Chapter Text
"Can you believe that he had the audacity to say that the only reason why he cheated on me was that he wanted to try something younger than me," Nile said while gesturing with her hands. "Am I really that old at 24?"
Nile stopped pacing and looked at her best friend Joe, who was laying on the sofa trying to deal with hangovers.
"No dear, you're not," Joe replied. "So, what did you do when he uttered that remark? Set fire to his priced car?"
Joe saw the very satisfied look in Nile's eyes.
"No you didn't," Joe said as the blanket fell down on the floor. "You called his mother."
"Not his mother," Nile replied even more satisfied before she looked to the side. " Joe, please use a pillow or take your pants on."
Joe had a habit of walking around naked in his flat because it made him make better art as he called it. So he and Nile had a long time ago made the agreement, that if he wanted to be naked while she was around, he should at least cover his private parts with something.
"Sorry," Joe said as he took the big pillow. "What did you do?"
"I just told it to my mother five minutes before Bridge Wednesday," Nile replied. "Let's just say that they didn't play Bridge."
"I'm so proud of you, Nile," Joe said proudly and curled his legs up under him before correcting the pillow. "It was something I would have done."
Joe patted on the sofa cushion next to him and Nile sat down next to him.
"If you're planning on hugging me you should put on pants first," Nile said as she sat down on the sofa. "Remember the last time you tried to hug me without pants?"
"I will and I haven't," Joe replied. The last time Joe did that Nile had thrown her empty cola can after him. "So, wanna join me?"
"In drinking to get over that our ex-boyfriends are stupid?" Nile asked. "Why not but couldn't we do it somewhere as far away from here?"
"A new venue? That is a brilliant idea," Joe replied. "Do you have a place in mind?"
"Actually a city," Nile replied. "Rome, I got two weeks off and I always wanted to see the city after you keep on talking about your trip 5 years ago."
"Yet another brilliant idea," Joe replied with a big smile. "I know this great gay club."
"Of course you do but I'm not gay," Nile replied. "And I haven't forgotten the last one you dragged me to one and they thought I was a Drag Queen."
Joe couldn't hold back a full body laughter which resulted in him having to correct the pillow.
"At least it gave us free drinks," Joe said with a smirk which made Nile hit him with another pillow. "About the gay club in Rome. It's one of the most trendy clubs in Rome. Everyone goes there."
"Fine," Nile replied. "But you have to take me to that place with the pizza you can't stop talking about,"
"We'll make it the main course of the day," Joe promised. "Do you mind taking my laptop unless you want me to do it?"
"No, I can only handle seeing you naked once a day," Nile replied as she stood up to get it. "What are you planning to do?"
"Buying plane tickets and reserve hotel rooms for us before we get drunk," Joe replied. "Because tomorrow we'll forget all about it."
"Good to know you got a plan," Nile said. "But couldn't it be a flat or something? I just don't fancy sleeping alone in a hotel room in a foreign city."
"Got it. Safety first," Joe replied. "So, should we have some rules in case we're dragging handsome Italian men with us home?"
"I'm nowhere ready for a new boyfriend this soon, but if you want to have fun then do it," Nile replied and when Joe saw the tears in her eyes, he placed the laptop on the floor next to the blanket which he wrapped around his waist before he pulled Nile into his embrace.
"He isn't worth your tears, precious girl," Joe said as he placed a kiss on Nile's temple. "If he can't appreciate you, he doesn't deserve you."
"Thanks, Joe," Nile replied. "But it still hurts to be called old."
"If you want I can set fire to his priced car and call it a happening," Joe offered which made Nile smile.
"It wasn't his car that cheated on me," Nile replied.
"True but still. Just say the word and I will do it," Joe said and gave her a wink.
"I don't doubt it," Nile replied. "But enough about me. How are you coping?"
"Starting to consider calling my 2 week hangover for a happening," Joe replied. "But let me tell you this: I'm also nowhere ready for a new boyfriend this soon."
"Why is it we have such bad taste in men?" Nile wanted to know. "I mean your ex wanted to have an orgy and my ex cheated on me."
"As I stated before, it's them who doesn't appreciate us and what we had," Joe replied. "And who knows maybe men in Rome are different than men in Chicago."
"Right now I doubt it," Nile replied. "But there is only one way to find out and that is to go to Rome. Did you find the plane tickets?"