Could Not Understand

Bob was by the bar, ordering beers for the table. As he was waiting, he looked across the crowd to catch a glimpse of Gina. The table was well visible and illuminated, like a stage. Gina was the center of it, with her radiant smile and joyful hair. She was laughing at something one of the guys was saying. All the men looked like her court, ready to amuse. If there was danger, they would form a wall to protect her. Bob smiled at the thought.

Then he thought about how handsome they all were, so much different from his scrawny self. And they were interesting, too. Mike ran his own software company, Ralph and Jake were tattoo artists, other Ralph was a painter, and Jamal traveled the world. Whatever Bob had to show for himself, looked really bleak in comparison. And what kind of a name was Bob anyway?

He picked the beers up and marched back to the table, his back hunched a little.

”And then I grabbed it and ran to the top of the mountain,” said first Ralph, “I was never so tired in my whole life.”

Everybody laughed.

”Wow,” said Bob, “I don’t think I could run to the top of a mountain. I couldn’t run a mile on flat ground if my life depended on it."

"I’m sure you could,” said first Ralph.

”Yeah, what are talking about, man,” said Mike, “You look really fit."

"I’m not, really. I’m just skinny. I don’t have time to go to the gym, working a dead-end job.”

Gina was looking at him with sympathy. The guys regrouped, each looking for a change of topic.

”Hey,” Bob said in a jocular tone, “I don’t even know how you can be with me, Gina. I mean, you could pick any of these guys.”

She smiled. “Simple,” she said, and then she lifted her index fingers to show the length of a big penis and everybody laughed. Bob was lucky that time, but he felt Gina was running out of jokes.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk