Rooftop Moments Ch. 01

Some notes: This is the first story that I write, ever. I also self-edit so please expect some mistakes. Feedback is important to me, so please speak your mind if have something to share. Chapter 2 is done, 3 and 4 are in the works.

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"Hey bro?" I asked Danny, who turned to me. "What would you name a book about Italian cuisine and Stoic philosophy?"

"How about 'The Stoic Kitchen: Spaghetti and Seneca?' It has a nice ring to it." he replied with a grin, taking a swig of beer.

"You know what, that's not half bad." I laughed, taking a sip of my own drink. "It's a bit long, though, what about something shorter?"

"Like 'Stoic's Savoury Stracciatella' maybe?" He suggested.

I shook my head at him. "I like it, but it doesn't have quite the same ring as 'Spaghetti and Seneca', try harder." I loved challenging his creativity, it always set him off.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow. "Then how about 'Joe's fucking weird-ass book about Italian cuisine and Stoic philosophy'? That way you can find it easily on Amazon." He chuckled.

"Perfect!" I agreed, grinning widely, clinking my bottle against his. "You're writing the foreword."

"I'd love that, women love a good foreword writer." he joked.

"Really? That's the criteria they go by nowadays?" I raised my eyebrows skeptically.

"Oh yeah," he nodded seriously. "That and a fat cock."

We laughed hard and drank more beer. The cool breeze of the late May air was pleasant and refreshing. It was nine in the evening and the city was still alive. We were out on the rooftop patio of my apartment building, enjoying the silence, there was nobody else around. We were on our fourth beer each, just buzzed enough to be talking without thinking too much about it. Our Sunday nights were almost always reserved just for that.

"Hey bro, how come there are never any stars in New York?" Danny asked, staring up at the sky.

"Maybe because of all the smog." I offered. "Or maybe because people are too busy to look up."

"Yeah, that's probably it." he sighed, taking another beer from the cooler. "Ooh, this one has to be savoured slowly." he said, holding his bottle up to the light, then taking a swig. "This is so fucking good."

"Indeed it is." I chuckled, looking out over the cityscape. "Maybe that's why they invented beer. To make us want to slow down and look up at the stars once in a while."

"You think?" he asked, taking a long pull from his bottle.

"Well, I'm pretty sure some ancient Greeks thought so." I shrugged. "Did you know they thought that the gods lived in the stars?"

"Nah." he shook his head.

"They thought all the stars were beings, moving through the galaxy, living their lives." I continued. "And that the sun was a giant burning god."

"Those fucking Greeks." He laughed, shaking his head. "Always with the bullshit."

"Yup." I agreed. "But then again, I guess we're not really any different. We still believe most of the shit they did."

"Fuck knows what they would say if they saw the world today." he muttered, staring off into space. "I bet they'd be like... 'whoa, that's some crazy shit'."

I laughed and got up from my outdoor recliner. I moved to the edge of the roof and took in the view, I loved feeling small against the New York skyline. It made me feel insignificant, but it also made me realise how big the world was. It was a humbling feeling.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you for a while now." I said as I looked over the cityscape. "Why do we even live in New York?"

"For the food, obviously." He grinned, turning back to face me. "Or maybe the weather."

"Don't try and distract me." I smiled. "I'm serious. Why live here?"

He pondered this for a moment before replying. "Because everybody wants to be here." he said simply. "New York is the centre of the universe. You can be whatever you want to be here."

"There's more to life than being successful, isn't there?" I asked, taking another swig of my beer.

"Sure." he nodded. "But you gotta be happy doing it too."

I thought about that for a while, sipping my beer. I'd never really considered it, but I suppose he was right. But I knew deep down that I wasn't happy. I didn't know how to be, either. I returned to my seat next to him and stretched.

"Have you thought about your next gig?" Danny asked.

"I have, but I'm happy with what I'm doing now." I shrugged. "I can't see myself leaving the magazine anytime soon. What about you?"

Danny worked as a defense contractor, programming drone software and other cutting edge military machines. He made a six figure salary but rarely spent any of it on anything other than clothes, booze and records. I, on the other hand, had a smaller ambition. I worked for a magazine called 'The Review', it was moderately renowned and it paid well. They let me write about whatever I wanted, from food to music to philosophy.

"I've been thinking about taking a job with the CIA." he admitted.

"The Culinary Institute of America?" I asked with a smile?

"Nah, the other CIA, the ones in Langley." He clarified with a laugh. "An analyst position opened up and my manager recommended me. If everything goes well I start in September."

"Wow, that's great." I smiled. "Sounds like it could be a good move."

"It might." he agreed. "Best of all, I wouldn't have to move, it's based here."

"I'll never get why you love this place so much." I shook my head. "It's a dumpster fire, man."

He laughed and took another swig of beer. "It's where I met you, dude. This city has a lot going for it."

"I'll admit, you're right about that." I admitted. "But it's still a dumpster fire."

"Whatever." He laughed, finishing his beer. "You'd be surprised at how many people don't leave when they can. People stay, even if an opportunity opens for them to leave. It's a magical place, dude and it takes a special kind of dreamer to see that, you wouldn't get it" He smiled.

"Magic, huh?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Hell yeah, magic." he nodded. "Think of it like this: everyone here thinks they're fucking special, everyone wants to be famous or powerful. Everyone wants to stand out, but no one really does. Just imagine what would happen if everyone decided to be average."

"I hadn't really thought about it like that." I mused, sitting back in my chair.

We finished the rest of the case, talking about random things until it was past midnight. We spent most of our free evenings on my rooftop, drunkenly debating life philosophies and whatnot. Talking to Danny while getting drunk was the only time I felt truly relaxed. This small area was my safe space, my Shangri-La, I could never feel bad here, it's like all my worries were left on the staircase.

"It's late, I better go." Danny said, getting up and stretching with a yawn. "I've got work tomorrow."

"Come on, I'll walk you home." I offered.

We made our way downstairs and onto the street. Danny's place was only one block away and he lived alone as well. We walked slowly, chatting about nothing in particular. As we reached his building, he stopped in front of me.

"Thanks for having me over dude, and for walking me home." he said, giving me a clumsy drunken hug. "I had fun tonight."

"Me too." I agreed. "See you tomorrow after work?"

"Yup, let's get dinner though, not sure I can handle two drinking sessions in a row."

"Fair enough." I agreed. "We'll find somewhere decent."

"Okay, sounds good." he agreed and entered his building. "Good night dude." he waved goodbye, smiling.

"Night." I waved back, watching him disappear into his apartment.

I turned, making my way back to my place. I really loved spending time with Danny.

We met in high school, after I moved to his neighbourhood. He was the type of guy that would just befriend the new kid and never tell him why. I was completely lost at first, but he helped me fit in. After a few months we started hanging out together outside of school, we both liked the same music, movies and books, and we quickly became best friends. It was a strange friendship, I couldn't ever remember us fighting. If anything, I felt like we were twins, despite being very different in most ways.

I made my way to the door and pulled out my keys, unlocking it and entering. I closed the door behind me and locked it back, then I took off my shoes and jacket and placed them in their spot before finally heading into the kitchen.

I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water, putting it on the counter next to my phone. I tossed some ice cubes into it and drank it down in one gulp once it was cold enough. Then I went into the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes, leaving them in a pile by the sink. I took a shower quickly, then dried myself off and got dressed in shorts. I brushed my teeth and headed back into the bedroom.

I fell asleep within minutes.

***

I woke up to my alarm ringing to the tune of 'I Got You Babe' by Sonny & Cher, I had it set like in the movie Groundhog Day, one of my favourites. I groaned and rolled over, reaching over to switch it off, then my phone buzzed beside it, vibrating on the side-table. I picked it up, seeing it was a message from Danny. He had sent me a link to a pub he'd found that also served food. I checked their page and read some reviews of it, it sounded great for a night out. I answered his message, agreeing to meet him there at seven.

I switched off the alarm and set my phone aside, pulling the covers over myself and falling back asleep. It was a Monday, but I was done with my articles and didn't need to work for a few more days.

I woke up again a few hours later, feeling refreshed. I made some coffee and ate a piece of toast, then sat on the couch and watched TV. Eventually, it was five thirty and I hopped into the shower, cleaning myself off. I put on some clean clothes and made my way to the pub.

I got there just before seven, finding Danny already seated at the bar. He was drinking a pint of draft lager. "Hey!" he smiled, waving me over. "Look who finally showed up."

"Hey Danny." I greeted him, grabbing a stool at the end of the bar and struggling to sit down on it. "How can you manage to sit on these things?"

"They're not that bad," he smirked, "if you've got the legs for it."

"I guess you're right." I laughed and turned to the bartender. "What do you recommend?"

"The Irish red ale is pretty good." she suggested. "Or you can always try one of our craft beers."

"Irish red ale please." I ordered, nodding to her. "And a double shot of espresso."

She nodded and went to fetch my drinks. I turned back to Danny. "So how's your day been?"

"Not too bad." he answered. "Worked on some drone software. Not much else to say, I'm programming the onboard AI. How about yours?"

"I did nothing all day and it was glorious. I might have to make this a regular thing."

"Living that vegetable life." Danny chuckled.

"You should try it sometime." I replied. "It's surprisingly easy to maintain."

"I'll give it a try." he agreed. "If I can find a job that pays me to sit on my ass doing fuck all."

"That's the dream, right?" I laughed. The bartender brought my drinks and I downed the espresso and tried the beer, it was really good.

"Oh, you know it." he agreed, clinking his pint glass against mine. "Cheers."

"Cheers." I echoed.

Danny turned serious for a moment. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." he said, looking me in the eye.

I frowned, surprised at the sudden change in topic. "Sure, what's up?"

He sighed and leaned forward. "I've been seeing someone recently, and I think it's serious. I met her last month and she's amazing."

I nodded, sipping my beer. "That's great." I said, trying to keep the disappointment off my face. I wasn't sure why Danny would keep her from me, but I felt a bit hurt.

"I know, right?" he exclaimed, grinning. "I was kind of nervous because she's way out of my league. Her name is Audrey, she works in finance and owns her own condo in Manhattan, and she's really smart. I mean, she's a genius."

"Sounds like she's perfect for you." I nodded.

"Sorry for not mentioning her sooner." he apologized. "I wanted to make sure I wasn't rushing into anything."

"It's fine." I assured him. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks man." he grinned. Then he turned serious again. "There's something else. She's coming here tonight and she's bringing a friend."

I froze. Oh boy. Women were a sore spot for me, a really sore spot. I dated really little and only had one relationship, which had ended tragically. I was terribly shy with women and could barely hold a conversation without sounding like a caveman. Danny knew about this, of course, so I felt like a deer in his headlights, I hated that he was blindsiding me like that.

"Look dude," he continued, "I know what you're thinking now. But it's okay, I promise."

I sighed and shook my head. "No, it's not, I'll make an ass of myself."

"No, no, I can assure you, it will be fine." he insisted. "I've seen her friend before. Trust me, she's a cool chick. And she's mad cute, too."

I was hyperventilating, trying to calm myself down. "Maybe I should go..."

"I know you're scared of meeting new people, but this is important to me. So please, don't shut me out."

"Fuck you dude, you don't get to pull shit like that!" I replied, glaring at him. I wanted to get up and leave.

"Joe!" He admonished me. "You're being a fucking asshole right now." His tone softened. "I'm sorry, I should've told you earlier, but you wouldn't have agreed. It's time to go out of your comfort zone, bro."

I sighed heavily. No point arguing with him. "Fine." I conceded. "I'll do it." He was right, I needed a push, and Danny had never steered me wrong, though I made a mental note to bring it up the next time we were on the rooftop.

He smiled, clapping me on the shoulder. "You'll love them both. Come on, let's move to a table."

We made our way through the crowd and sat at an empty booth near the back. It was a nice night out, and the place was packed. I glanced around nervously, unsure of what to say when they arrived. They were going to be here any minute.

I looked over and saw Danny staring at his phone. I followed his gaze and realized he was texting. I gave him a look and he glanced up, smiling sheepishly at me for a moment. "She just let me know they're here" He said.

A minute later, a tall woman wearing a red sundress and black heels approached our table. She was blonde, with a lean body and blue eyes. She was smiling, holding the hand of an even taller woman with short and wavy dark hair and ebony skin. She was wearing a thin leather jacket and a white t-shirt with black jeans.

"Audrey, this is Joe, my best friend." Danny got up and spoke, turning to the blonde. "Joe, this is Audrey, my girlfriend."

She extended her hand towards me as I got up as well, smiling warmly at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you." she said.

"Likewise." I replied lamely. I felt a tension climb up my spine as her warm smile lingered on me.

"This is Denise." Danny introduced the brunette. "Denise, this is my friend Joe."

"Hi." The girl responded, smiling. She seemed friendly, but I could feel my nerves flaring. I was thankful for the alcohol. I took a sip of beer.

"Thanks for coming, girls." Danny said, gesturing to the open seats. They moved to take them and I sat down awkwardly as well. I was facing Denise, while Danny was facing his girlfriend.

"So, Joe, Danny tells me you work at a magazine?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, it's called The Review." I confirmed.

"Oh yeah?" she said, taking another sip of her drink. "What's it about?"

"Well, we cover all kinds of things," I explained. "Articles about science, philosophy, food, anything that's of interest."

"What are you working on now?" Denise asked?

I took another sip of my beer. "Not much, a series of articles about pasta sauces and their history."

Audrey smiled. "Pasta's my favorite thing!" she exclaimed. "I love Italian food!"

"Speaking of Italian food, he's also writing a book on that." Danny interjected. "A weird one, but a book nonetheless."

"What kind of weird book is that?" Denise asked.

I felt my heart skip. "It's about Italian cuisine and Stoicism."

"Really?" Audrey replied. "That's fascinating."

I nodded, sipping my beer, my face flushed. I studied Denise, trying to get a read on her. She had a cute smile, and her eyes were bright and intelligent. I was trying to determine what she thought of me, but I had a hard time reading her. She had a cute nose ring, black lipstick and overall a sexy goth vibe about her, it made her seem mysterious. And despite the fact that she was shorter than me by a few inches, she still seemed intimidating.

"So, have you guys eaten yet?" Danny asked. "Do you want to order?"

"I heard they have good burgers here." Audrey suggested. "I'd be game for that."

"Okay." Danny agreed. "I'm in too."

The waitress came over and we placed our orders. Even though I had no appetite, I ordered a burger as well. Denise went for a salad, explaining that she's not much of a meat eater. We waited for our food to arrive as the conversation continued.

"Where did you two meet?" I asked Danny and Audrey.

"We met at work, I work at a bank and Danny was doing some security consulting there." Audrey explained. "We started talking and hit it off immediately. Three days later, we went on our first date."

"And then we just kept going." Danny added. "There was no looking back after that."

While Audrey and Danny went over the story of their first date, I glanced at Denise. She was watching me with a blank look, her expression unreadable. Did I do something wrong? Was I boring her?

I became self-conscious and picked at my burger, feeling a bit awkward. "So, what do you do?" I asked her hesitantly, as soon as Danny and Audrey were done with their story.

"I'm a photographer." she replied coldly.

My breath caught in my throat. I hadn't expected that tone. "Wow, that's really interesting." I stammered. "Is it your full time job?"

She nodded. "No, part time." she replied.

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was going horribly. What the hell was I doing? Why couldn't I just be cool and normal like Danny?

"Do you want to go outside and smoke?" she asked me, breaking the silence.

I stared at her for a moment. "Uhm...sorry, I don't smoke." I replied. "But thanks for asking."

Her face darkened a bit. "It's okay." she got up and left.

"Wait, I'll join you." Audrey said. "I don't mind smoking."

They walked outside and I sat there with Danny, overcome with anxiety. I gulped down more beer.

"Dude, relax." Danny said. "You're freaking out over nothing."

"I know." I admitted. "I'm just nervous."

"Relax, bro." he advised. "You know she wanted to talk to you alone, right?"

"Why didn't she say it like that?" I added, feeling stupid. "I hate those subtle hints."

"Is this your first time talking to a woman? Come on bro." he laughed. "You're killing me here."

I sighed and leaned back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, man." he smiled. "Talk to her. Ask for her number."

I shook my head. "I don't think that would be appropriate. Besides, I'm not even sure if I like her enough."

He chuckled. "Come on, where's the Joe from last night, cracking jokes and sharing facts?"

"I don't know." I sighed. "I've been trying to be cool and calm, but I'm not sure it's working."

"It's not about being cool." he assured me. "Just be yourself."

"I am being myself!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "This is so fucking hard!"

"You just need to relax." he said soothingly. "You're overthinking it."

"Fuck, I need more booze, I'm way too sober for this." I got up and went to the bar. I ordered two shots and downed both without breathing. It felt like someone had just injected fire into my veins.