Just Do It Man: Creative Fiction
“I’m right here for you sweetheart, come on!” He says, holding his arms out to catch her. It’s a beautiful summer day in the English Channel, the sun is finally out, but it’s windy and the waves hit the side of the changing hut.
“No, it’s so cold, why did you bring me out here?” She says, playfully laughing.
“Don’t you trust me?” He says, getting closer to her.
“A face like that? No, absolutely not.” She says, teasing him, but wanting to be closer.
“Come, I promise, I won’t let you down.” He says earnestly looking at her.
She takes his hand, then takes a step down.
And then Jerry’s Mac turns on, with its blaring echo, letting you know that it’s booting up just fine. He’s blinded by the monitors’ bright lights whacking him in the face and creating his shadow against the wall behind him.
It’s cold in the basement. His office is a perfect cube, shelves filled with action figures of his favourite video game characters. When he got his first “real job” his mother bought him a glass case, where he keeps his most prized collectibles.
He stares at this postcard of a man reaching out to a woman. The fantasy changes every day, but it’s always on the English Channel. Sometimes, they’re husband and wife, other times, they’ve only been on a few dates together.
His mother gave it to him when she travelled to England. She thought it “quaint.” She said, “Honey, look weird bathing suits they wore back then. Isn’t that strange? Nowadays women flaunt their bits. Maybe we should go back in time to when women had more dignity.” She never… Stops… Talking.
She was right about one thing: going back in time would be nice, dating seemed to be a lot easier then. Jerry loves love, but doesn’t know how to say what he means.
He’s been talking to Jessica on Hinge now for a few weeks. It’s new for him, he’s not used to this much attention. He hasn’t asked her out on a date yet. He still wonders: how long is it going to take for her to ghost me now that she knows I’m a huge fucking dork who programs during the day and games at night?
Last night, she said the magic words he’s been waiting for a while to hear: “I like you, Jerry.” His face felt tingly, he hasn’t smiled that bright at a screen in years.
He deliberates: Should I just do it? What if she ends up hating me… I can’t live in fear of this anymore. Screw it. I need to do this.
Jerry marches upstairs. His mother is in the kitchen, making him a sandwich with the crusts cut off. He takes a deep breath.
“Mom, I can’t do this anymore. I’m moving out. I need my own space.”