No cars go

Round 15: November 2023

Kaitlyn Brennan and Eve Midlock are 22.

(Anthony is 49, Jack is 40 and Stephen is 22.)

Narrated by Eve Midlock.

It still feels a bit weird to participate in all family gatherings but I do enjoy it. Just the other week we celebrated Father's Day and also dad's promotion to lieutenant.

I went there early in the morning and joined everyone on breakfast. It's always a pleasure to sit down and enjoy Rianna's cooking. Working in the dorm cafeteria teached me to cook omelettes, pancakes and mac and cheese and that's still pretty much how far my cooking repertoire goes.

I spent the whole day there just hanging out with the family. Jesse asked me to play catch with him. I don't have much experience of children but he's a great kid.

We let Jesse tell dad what we got him as a Father's Day present. It's a painting of his kids. Rianna snapped the picture one day when dad was at work and then I asked Liv's boyfriend Jamie to paint it. He's an art restorer but he could easily get work as a portrait painter.

Dad put the painting up on the wall in his and Rianna's bedroom immediately. He also asked if he could get a copy of the photo so he could put it on his desk at work.

Kaitlyn and I have been room mates for almost a year now and it's been going really great. Stephen lives in Wellington in a tiny apartment so he often comes over too. Kaitlyn says they're not ready to move in together yet but I think Stephen would be more than willing to. Not that they would get to spend much more time together even if they lived together since they have totally different work schedules.

I try to give them some privacy when he's over so I usually go to play on the pin ball machine in the common room or use the sauna. Lately I've been thinking that it would be great to meet someone who could become a real boyfriend.

There's this guy I really like, Jack Robinson, but he's married with two kids. We met at Four Leaf Clover when I was still in college and have been a bit flirty but nothing more. I was dragging home two bags of groceries one day when he drove past me. He offered me a ride home and I asked him up for a cup of coffee as a thank you.

I'm not sure how it happened but suddenly his arms were around me and we were making out like crazy! That's as far as it went but even that was probably too far. I got the impression that he was ready to go even further but I told him that Kaitlyn would be home from work soon so he left.

I'm so torn by my feelings. I know it's wrong - so very wrong to feel this way about him but at the same time I can't stop thinking about him. I probably would've dwelled in my own misery the whole night but Kaitlyn knocked on the door and told me to get out of the tub.

She had thrown an impromptu dinner party. Her idea of fun is not going to a club and party all night so she just invited some of our friends over. She'd gotten some tacos and cup cakes from a deli and everything was really delicious.

It wasn't exactly a wild party but I guess we were being a bit loud because our neighbour came to complain about the noise. It turned out to be Jamie who lives next door.

He forgot all about complaining when Liv went out to the hall and promised to keep him company. I guess the only way to have parties in an apartment building is to invite all the neighbours as well.

I had the next day off work and I spend the whole day thinking about this situation with Jack. It feels like I always make the most stupid decisions when it comes to men but I think it's time I grew up and took some responsibility of my actions.

I went back to the apartment and called Jack. I told him we could not meet anymore and he agreed. He said he loves his wife and has always been faithful to her.

I felt really good after the phone call. This is the first smart decision I've made in a long time.


Notes:

• Title reference: No cars go by Arcade Fire.
• Oh my god, oh my god! Eve and Jack have really been a bit flirty for a long time but it's always been very innocent. Then he comes over and they start making out. I know they agreed not to meet again but something tells me this might not be the end of it... It'll all come down to what they want.
• Only one more update for year 2023 left, hopefully I'll get it done before Christmas so that I get to play the January birthdays soon.