When You've Got Friends Like Mine

Austin is pissed. He is probably making more noise than necessary when shutting the kitchen cabinets, but his annoyance must go somewhere. Screwing on a smile, he comes back to the living room asking, “Another round of margaritas, anyone?” This is where he finds Delia and Mark giggling like teenage girls. Austin imagines them doing the same thing fifteen years earlier when they were best friends in high school.

“That was so embarrassing,” Delia says, taking a large sip from her glass.” I can’t believe people say they’d like to go back to their teenage years.”

“No argument from me,” Mark replies. “Those were not the most enjoyable of times. I did not enjoy hiding.”

“I’m so glad we were there for each other.” Austin has long known that Delia was the first person Mark came out to.

“Let me make a toast. To Mark and Austin, and the great good luck you guys were free this weekend.” As they clink glasses, Delia adds, “I get to the coast so rarely. It’s great that we can catch up in person. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too,” Mark replies. Delia fusses with Mark’s hair, brushing it back with her fingers. “Your hair got so long. It looks good.” Austin reflexively grabs Delia’s hand.

“That’s a lovely manicure. Who does your nails?”

“Oh, thanks. There’s a salon right around the corner from my office. They’re great.”

“So, when do you leav..., I mean how long are you in town for?”

“Oh, just until Wednesday. It’s pretty much wall-to-wall meetings, but I’m clearing all my free time to hang out with you guys.”

As Delia and Mark continue to reminisce, Austin finds himself tuning out as they talk about things for which he has no frame of reference. He finds this eerily similar to those occasions when Mark’s mother Trudy drops in, usually unannounced. In these instances, too, Austin finds himself the odd man out as Trudy rehashes stories that not only has Mark heard countless times, but frequently, Austin has as well. It is no small annoyance to Austin that Mark felt compelled to live close to his mother.

“Have you seen pictures of him on Facebook?” is where Austin picks up the conversation.

“He’s gotten so fat and conservative. And to think I was so hot for him.”

“Who wasn’t. Austin, remember I told you about Craig?”

“Yes. Many times,” Austin replies, barely repressing his frustration.

“Oh, did you see what Tori looks like now?” Mark asks.

“Goth Tori, or virgin Tori?” asks Delia.

“Goth Tori is a stay-at-home mom, and so is virgin Tori.” Delia and Mark howl with laughter as Austin manages to smile

***

Delia excuses herself to go to the bathroom. As she makes her way down a narrow hallway lined with vacation pictures, Delia reflects on the fact that while she’s very glad to see Mark and how happy he is with Austin, she currently has no romantic partner, nor any comparable friendship, male or female. Certainly, nothing like the intense bond she had with Mark when they were young. He was the only one she told about the emotional abuse she felt from her mother. Their getting together today felt to her as if they had just each gone away for the weekend separately and came back to dish and talk about the boys they both had crushes on. Of course, if they were back in his room, his mother would be coming in every ten minutes to check that they weren’t making out, which of course, they would find hilarious. Mark would make a show of being angry at her coming into his room, but that was just in response to her being so overbearing. There is no one Delia can talk to like she talks to Mark. Now that she’s recaptured that feeling, she’s finding it hard to let it go. She’s faintly aware of how quiet Austin is, but she chalks it up to the fact that he’s enjoying their stories. Or maybe, she thinks, that’s his personality.

***

By the time Delia returns, Mark has figured out that he needs to steer the conversation into something more about Delia’s current life.

“So, what else have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know who I connected with? Remember Sharon Baumann?”

Mark’s conversational gambit failing, he responds to Delia.

“From the Drama Club?”

“No, that’s Sharon Goodman. Sharon Baumann was on the Gazette staff with us.”

“Oh, yeah, with the overbite.”

“Yeah, that’s the one. She’s in D. C. working for the Washington Post.”

“No shit.”

Mark is only half listening to Delia now but is rather homed in on Austin, who is stewing and trying to hide his annoyance. While he hoped today would be more about Delia getting to know Austin, it’s turning into Austin silently fuming on the sidelines, reminiscent of one of Mark’s mother’s visits. Although he’s gotten Austin to accept most of his mother’s quirks, like buying Mark underwear, he knows that Austin still resents Trudy’s unannounced visits, and her treatment of Austin, as he puts it, “as if I’m her butler.” Trudy remains a constant thorn in the side of their relationship.

ustin’s body language, while unfamiliar to Delia, is a clear message to Mark. For the present, Mark is concerned that if he does not do anything to redirect the energy in the room, he will need to deal with Austin’s pent-up frustration as soon as Delia goes back to her hotel. He’s more than willing to fall on his sword, but he’s frozen with indecision on what to do. He feels panicked by the competing agendas and is silently trying to come up with a solution. But his brain does not seem to be working. The second margarita isn’t helping, and he thinks this could not be more of a disaster.

The doorbell rings.

“Did you invite someone else?” Delia asks.

“I only wish,” is what Mark hears Austin muttering under his breath as he goes to the window.

“Who’s there, Austin?” Mark asks.

“Your mother.”

Mark immediately rises. “More margaritas?”

In unison, they both reply, “Yes.”