation app on it and looked through his destination history. Felt sat at the top of the list, as expected. “Oh, it’s only 15 minutes from there right now. It felt like an eternity to get there last night.” David shrugged, and then put his phone in his back pocket. “Oh well. Let’s go, then.” He walked towards the front door and opened it, expecting Amy and Zachary to follow.

Amy did as David assumed and walked towards the door. “Thank you, David,” she stated. She stopped in the middle of the doorway, and turned around, poised with yet another question. “By the way, do you mind reimbursing me for gas later?”

“Sure, no problem,” responded David. He tilted his head towards the front of the apartment, gesturing Amy and Zachary to hurry to the front of the apartment complex so they could leave. Amy was clearly satisfied with that answer. She took a quick look at the rickety IKEA coat rack by the front door, grabbed a puffy white jacket, put it on, and left the apartment. Zachary trailed behind Amy but lingered for a bit by the front door. David never paid too much attention before, but he was keenly looking at Zachary’s piercing grey eyes—and they felt like they were staring directly into his mind. He wasn’t sure if he was enthralled or unnerved, but it was happening for longer than he expected, until he deliberately broke eye contact and urged “You know, I would like to get back to my car. Come on.”

Zachary shuddered for a moment, before he yelled with excitement “I call shotgun!” and bolted out of the apartment after Amy.

David was caught off-guard with the sudden declaration, but he quickly gathered his wits. He looked at the coat rack and grabbed a tight-fitting black leather jacket to put on. He closed and locked the door to his apartment, and then jogged down the hallways and stairs behind Zachary’s spirited sprinting. He took a furtive look at Zachary’s backside so he could absorb the details of the undergraduate’s contours. David then cringed at his own thoughts and the creaking of the stairs beneath his feet. He could never stand the sound of those cursed stairs.

“Ha! Why are your feet so slow, Mr. Canton?” taunted Zachary from the passenger-side of Amy’s white MINI Cooper hatchback. David wasn’t pleased with being on the receiving end of banter while he was running down the stairs.

“David, now that I think of it, you haven’t gone jogging in a while! As your future doctor, I’d recommend that you pick it up again,” joked Amy. She leaned on the driver’s side of her car and waited patiently for David. “I don’t want the future president to die while he’s in office,” added Amy, sticking her tongue out to tease her poor roommate while he continued to descend the stairs.

“I’ll pick it back up when I’m done with law school. I have a lot on my plate as is,” groaned David. His breathing was strained by the time he was standing by Amy’s car. “Ok, maybe I’ll start doing jumping jacks when I’m waiting on the microwave in the kitchen.” Amy unlocked the doors on her car, and all three of them got inside the car.

As soon as Amy started the car and started driving, she asked “So, David, aside from your abrupt decision to go clubbing last night… what have you been up to lately? You’re usually stuck on campus and only coming home to eat and sleep these days.” She readjusted her rear-view mirror to get a better look at David—and the road behind her.

“Um…you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head,” admitted David. “I’m starting to wonder if I should resign with Dr. Greene to focus on law school more. It’s only my first semester, and it looks like 1L courses are tough without teaching economics coursework from undergrad,” He rubbed his temples again thinking about how he got himself involved with a gambling racket the night before. The mere thought intensified his headache. “You?”

“I wish I could say medical school was easier, but I’m sure you already knew that,” teased Amy.

“Say—Amy, were you planning on going out of town for Thanksgiving?” asked David. The colorful flurry of autumn leaves whizzing by the car window made him remember that it was in a few weeks.

Amy went silent for a few moments and answered “Not really. My family doesn’t want me back in New York until the winter holiday. What’s up?”

“You’re right. We haven’t hung out in a while. I was wondering if we could hang out during Thanksgiving weekend,” confessed David. He then perked up, and clarified “During the day, of course. I was thinking brunch.”

“Absolutely! Margaritas, sangrias, or mimosas?” cheered Amy. She was pumped by the proposition and decided to turn her car radio onto the peppy, bubblegum Top 40 Pop music station that she normally listened to—the same one that grated on David’s nerves a couple of years back before he bought his own car.

“I’d say sangrias seem more appropriate for the holiday,” said David. He scratched the back of his neck as he tried to think of places that made a good sangria. He would have preferred to make brunch, but he slipped up and implied a restaurant outing already.

“Splendid. I definitely look forward to it!” agreed Amy. David nervously laughed a bit. His finances were already tight as is. Unless he could pull some sort of miracle with the syndicate he got ensnared by, he didn’t expect to have a lot of disposable income beyond the bare bones necessities and saving up for tuition.

“Oh, hey, Mr. Canton—I mean David—I mean—” started Zachary, turning around in the passenger seat to look at him. David quickly put his hand up and subtly motioned for Zachary face forward. He didn’t want those piercing grey eyes to look at him in that moment. David knew it wasn’t a rational thought, but he didn’t like the feeling he had when Zachary stared directly at him. It felt as if Zachary was staring directly into his own psyche.

“Spit it out. What do you want?” prodded David. He had a hunch that the undergrad was trying to be buddy-buddy with him for some sort of favor in his grading, and he didn’t want to be influenced by the sudden revelation that Zachary Taylor was easy on the eyes.

“Can I have some help studying for the Economics and Law final?” asked Zachary. It seemed like an innocent question, but David was risk averse when it came to being close to students involved with his pedagogy.

“That’s what office hours are for. Maybe you should look at your syllabus when you get back home and drop by some time. If you want help outside of hours, email me a 24-hour notice for an appointment, and I would be more than willing to help you as much as I can,” repeated David. He rolled his eyes at the obvious answer he just gave. It should have gone without saying, but he didn’t think much of Zachary’s intelligence for a reason.

“Hey, David, that’s Felt over there…” noted Amy. She stared at it with a look of concern on her face. David could guess that she was having the same thoughts he had last night; what was he doing near a run-down building with a “For Lease” sign in the middle of a cluster of well maintained, modernist skyscrapers? “Anyway, you remember where you parked, right? I guess I’ll see you later. Drive safe, OK?” Amy pulled up to the curb next to Felt and slammed on her car brakes. David and Zachary both felt whiplash from that.

“Alright, I will, I will. You drive safe too, Amy. I’ll see you when I get back,” assured David. He opened the door and fumbled out of the car into the chilly winds of Downtown Boston.

Next Chapter: Initiation