Takeaway (Excerpt)

     The Oxford Dictionary defines Pizza as "a dish of Italian origin, consisting of a flat round base of dough baked with a topping of tomatoes and cheese, typically with added meat, fish or vegetables." Various definitions from Urban Dictionary range from "a delicious round piece of dough that comes in strange boxes for some reason" to "Greatest food ever. Otherwise known as the 7th food group and most needed." It is universally accepted that pizza brings people together. That when you feel alone, pizza is your friend. For those in the know, pizza is also a codename for drugs. Everybody loves pizza, that is unless you have an allergy or just plain weird.

Friday 6.15pm, M. Smith, 14 Coronation Crescent, Penzance TR18 . Order: One Large Margherita. One Large Pepperoni. One Gluten Free Hawaiian. 1 portion of chicken strips. 1 portion of chips. 2 litre of Coca-Cola.

     Maureen yells up the stairs. "Dinner's ordered AND we are eating as a family tonight." Silence. "...You hear me?"

Silence.

     When did they stop responding?

     She expected that of Clarissa and James as they were teenagers in every sense of the word. Michael is what hurt the most. He was only seven and lately had stopped wanting to follow her around the kitchen. Ever since Colin bought him that iPad, it was app this and Dad that.

     iPads. Smartphones. They were all members of a club that she was excluded from. She knew how to send an email and of course she had a Facebook page, not that her children would accept her friend requests. When did we need approval to be friends?

     Maureen walks on. Past her wedding photo which hung on the wall opposite the understairs cupboard; just before entering the kitchen diner, or as she called it, the hub. She knew that photo by heart. Taken outside Old Marylebone Town Hall. Her and Colin flanked on either side by Kevin and Alice their best friends at the time. Colin wore a Jarvis Cocker inspired suit. She loved his quirkiness then. His sleeves were purposely short, showing off his thin wrists. He had his arm around her. She looked like a brunette Shirley Manson. They were the epitome of London cool in the 90's. The last photo before she found out she was pregnant with Clarissa.

     She remembers how Alice sneered, "Nobody LIVES in Cornwall....Who in bloody hell would want to live in Pen-zance!" The last syllables drawn out as if she was saying something disgusting. Like so many of their London friends, they simply lost touch. Out of sight, out of mind. All they had needed to do was come down and stand here in the hub and they would understand why. The house they bought was not far from the Promenade but high enough that she could look past Jubilee Pool, across the bay and see St Michael's Mount in the distance. A sight that always added a touch of magic when she read fairy tales to Michael; before he stopped wanting to imagine.

     She reaches in her pocket for her mobile and dials Colin.

     "darling...Colin?...How's the journey?" The line was patchy.

     "...train ...slightly de.layed..."

     A sigh of disappointment. " How long?"

     Colin's voice breaks intermittently. "an hour....be...long..er"

     She rolls her eyes. "Well...cancel the taxi...I'll come and pick you up."

     "That... be love..ly...sorry ..bout dinner.... make it up ..this weekend...promise."

     "It would be nice to eat as a family for once..."

     "I know..Maur...listen...the signal is getting really bad...I'll text ..time I...getting in..."

     "Colin...." The signal drops. "I love you." She adds, even if he hadn't heard.

     The silence in the hub becomes stifling. She turns the radio on. "Common People" is halfway through. She moves along to the music, remembering dancing with Colin. She felt free then. "Animal Nitrate" plays next. Flashback: Her and Colin drinking tins of Red Stripe, smoking a spliff on the steps to nowhere at The Hanover Grand. She sings along to the music. Like she once loved too, trying to disguise the lament of youth. The girl who once felt like she ruled London. The girl whose boyfriend played bass in a band before he sold pharmaceuticals.

     "Mum! What you doing?" Her eyes open with the invading sound of teenage monotony. She should feel embarrassed but she is caught in the memory of Maureen Harper, the girl who never cared.

     "Dancing..." She lowers the radio, out of habit more than desire.

     Clarissa looks at her mother with disgust. That youthful disgust that disguises fear. Her judgement is interrupted by the doorbell. She turns around as she says, "so like embarrassing mum....pizzas here!"

     Maureen walks towards the door, calling James and Michael down before opening it and paying for the order. The boys run down the stairs, driven by appetite.

     "Where's dad?" Michael asks, grabbing the bag with the Cola from his mum.

     "Running late." She places the food on the table. James grabs a plate from the cupboard and piles on slices of pizza and chicken strips. "Thanks mum!" He disappears upstairs before she can stop him.

     "ugh...Mum..." Clarissa shouts.

     "Its fine...do what you want.." Maureen cuts her off. Her children fail to hear the disappointment in her voice.

     "Thank you mum." Michael responds, grabbing a slice of pizza and then pouring some cola for himself before leaving.

     "You're listening to Classic 90's on Pirate FM." Even the radio mocks me.

      She grabs her gluten free pizza. The DJ plays Saint Etienne's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." She thinks back to that time Sarah Cracknell had complimented her on her boots at Popstarz; and smiles.

Friday 7.06pm, C. Donnelly, 24 Kings Row, Islington N1. Order: Medium Meat Fiesta with stuffed crust. 1 litre of Sprite.

     "You sure you don't want anything?" Reg asks Christian who is lying with his head towards the foot of the bed. The blanket is just covering his waist. He shakes his head. "Okay, no...that will be all." Reg hangs up.

     He stretches his hand towards Christian's smooth chest. "You sure you're not hungry?"

     "Oh I am...but not for that junk." Christian snaps back in his broad Sydney accent that compliments his golden looks.

     Reg dismisses the comment. "What can I say...a man needs real food after a workout like that." He pats his stomach.

     Christian gets up, revealing his pert bum which Reg can't help but slap. 

     "Ouch...Reg...What the fuck?"

     "Just being playful."

     "Well stop it." He walks out of the bedroom towards the kitchenette, rolling his eyes as Reg causally throws in "happy to kiss it better."

     What his flat lacks in space and amenities, it gains in location. His "one bedroom" flat which by bedroom means an alcove with room for a bed is a far cry from the house in Darling Point he grew up in. Still, at least he's no longer sharing a flat with 5 other Aussies in Acton.

     Reg follows, catching up and wrapping his arms around Christian's youthful waist. His moisturised skin pressing against Christian's naturally soft skin.

     "What's wrong with you?"

      Christian breaks free. "Just hungry." He opens the fridge and takes out a container of leftover tofu noodles.

     "Ugh..how can you eat that?" Reg teases.

     "Me?...at least its homemade...we don't all need to order half the animal kingdom slaughtered and put on pizza."

     Reg bangs his chest as if he's Tarzan. "I'm a growing boy."

    "Grown man you mean." Christian examines Reg, naked. For a guy in his thirties he's still in good shape. He has that sparse chest hair and a loosely defined swimmer's build that reminds him of his old swim coach Mr. Robinson.

    He turns around again and grabs a glass for water. As he fills it up, he looks at his hand, so young compared to Reg's. He looks up at the cupboard. "Simon."

     "What?" Reg remarks, a statement more than a question. He can feel his stomach tighten. Not again. He mumbles to himself.

    "Simon is what's wrong. You asked what was wrong...Simon."

     "Bloody hell Christian! Do you have to ruin a perfectly good night with this??"

     Christian slams his hand against the counter.

     "Christian...don't..."

     "No! Don't Christian me....Perhaps I should bring him up when we're in bed! Would that be more convenient??"

     "Don't be a child." Reg walks back towards the alcove bedroom and puts on his black D&G briefs on. He is no longer feeling sexy enough to stay naked. He sits down on the bed looking towards Christian's direction. Christian, all twenty six years of beauty. Christian who makes him feel young and desired. He runs his fingers through his hair; feeling sorry for himself and thinks momentarily about Simon. What had happened to him? What happened to them?

     Christian calls out to him. "You're not the victim here!"

     Reg knows the answer to this but can't bring himself to say, No...Simon is! He responds the only way he can, "I know."

     Christian walks back into the bedroom and kneels in front of Reg. "I knew you had a boyfriend when this started...I knew what I was getting into...I just didn't expect to fall for you."

     Reg looks away then back into Christian's eyes. They are bright blue, like clear water everyone can see you drown in. "I like you a lot...but...it's complicated."

     "Yea.." He gets up "I'm old enough to fuck but not date...always the same."

     Reg goes after him. "What do you mean? Always the same?"

     "What? Do you think you're special?" Christian smirks, knowing he has the upper hand. "You're not the first married man I've been with."

     "I'm not married."

    "Whatever...close enough...just as pathetic."

     Reg feels his face burning up. "Don't be such a bitch." He searches the floor for his trousers and shirt. He needs to leave. Christian walks toward the kitchenette and continues, " Oh so leaving already...fucking typical."

     "I'm not doing this...not again...you knew the rules."

     "Fuck your rules!" He throws the container of noodles in Reg's direction. Cold noodles splatter across the floor, a few on Reg's toes.

     "Jesus! Are you mental or what?"

     Christian sinks to the floor. "I'm sorry...I just can't Reg....I can't anymore."

     Reg half dressed walks over and sits next to him. He puts his arm around him. Christian is shaking. "Just give me some time."

     Christian remains silent. People always ask for more time when they wanted to dump me, he thinks to himself.

     The intercom buzzes. Reg kisses Christian on the head. "Give me a moment." As he walks down to get the pizza he knows it has gone too far. That none of them are getting out of this one easily.