Relapse

Rick wakes up in a haze. For a moment, he doesn't know where he is. Then he sees his living room TV right in front of him. He’s still wearing his clothes from last night. He fell asleep sitting in his living room chair. He needs to check his phone to confirm it’s Sunday morning.

He had been so good too. He hadn't been to the bar in well over a month. He hadn't been to the Decatur Asian Spa in well over 6 months. He was focusing on work and the gym. He was going on 5-mile runs in the woods. His fortress of solitude made him invincible. He was at peace. He was inching closer and closer to breaking the platonic headlock with Claire, the love of his life. Progress all around.

Then Mark came back from war on Friday afternoon. He had spent the better part of the last 6 months in Ukraine, signing up to fight in a war he didn't need to fight. Mark had been a soldier all his life. After the first war, he couldn't adjust back to civilian life. So he went back to the battlefield to do the only thing he knew how to do.

Mark is like the hot girlfriend that treats you bad. You know he’s not good for you, but the highs are just so high. He wanted to go out, and Rick had no choice but to oblige.

Well, 48 hours later and here’s where Rick finds himself, waking up in his chair with the biggest headache of his life. He has no clue what to do. He feels helpless. He begins to cry.

Why is he crying? And where’s Mark anyway? Didn't he crash last night? And didn’t Claire?

Rick remembers seeing Claire out back on Friday. He had already been so fucked up. She sent him a Snapchat telling him where she was, so he did the only thing he could think of in his drunken stupor: he went to her.

She was on a date! The whore! He thought she was there with a friend, but no, she was there with a man. He was so embarrassed, but he decided to put on his best happy face. Of course, nothing had happened between Rick and Claire, but he assumed that they both assumed that something eventually would.

On Saturday he had been drinking with Mark all day, with a little Top Golf mixed in. Afterward, he couldn't fucking get rid of Mark. No matter where he went, there Mark was, like the bogeyman. So, he decided it was best to invite both Claire and him over for drinks at his place. More drinks, exactly what Rick needed.

Now it’s the morning after and both are gone. They had left without thinking of saying goodbye. Maybe that's why Rick is crying now. Who does that? You crash at someone's place, you say goodbye in the morning, that's just common courtesy. This entire weekend had Rick feeling like a cheap hooker on Sunday morning.

Speaking of, where did Mark go? Where did Clare go? He decided it was best to get in his car and drive.

He drives by the kids playing in the playground in his neighborhood. He drives by his local church with a large gathering of well-dressed people in the front. He gets on the highway and heads to the Decatur Asian Spa. Home sweet home.

"Oh my, Rick! We haven't seen you in so long. We've missed you!" says the madame as she runs over to give Rick a hug.
"I have missed you too."
"It's been too long, you can go get comfortable in room 1."

"Send in two girls, Gloria."
"Two?!"
"Yeah."
"Why, you have quite the appetite!"
"I have a lot of sins to repent for."