Gut Punch

Whiskey glugged out of the bottle like fish as it swam into Cary’s glass. Cary stared off the balcony at the city skyline twinkling in the night with a head full of a hundred thoughts; Romney smiled stupidly as he poured the whiskey upside-down into Cary’s glass. Cary glanced over and did a double take at the ocean of liquor filling up in front of him.

“That’s enough, I’m drunk just looking at it!” Cary pushed the bottle away.

Romney leaned back in the opposite chair and in a fluid motion kept the bottle pouring into his own glass. “Good! Means we’re doing the night right.”

“Now will you be sensitive for once?”

“This is how I’ve always dealt with problems like this.”

“That’s because your problems were worth forgetting.” Cary lifted the hefty glass and winced. He reluctantly swallowed a gulp of whiskey to Romney’s delight, pushing his chubby cheeks upward in pride.

Cary returned his gaze back at the city lights. In his peripheral he saw Romney lift his glass to toast.

“To women. For always giving us the right excuse to drink!” Romney cackled.

Cary barely tipped his glass, clearly disagreeing with Romney’s philosophy. Romney downed half the glass and wiped his mouth after an obnoxious sigh.

“So who’s the next dame in line for the handsome bachelor?”

“No one – no one, Romney! Now look, I asked for company but that doesn’t require you have to say anything, you see? Think of it as if my mother died, does that help give you the idea of how I’m feeling? What did you did you do when your mother—oh, forget it.”

Romney shrugged his shoulders in comedic guilt. “I get it,” Romney smirked sympathetically.

Cary scoffed. “He gets it…”

“I do, I do.” He leaned forward earnestly. “This one bird I went with… the love of my life. No doubt about it. She had all the qualities any man could ask for. Beautiful eyes, long legs, and the best…” Romney held out his hands over his chest.

“Personality?” Cary finished sarcastically.

“She was a knockout, Cary. Everyone was jealous. It felt good to know folks were jealous of my lady.”

“Can’t imagine why it came crashing down...”

“Neither could I!” Romney agreed, oblivious to Cary’s remark. “She said something about us not being right for each other. She said I just didn’t know things about her. But I’d go outta my way to take her to nice dinners, Cary – I did! I did everything right, I thought!”

“Yes, I bet you thought you did…”

“Aye yai yai. There’s just no getting it right, I guess.”

Cary dismissed Romney’s sad tale and took a small sip of his whiskey. He shook his head and gave a pity laugh to himself.

“I know that laugh,” Romney shook his finger knowingly. “Oh, yes. You’re thinking things over, aren’t you? Trying to figure out where it went wrong.”

“I know where it went wrong, Romney. It went wrong with me.” Cary decided he’d take advantage of his company and vent. “I’ve always been the same, you can attest to that. Since we’ve known each other I’ve always been the same Cary Fitzgerald. Easy going, outgoing, and grateful for my pennies. I think of myself as a humble man, I help when I can. When I met her…” Cary’s eyes drifted downward, sinking in his chair a little. “When I met Nicole… talk about the love of your life.”

“She was a knockout, Cary. You two were perfect for each other.”

“More than that, she was intelligent. She could talk sense into me like no other. No, we weren’t perfect for each other, just her. She was perfect for me.”

“She changed, huh? And that how it always goes. One day she’s writing your last name as hers and the next she’d rather forget you.”

“No, Romney,” Cary’s tone changed. He looked Romney in his eyes with discipline. “No she didn’t change for the worst. No, she just… changed.”

“Changed how?” Romney finished his glass and reached for the bottle.

Cary shook his head in thought. “She just changed.”

“This, old friend, I don’t get. What do you mean? Did she change or not?”

Cary took a moment to try and explain but he found himself shaking his head in confusion.

“This oughtta help—” Romney leaned over and began poured more whiskey in Cary’s glass, but Cary pulled his glass away.

“I think I ought to make something clear to you, Romney. I’m not here to drink myself until the moon sets.”

“Then what do you want me here for?” Romney snapped back.

“I don’t know – I suppose someone to talk to! Someone who’s willing to listen! Everyone else I know knows Nicole!”

“I am listening, I am!”

“I’m trying to pour my heart out to you and you keep pouring me whiskey in return – and if that’s all you’re going to do then I’ll go, though I can’t stand to be alone right now. So would you do me the favor and quit drowning my sorrow in alcohol and just be quiet! I’m not like you!”

Cary fell back in his seat and felt shame for insulting his friend. Romney’s chin lowered in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Romney. I didn’t mean that – oh no, I’m in worse shape than I thought…”

“Don’t apologize,” Romney comforted him. “You’re right.” Romney reached over and corked the whiskey bottle back up. “No more for the night. I’ll listen.”

“Don’t think of yourself as a last resort, either. What I said about everyone else—”

Romney put his hand up. He smiled and nodded. Cary nodded in return, understanding each other.

“I guess I didn’t realize how much you cared about this one,” Romney confessed.

“I suppose I didn’t either.”

Romney took a small sip and leaned in closer. “So, old friend, why don’t you try again and tell me what you meant by Nicole changing.”

“When I met Nicole, she wanted to settle down and stay put here in this little town. Which alright with me, I have no qualms about where I live or what I do. And that’s the Nicole I fell in love with. Straight to the point.”

“I see,” Romney listened.

“Then one day—” Cary snapped his fingers, “—she started talking about all these aspirations and ambitions as if she’d dreamt of these as a child; talking about seeing the world and starting a business.”

“She wasn’t like that before?”

“Not at all! And that’s not to say that I don’t agree with her dreams. In fact, it’s rather commendable to drive towards something. To find something that motivates you to wake up and accomplish greatness…” Cary trailed off and found himself looking at that skyline again. “I hadn’t thought of my own ambitious until she told me hers. I think I’ve been the same Cary Fitzgerald for too long.”

“And because of that, you two went your separate ways?”

“Something like that.” Cary took a sip of his whiskey and swirled it in his glass. “I just never saw it coming. I was drawn to her integrity, her consistency. So when she up and told me one morning that she’d like to chase a brand new life… I didn’t know what to do.”

Romney nodded. “Gee, Cary. I’ve never been with a girl like Nicole. I’ve always just had my eyes set on the same type of bird. Good looking… guess I should’ve paid better attention to what they like and want to be. She sounds like a catch.”

“Yeah, she was. But she’s the one that got away.” Cary returned to the whiskey and looked up at Romney. “I knew people changed, but I didn’t know they’d always be changing.”

“You know something, old friend?” Romney nodded to himself as he pointed knowingly at Cary. “What you’ve been saying, I think I oughtta make a change in my life.”

“How so?”

“I haven’t been very good at the ‘relationship’ part of a relationship. Hearing you talk about Nicole – her intelligence and integrity and the way she talked sense into you, I’m jealous. I wish I could find someone like that.”

“Come now, Romney. You’ll find someone wonderful – very soon, I bet.”

“I bet I have. I just didn’t care to find out.” Romney folded his arms on the table and sighed. “Makes me wonder about my girl that got away and what her personality really was. I bet she was swell. A real knockout.”

Cary let out a smile. “I suppose you’re onto something I hadn’t considered fully.”

“What’s that?”

“People do change, and often. And those that don’t might need a gut punch like I’ve had.”

Romney lifted his glass delicately. “To change.”

“And to gut punches.”

“May they keep comin’.”