“Guess what? I bought a car,” Jay s

“Guess what? I bought a car,” Jay said as we walked out of my building.
“Wow, that’s big news. When did you do that?”
“This morning.”
“What, like on a whim?” Was he ever concerned about money? How can someone without a job act the way he does?
“I thought we’d use it today, get out of the city and go for a nice walk.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He led me triumphantly to his new car. A big boat that must have been as old as me. The wheel wells were rusty but otherwise looked okay from the outside. Jay held the door open, and I sat down. There was a small tear in the fabric of my seat, and the inside smelled of musty pine.
He got in the driver’s seat and turned the key. The engine rumbled, and he turned the key again, the beast started. We pulled out into traffic, Jay seemed to know where we were going. As we made a sharp left turn, the sunlight glinted on the face of his watch. A watch that cost more than his car.
As the high-rises of the city faded behind us, I had the overwhelming urge to get out. To run away from all my problems. From Calvin, from my mortgage. From my past with Matt.
I cleared my throat. “We should take off.”
“What do you mean, take off?”
“You know, just go. Keep on driving.”
“For how long?”
“Until we run out of gas money.”
Jay laughed, a sniggering laugh that curled his lip. “We’re not even out of the suburbs.”
“I haven’t been out of the city in months. Maybe even a year.”
“Weird.”
“Right now I want to keep driving. Just us, we could run away.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
“Because we have responsibilities.”
“I’m prepared to abandon mine. What are your responsibilities?”
He was quiet. Either considering my offer or deciding how to tell me I’m nuts. I waited for a response. There was no hurry. There was a gap in the dash where the car’s radio once lived and we drove in silence.
We pulled of the freeway and drove down a country road.
“We’re here,” Jay said, pulling the car into a small parking lot.
A few other cars sat in the parking lot, but we were alone.

We got out of the car, and I drew the clear, country air into my lungs. The perimeter of the parking lot was thick with trees. Jay pulled a backpack out of the trunk, and I followed him through a narrow pathway. We emerged onto a dirt path wide enough to walk side by side.
“Where are we?”
He grabbed my hand then looked at me, smiling. “There’s a lake down here. It’s a nice hike.”
I clasped his hand, loving the feeling of warmth radiating up my arm from his touch. We didn’t feel the need to talk, instead listened to running water in a brook. It was, nice. Beyond nice. Amazing. To be able to walk along with someone without having to say anything, a concept that often came up in the movies I watched but I had never once experienced for myself.
But now, with Jay everything seemed to be changing.
A few people passed us, returning to their cars. All but one of them had loose running dogs.
A little spaniel came along, with no master yet in sight. It came up to me, wagging his tail but sniffing madly at my legs. Circling me again and again, even as I kept walking. It didn't seem possible for sniffing to be so loud. A few moments later Calvin came into view.
My heart stopped, and I froze. Jay must have sensed my reaction, and clutched me close to him, shielding my head with his arms. Through the gap in his hands, I could see Calvin staring at us.
“What a perfect day this has turned out to be.” Calvin said when he’d reached us. Shit, he recognized me. I opened my mouth ready to answer when Jay’s hand pulled my head tighter into his chest, I took it as a signal to stay quiet.
“Afternoon,” Jay said, his voice cold.
“Benji Come!” Calvin called after he’d passed us. The dog ran off, but Jay held me for a few moments longer.
He finally let go. I asked, “Is he gone?”
Jay stood facing the direction of the parking lot but Calvin didn’t reappear.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t believe he was here.”
“I know. What are the chances of running into him?”
He took my hand, and we continued along the path. But I couldn’t stop Jay’s last comment from running through my head. He understood my comment right away, and I wondered if Calvin had been talking to him instead of me.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“No, you told me about him.”
“But, how did you know what he looked like?”
“I could tell by your reaction, you tensed up immediately, I knew it must be him.”