13 || Hanging Out With Obama

                                    

                                          
WE STAND OUTSIDE MY apartment door together a couple hours later.
"Thanks for dropping me off, you really didn't need to."
"India." His accent sounds thick. He stares at me with his eyebrow perched.
I groan.
"You're never going to let that slide now are you..."
Harry laughs – no trace of the earlier sadness that was dousing his presence.
 I don't think I could ever get tired of that laugh.
"Well, hopefully Jalen feels better now. He looked awful the last time I saw him." I comment as I put my key in the door.
"Who's Jalen?" Harry asks right when I twist the handle.
"India Marie Richards, I don't care if you're hanging out with fucking Barack Obama, you can't randomly disappear for hours like you some member of the Illuminati or some shit!" Jalen yells from the hall but stops abruptly when he sees who is at the door.
 "Oh – oh damn. My bad." He pulls back. 
"Jalen..." I say slowly, "This is Harry. Harry this is Jalen." 
Jalen waves his hand lamely while Harry nods and approaches him with his arm out. 
"Nice to meet you. I'm Harry." 
Jalen looks like he's doing everything he possibly can to hold himself together while he grasps Harry's hand.
"Pleasure is mine! Indi and I are partners." He moves his fingers, gesturing between me and himself.
Harry's eyebrows furrow slightly. 
I watch awkwardly as the realization slowly dawns on Jalen's face.
"Oh no – not like that. I mean partners on this project. We live together though! But it's because we're co-workers. Not at all like – you know, well I bat for the other team if you know what I'm saying. So, she's not my type. I'm dating. She's single though, so there's that I guess." He fumbles clumsily through his words.
I pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, waiting painfully as I watch the fatal train wreck occurring right in front of me. 
"Cool, well yea, nice to meet you." 
"I just want to say, I really appreciate all the love for the LGBTQ  community man. We really admire your advocacy." Jalen steadily recovers from his word vomit.
"Oh, yea mate, of course. I mean, I don't think it's something that should have to be advocated for – to be yourself, or be attracted to who you're attracted to. The fact that it's even necessary is a bit mental to me."
"Yea man, you're preaching to the choir." 
"Okay, well," I finally interrupt one of the more painful interactions I've experienced. "Glad that you two got to meet. But Jalen – me and you need to catch up on some work now that it seems like you're feeling better." 
"Is that your polite way of saying I'm falling behind?"
"It's fine, I better get going too." Harry adds. I follow him as he turns around and makes his way back toward the front of the apartment.
"If you're ever bored and want to hang, you've got an open invitation here whenever you want!" Jalen hollers from the kitchen before Harry reaches the door. 
He smiles, once again revealing the small indent in his cheek while he tilts his head in acknowledgment. We step through the doorway into the hall outside and I stay with him for a couple steps.