To Each Their Own

by Roland Goity

Breaking up is hard to do, Mia, yet here we are. Now that the emotional impact is over, it’s time to figure out who gets what. 

Some things are easy. Like the plants, the CD collection. The books, the consumer electronics. The furniture, the framed artwork. That kind of shit. 

Not to mention the friends. You keep yours from before, I’ll keep mine. The only ones in question might be Ross and Emily, as well as J.T. You take the couple—they share your admiration for Rilo Kiley and your enthusiasm for shopping at Crate & Barrell. I’ll take J.T.—he recognizes the importance of top-shelf sweet vermouth in concocting the perfect Manhattan.

After that, it gets tough. Since we’ve agreed it’s best to avoid running into each other, the places we frequented should be divvied up too. Here’s my crack at it:

Coffee Shops

• Café de la Lune—With a name that slides off the tongue and Parisian-inspired décor, it’s easy to see why this spot has become so popular. Whenever we’d go, we’d always run into your girlfriends or your marketing colleagues from work. It’s loud, brightly lit, and home to juicy gossip, so it’s right up your alley. For me, however, it’s a glorified Starbucks. Voila, it’s yours!
• The Tortured Artiste—You called this place a morgue and always shivered upon walking in. True, it’s dark and dingy, and eerily quiet. Lots of patrons with nose rings and purple hair, working on laptops and giving the stink-eye to anyone angling for a cheery conversation. However, their breakfast burritos are the bomb, the perfect hangover recipe. You never really appreciated my need to express myself creatively so I’d bolt our place for this coffee shop to work out tunes and lyrics. As I told you, I won’t be a book buyer forever. Someday you’ll tell people you knew me when. This one’s mine. 

Restaurants/Bars

• La Cucina—While I like their martinis, you LOVE their priciest wines. As a result, my credit rating took a hit after many a visit. Plus, I’m a keto diet guy, and there isn’t much on the menu besides the pasta and pizzas you adore. A fellow can only have ossobuco so much. La Cucina is yours (and I’ll throw in L’Auberge too—too rich for my taste).  
• Tio Tequila—When I think “festive,” I think of Tio Tequila. My twenty-fifth birthday celebration there was unforgettable. The bartender poured me shot after shot on the house, and all my friends whooped and hollered as the mariachi band serenaded me with “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” I’ll never forget the kiss we shared with everyone watching once the band stopped playing. For me, that was truly a special moment. Tio Tequila is mine.

Movie Theaters

• The Tivoli—This is where things began to unravel. After the last film we saw, you said the ballplayer protagonist’s drinking reminded you of your father, reminded you of me. You feared we were together because you were trying to set things straight with your father. Just the sight of the Tivoli’s marquee would resurrect memories of that awful discussion for me. Therefore, you take the Tivoli.
• The Regency—This is the theater that plays classics, where I saw Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction three times each, and you “suffered through” Pulp Fiction once, and avoided Goodfellas altogether. They offer red rope licorice as long and thick as a hangman’s noose. They serve cocktails in generous glasses and have plush reclining faux-leather seats. Plus, they host live music performances, so I aim to play there one day soon. I get the Regency. 

Gyms/Fitness Centers

• High Point Fitness—Ah, memories. Here’s the place where it all started. As I admitted, Mia, the first thing about you that caught my eye was your amazing glutes, sculped to perfection, as you lay prone on the lying leg curl machine. But it was after working up the nerve to say something and seeing your dimpled smile, accented by the cute little birthmark at the corner of your mouth, that really hooked me. We saw each other again there on the Sunday morning that followed, left together for an impromptu brunch, and the rest was history. High Point was our home away from home and I’d never felt better. It was more than just a workout “high.” It was being around you. As hard as it is to let this one go, I’ll let you have it. I’ll keep the wonderful memories.
• Workout Foundry—This place is a chain I hear, but new to our town. Reasonably affordable and decent equipment according to social media apps. I got dibs on this one, I guess. Maybe it will give me a fresh start.

There are other public venues to consider. However, we shouldn’t need to go over things like which parks to visit. We’re free adults after all and both love the outdoors, Forest Canyon especially. Except you like going clockwise on its loop trail while I prefer the counter-clockwise route. Perhaps we’ll coincidentally meet again at the top one day, Mia, having each circled there our own way. Maybe we’ll share a long, satisfying hug, catch up briefly, then gaze out over the valley as clouds billow overhead and the sun descends to the horizon. 

Roland Goity lives in Issaquah, WA, where the summers are spectacular and the winters are made for writing. Recent stories of his appear or are forthcoming in Poor Yorick, Litbreak, Bright Flash Literary Review, the Scop, Freshwater Literary Journal, and the Literary Hatchet.