“They’re really cool. They met when the guy from Browerton was studying abroad, so I guess shit like this happens.”
“At least you were able to salvage your weekend.”
Alex giggled. He could hear him bring the phone closer. “That’s not all I did.”
Brennan’s eyes widened, wondering if the words gay orgy were going to fall out of Alex’s mouth.
“The next night, I hopped a flight to Amsterdam with them. They were going to meet up with their friends who also went to Browerton because one of them was competing in an international robotics competition. It’s so easy to travel here! The flight was like an hour.”
“Did you get high? Are you still high?”
“Even better. I went to the Red Light District. And I had sex. With a prostitute.”
And there it was. The direction this story was going. No, Brennan did not havefuck a hookeron the Alex Thanksgiving Weekend bingo card.
“You had sex with a prostitute,” Brennan repeated, making sure he heard right.
“Actually three. And we should probably be calling them sex workers.”
“At the same time?”
“No. That was too expensive. I had sex with one, went to a few bars, saw a sex show, then got another one. And then before my flight the next morning, I ran over to the district for one more. There’s girls in the windows twenty-four hour a day. It’s just like CVS.”
Brennan sat on his bed, processing that his best friend, Alex Warner, from the heartland of America, whose mom served home cooked dinners with a glass of milk, who wanted to change the world, fucked not one, not two, but three sex workers. Perhaps that did track with a desire to go into politics.
“It’s legal here!”
“I know, I know. Wow.” Brennan scratched at his head in disbelief. The elation in Alex’s voice was infectious. He had no regrets. “Good for you, buddy.”
“I also went to the Anne Frank House.”
“Then that makes up for everything.” They broke out laughing, and it felt good to hear Alex in such good spirits. Brennan remained in shock over the story -- all of it. He really thought Alex and Rosie were going to be the next political powerhouse couple.
“What a weekend,” Brennan said.
“I changed my flight to fly back from Amsterdam. I’m going to have to do a lot of explaining to my parents.”
Brennan did not envy him that. It was one of the few benefits to not being close with his parents.
“Speaking of, they have an extra ticket to Cliff’s game tomorrow night. I know you’re at school. Did you want to go?”
He hadn’t spent time alone with Arthur and Wendy Warner. That could be awkward. He’d also get to see Cliff’s arms in a basketball jersey. While sitting next to Arthur and Wendy Warner. Also awkward, but tempting.
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“On what? I already floated the idea by them, and they’re cool with it. The Whitetails could use the support. We’re playing Canadensis College, our rival. They’ve beaten us the past five years in a row.”
Brennan was too new to Browerton and too whatever about sports to care about the rivalry. He’d go to support Cliff and watch him in all his glory on the court. He could put on his good parent face for a few hours. “Sure.”
“I’ll let them know. Oh, and don’t tell them about this. Any of it. Rosie, Ben the i-banker, Amsterdam.”
“I won’t utter a word.” He held up his hand as if he were on the witness stand.
“They really liked Rosie, and they’re not good with change.”
Brennan’s stomach tightened. If they couldn’t take this news well, how would they react to Cliff being gay?
23
