The Fountain: Chapter One

I swirled what was left of my beer in the glass and made a clicking sound with my tongue. “I don’t know what to tell you man.” I finally said. 

Matt hung his head in disappointment. “God dammit.” He groaned. “I’m an idiot.”

I shrugged and took the last sip of beer. It was a good excuse to keep my mouth shut. As if I was going to agree with him and tell him, yes in fact, you are an idiot. You let the woman of your dreams, an absolute smoke show, slip though you fingers because you are an untrusting idiot. I swallowed my drink, kept those thoughts to myself and gave Matt a reassuring pat on the back as stood up and went to the bathroom. 

I hated to see my friend in this state. I also hated that it was a situation that came up rather frequently. Matt had never been very lucky when it came to the fairer sex. As far back as I could remember he was always falling head over heels for a girl and then sabotaging himself by putting his foot in his mouth. 

I passed by a table full of chatting girls who eyed me as I walked by. Matt’s situation wasn’t really helped by the fact that I seemed to have a natural gift with women. I wasn’t a sleaze by any stretch but well… I was just over six feet tall, had dirty blonde hair and years of scouting and football had given me quite an impressive body. 

It also didn’t hurt that I knew the effect I had. As I walked by the table I flashed one of the girls a smile causing her to blush.

Okay, I guess I was a little sleazy.

I did what I had to do in the bathroom and was returning to the booth when one of the girls from the table hopped in front of me. I say hopped because that was exactly what happened. She had been sitting on a hightop stool and was only a few inches over five foot so when she climbed down, she sort of landed like a spring. The effect of which, coupled with her rather low cut top was quite a sight. 

“Hey!” She said in a voice that sounded like sugar coated bubble gum. 

I smiled. “Hi.” 

“Can I buy you a drink?” She asked, blushing slightly.

I politely shook my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m here with a friend of mine.” I pointed over to Matt who was wallowing over his bourbon. “He’s going though a bad breakup.”

“Aw.” Bubblegum cooed as she placed her hand on my bicep. “You are such a sweet friend.” 

“Yeah, well.” I said with a head tilt. “I better get back to him.” I marched forward but could feel Bubblegum’s eyes linger on me.

“She was cute.” Matt said as I sat back down across from him. “You should get her number.”

I smacked the table, jerking Matt to an alert state. “Nope.” I said sharply. “Tonight’s all you big guy.”

Matt barked out a laugh and flagged down the waitress. “Can I get another one of these?” 

The waitress cocked her eyebrow and looked at me.

“No keys on us.” I assured her. “We walked.” 

“If you say so.” She said rolling her eyes and walking away. 

“You don’t need to stay here man.” Matt said hanging his head again. 

“Of course I do!” I exclaimed. “Like I’m just going to leave you like this? Christ, you’re a mess.” 

Matt snorted. “Thanks.”

“You know what?” I asked. “I’m going to hug you now.” 

Matt looked up alarmed. “Please don’t.”

I stood up from my side of the booth and walked over to his. “Yup, here it comes.” 

Matt tried to scoot as far down the booth as he could as I slid over to him. 

“Shhhh.” I whispered. “Let me love you.” 

I wrapped my arms around him tightly as he tried to squirm away before eventually settling into it. “Jackass.” He mumbled. 

“Wait for it.” I said. 

“What?”

A low rumble emanated from below my belt and before long a terrible smell had permeated the air around us. Matt struggled even more against my grasp. 

“Oh… oh god.” He gasped. “It’s awful.”

“Shhh.” I whispered again. “Breath it in, Matt. Breath it in.” 

Matt broke free and shoved me backwards. I practically tumbled out of the booth I was laughing so hard. People around our booth had begun to eye us as I got up and moved back to my side of the table.

“You’re such an ass.” Matt said with his noes tucked in his shirt. “Christ I can still smell it.” 

“It lingers.” I said proudly. “Palpable, almost.” 

“God remember that time at camp where Tim nearly shit his pants trying to crop dust us?” Matt laughed.

“I remember my dad stinking up the car five minutes into the three hour ride there.” I said. 

“Man, no ones could clear out a room like your dad.” He said raising a glass. 

I rose mine to meet his with a clink and we both took a sip. It had been twelve years since my father passed away. Not a day went by that I didn’t think about him. There was never a dull moment with him. Solid role model, one man fan club for everything my sister and I ever did. We joked that he got to have all the fun while mom was the one who got stuck with being the strict parent, even though she told us that was what they decided years before we were even born.

It’s hard to believe it’s been so long since I last saw him. I think it’s probably the worst kept secret among my family and friends that I blamed myself for his death. I had been sick all day while I was away at camp and wanted desperately to come home. This was back before I was driving and relied on my parents and sister for transportation. I finally had enough and went to the pay phone at around nine at night to call my dad. He obliged and said he would be there soon. 

He never made it. 

A deer ran out in front of his car and he swerved to avoid it but lost control and rolled the car. He was close enough that I could hear the sirens from the camp. Sometimes I still feel like that sixteen year old boy laying in my cot listening to the sirens at night. 

Matt set down his drink and gave me a concerned look. I quickly changed my expression and flashed him a grin.

“You okay?” He asked.

I nodded. Thankfully the waitress had returned with Matt’s refill and another beer for me so I didn’t need to elaborate any further on what just happened. God save the service industry for getting people out of awkward situations. We sat and sipped our drinks for a moment in silence, just listening to the conversations around us.

I checked my phone and saw that it was almost eleven. “Thank god tomorrow is memorial day.” I said as I took a long swig of beer. “Something tells me that I am not going to be feeling great tomorrow.” 

Matt wasn’t listening though. His eyes were following Bubblegum and her group of girls on their way out of the bar. She flashed me a toothy smile before the door closed behind her. “God, what I wouldn’t give to find a girl like that.” Matt sighed. “And not screw things up.” 

Matt took a long drink, polishing off the bourbon before stumbling out of the booth. “I’m gonna head out.” He said. 

“You okay?” I asked. 

“Yeah, gonna walk it off and go to bed.” 

I watched my friend stumble out of the bar and onto the sidewalk out of sight… and then I looked down at the check the waitress had dropped off at our table.