Serious

I sat down next to Abraham at the local bar. "I have a serious question to ask you. We have to talk."

I actually had a serious question to ask him at about 1 o'clock that afternoon when I had the idea, and I'd been waiting until I saw him. I'm not good at waiting when my mind gets stuck on something.

He peered sideways at me cautiously. "We'll talk later when we get home. Not in front of everyone."

I opened my mouth, but he waved a hand at me. "Later," he repeated.

Later was after the bar when we were settled on his couch and watching TV.

"So, I have something serious to ask you."

Abraham paused the TV.

"How permanent are your Memorial Day plans? Can you get out of them? Because--"

He cut me off. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I was told I could invite you with us. Do you want to go?"

Well, yes, I did want to go to the beach with Abraham and his friends, but that didn't solve my problem. I solemnly nodded.

"Okay, we're going together," he said with finality in his voice, like the conversation was over.

"But..."

"That didn't solve what you wanted to talk about?"

"No," I said slowly. "My father is putting the beach house on the market--economy--and I wanted to get a trip in before it sold. So we would have to go in the next month."

He pulled out his calendar and searched for dates. "I can go the weekend before Memorial Day. So we would be going to two different beaches in two states two weeks in a row."

"Okay!"

Abraham stopped and studied me. "That was it? You pulled a 'We need to talk' over you wanting to go to your beach house?"

I shrugged. "It was serious to me."

He snorted and kissed my shoulder.

***

Once again we were at our local bar. I pulled Abraham aside. “I have a serious question to ask you. I'm being serious.”

He sat down on the bar stool. “Okay.”

I swiveled my bar stool toward his until our knees were touching. “I want tacos.”

Going to get tacos was always our code to leave the bar when we first got together. But I was a little drunk, and I actually wanted tacos. There was a difference.

“Where can we get tacos at this hour?” he asked me.

“Taco Bell.”

“How about I leave and pick you up some tacos?” he offered.

“No, that’s too out of your way.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “How about I go to Taco Bell and buy some tacos for myself and while I'm there, get you some?”

“You’re not just getting them for me?”

He rolled his eyes. He was. “No.”

“Okay then.”

***

I sat on Abraham's bed and swung my legs as he unpacked from his trip.

"I have a serious question to ask you."

Abraham smirked as he reached into his suitcase and started pulling out crumpled socks one by one and tossing them into his laundry pile on the floor. He’s realized my serious questions aren't serious to anyone but me.

"No! This is a super serious question. The most serious of serious questions."

Abraham never stopped unpacking. "What is it?"

"Can I keep a change of clothes here?"

"Oh! Of course you can!" He paused as he crossed the room and put some t-shirts into a pile. "That's a serious question?"

"That would freak some people out," I said flatly.

"Ooh, I'm so freaked out," he taunted.

"Well I'm glad you said yes because I brought some just in case you agreed."

Abraham laughed. Of course I would already have my stuff with me.

I hopped off the bed and did my own unpacking.