the Table61 blog

“What’s the difference between the North- and South-Pole?”

Mitch had heard this joke before, but the three girls in front of him hadn’t.

“All the difference in the world.”

Will turned back around to rejoin his group of friends. Mitch noticed the blonde laughed last… kind of a shame, as she was the cute one.

Closing his eyes, he turned back towards the band and continued to dance.

— 3 Hours Ago —

Mitch paused when he picked up his phone. He still wasn’t used to the background, the same image he’d always had on the phone. That is, except for the last 2 weeks that it had been a picture Lindsey had put on there. He’d finally taken the time to change that back, hoping to avoid the momentary pause he always had at seeing a different background. In the end, there’s just no winning…

Having just installed Snapchat, Mitch decided to add some of his friends and try out the app. Almost immediately Will responded, inviting him out to see Flatland Cavalry at Wild West. Rather than every other invite Mitch seemed to get, which was to a show 40 minutes away, this one was just down the road, an easy 2 mile drive. This thing was already paying off…

— 1 Week Ago —

“I can’t believe I drank that much… I NEVER dance in public, and I do remember dancing with you that night. The only time I dance is when I’m home alone and nobody can see me. I’m just glad I apparently didn’t do anything else embarrassing that night.”

Sitting at Mod during lunch, Mitch and Lindsey recapped events from the weekend prior. Neither had a full recollection of the night, but both had pieced together most of it from their friends.

“Well, do you think it was the liquor, or maybe you’re just getting really comfortable around me and that’s why you were dancing?”

“Oh, it was definitely the liquor…”

As soon as he said it, he realized that was the wrong answer. She either ignored it, or didn’t take offense to it, and carried on…

“Well, you can’t think about it. Just close your eyes then nobody can see you, and you can dance all you want just like you’re at home.”

Mitch almost argued, knowing it was never that easy, but took another bite of his Caspian. He didn’t yet know how much he would be dancing in the next week, or that every time he would think of this exact moment…

— 13 days, 12 Hours Ago (12 Hours after 7 Days Before 1 Week Ago) —

Laying in bed after waking up past noon, Lindsey felt miserable. She didn’t really remember the night before, though she was pretty sure what had caused the headache she had. The last thing she recalled was walking into the Hangar Lounge.

Checking the messages on her phone confirmed it all. Her friends had forwarded several pictures of her and Mitch dancing, and in every one she had a drink in her hand.

——

Mitch could have hugged his couch – it was so good to be home again. He still felt like throwing up, and he wouldn’t even try to eat solid food for another day.

Mitch rarely had hangovers, but the previous night was only the third time he’d ever blacked out, so he wasn’t necessarily surprised. He came to the realization that he was probably still drunk from the previous night, and was just thankful to have made it home safely. Somehow he had failed to keep to his cardinal rule when drinking – a glass of water with every drink. He didn’t recall having any…

Looking at his phone again, he tried to remember the night that was still a vague blur. He remembered Lindsey putting her picture as his phone’s background, but he had no context as to why. There was dancing, that much he knew, but he didn’t remember anything past that. His biggest fear was what came after. He didn’t remember leaving the bar, and just hoped he hadn’t embarrassed himself or offended anyone.

He knew the day was shot, and proceeded straight to bed for a long nap.

— 2 Weeks Ago —

The best part of the Christmas season is the company holiday parties, specifically the open bars. Mitch had it all planned out – he’d go to the company party, enjoy a few drinks, then join Will for some bar hopping and for once enjoy getting drunk. He’d already checked into a hotel downtown, and now the Shiner was free for the first couple hours.

Almost immediately, Mitch decided to skip the bar hopping and stay where the drinks were free. Temperatures in the 30s in Austin meant the outside sections of the bar were virtually empty. Mitch kept the bartender company for most of the evening. She was cute, but after a few drinks he didn’t even notice that – she was just the source of more free beer. Her name long forgotten, the only thing he would remember was the Shade of Green of her eyes.

As the company party wound down, he checked his phone, and sure enough, there was a message waiting from Lindsey. She was right across the street with some friends, so he decided he’d join her. He walked into Hangar and proceeded straight to the bar. For the first time that night, he paid for a drink.

According to his credit card statement, it wasn’t the last…

— 3 Weeks, 6 Days, and 23 Hours Ago —

“Oh… shit…”

Laying in bed, replaying the night’s events, Mitch suddenly sat up. It all hit him at once, realizing who Lindsey was and what had just happened.

How had he not recognized her? What would her sister say? What would Will think? Wait, is it really that big of a deal? Yes, it’s a huge deal! How did this happen?

His head spinning from a thousand thoughts at once, he instinctively started rubbing the left side of his head, as if rubbing a pain that was now a distant memory.

— 4 Weeks Ago —

“Wait… WHAT?”

Lindsey repeated herself, then continued.

“Did you know Mitch moved to Austin like right after y’all broke up? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Still processing this information, she skipped right over her sister’s newfound Southern vernacular.

“I didn’t even think about it… but wait, start at the beginning. What happened?”

Lindsey told her the story of the night, being sure to include the details of the massive beard that hid his identity. She didn’t quite expect her sister’s response.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“I… I… don’t know,” she stuttered. She hadn’t had the chance to think about it, still recovering from the shock of realizing who he was.

“Well, I mean, if you did, you should call him and hang out again. I’m long over that, like I would care any. And he was a nice enough guy, and the only ex I don’t hate.”

“Well… maybe I will,” Lindsey pondered. “I think I need to get some sleep and approach this with a fresh mind.”

“Sounds like a plan. Oh, and one pro-tip,” Jessie offered. “Don’t hit him with a frying pan again. He definitely didn’t appreciate that last time…”

————

Ok, so really I’m pretty sure her eyes were brown, but then I’d have missed out on a callback opportunity that probably no one will get anyway…

There’s a really entertaining part between 13 Days 21 Hours ago and 13 Days 18 Hours ago, but after writing it I lost it, and haven’t been able to find it again.