Blog Love Omega Glee: Manuel In The Morning (17 March 2012)

Francine wakes with a throbbing head, opens her eyes, puts her right hand on her forehead, and groans. She went out last night after work drinking with coworkers, venturing to the Irish pub around the corner from Yaws, where a Pogues cover band was drunkenly playing, stumbling to last call. After that she remembers pints of Guinness, green vomit in the street, and not much else. She rolls over to go back to sleep, but bumps into something. Something warm.

Manuel lies in the bed, sprawled out, tattoos and piercings spilling out from underneath the blankets.
"Oh, no, not again," Francine says.

Manuel turns and looks at her, "Oh, yes, Happy St. Patrick's Day!"

He sits up and kisses her. The blankets fall off to the side of the mattress, confirming to Francine that they're both naked. Francine pushes him away, "Manuel! We said we weren't going to do this again. Last time, you followed me around at work the next day, serenading me with songs by The Cure, and we almost both got fired."

Manuel tucks a pillow behind him and leans back, rubbing his face and yawning, "I know, I know. I'll be cool this time. We just both needed it last night I guess. We're--what do you call it?--friends with benefits."

"I'd call it fuck buddies, or drunken idiots, but friends with benefits works too. Anyway, it's not going to happen again," Francine says, getting up, and scanning the floor for her underwear.

"We say that every time," Manuel says, gazing at the window, "Hey, it looks early still, you want to catch some kegs and eggs for breakfast?"

"Ugh, no. I don't even want to think about alcohol. Nor eggs. Especially my egg. Did we use a condom?" Francine asks, then points at Manuel's penis, "Can you even get a condom over those piercings without it ripping?"

"Yeah, I always use a condom," Manuel says, "I already have three kids, and work two jobs to support them. I don't want to have any more. Although we'd have a cute kid."

Manuel reaches over for Francine, but she glides away from him and pulls on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, making a mental note to take a Plan B emergency contraception pill after Manuel leaves. He notes the clock, which reads 11:43, and asks, "Is that right? I have to pick up my kids to take them to the parade downtown."

"It's right, Dad."

"Shit! I promised them, and we can't miss it."

"What's the big deal? You might be a few minutes late, but you'll make it. Are they in it or something? You aren't even Irish; I thought you were Puerto Rican."

"I am, but everybody's Irish today. You wanna come?"

"Already did I think, wish I could remember for sure though."

"Ha! No, seriously dude, it's the last parade," Manuel says, hurriedly scooping up his clothes from the floor and putting them on.

"The last parade? Why?"

"Because it's 2012, and the world's going to end before the next one."

"Hmm . . . I don't know if I believe that."

"I'll bet you."

"Manuel, if that happens, I'll hook up with you again next St. Patrick's Day."

"Cool!" Manuel smiles, then the expression fades to puzzlement as logic slowly swims across the sea of remaining alcohol in his brain, "Hey, wait a minute . . ."

Blog Love Omega Glee is a novel by Wred Fright about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart, which is being serialized on his blog. To start reading from the beginning or read another installment, please visit Blog Love Omega Glee Central on WredFright.Com. If you like what you've read, or you've read all of Blog Love Omega Glee and want more Fright, then please read his first novel, which is available in print and as an ebook.