Chapter Five - Boundaries

I was the designated driver for the night since I wasn't huge into social drinking, so Pam and Eric both got beers while I got a coke, then we found a booth to sit in while we waited on a couple more people to show up. Pam flirted mercilessly with Eric, and to my surprise, he flirted right back. I hadn't pegged him for the kind of guy that would go for someone like Pam, but if that was what made him happy, then more power to him. I only hoped that it wouldn't go bad and ruin any friendships.

When Pam got up to use the bathroom, I noticed that Eric was tapping his had to the beat of the music. It almost startled me, so I got his attention and asked him how he knew the beat of the song. As soon as I asked the answer hit me, and I felt dumb. The bass sent vibrations through the floor, and he could feel it.

To answer me, he got up and came around to sit next to me. He used his foot to tap the top of mine to tell me to keep them planted on the floor, then he placed his hand on top on mine on the table and began patting it with the beat he felt. I focused on the vibrations in my feet, and even though it was faint to me, it was still there. I assumed it would seem much stronger to him since he didn't have his hearing.

"What are you two doing?" Pam asked when she got back near the end of the song.

"Eric is showing me how he hears music," I said with a big smile at him. I loved learning more about how he experienced things I took for granted.

"Well then he can show me how he dances to it," she said, and pulled him out of the booth and onto the dance floor.

They were in the middle of the song when Tray and Amelia showed up with Amelia's friend Felicia in tow. Felicia and Amelia were friends with occasional benefits, and Amelia and Tray were both Pam's fuck buddies. It was a complicated and dramatic circle of confusion. Personally, I always thought there was mad chemistry between Tray and Amelia, but they insisted that they were just friends.

"Where's Pam?" Amelia asked.

I pointed to the dance floor.

"Who the hell is that?" Tray asked as he sat down.

"His name is Eric, he's my friend, and he's deaf. He can read lips pretty well though, so just don't talk too fast when you speak to him," I explained.

"He's deaf?" Felicia asked, and I nodded. "That's a shame. He's really hot."

"What, you mean him being deaf makes you not attracted to him?" I asked. That was completely ridiculous.

"Well yeah. How's he supposed to hear my demands in bed?"

"Felicia..." Tray sighed. "Shut up."

"What? I'm just saying-"

"Felicia!" Amelia snapped. "Why don't you go get us some beer?"

"Fine," she huffed, then stomped off to the bar.

Felicia was a bit like the dark horse of our little group of friends. None of us really enjoyed her company, but she'd been friends with Amelia since they were kids, so we just dealt with her.

When the song ended, Eric and Pam came back to the table full of smiles.

"Everyone, this is my friend Eric, and Eric, this is Amelia, and this is Tray," I said, pointing at the two in question. Eric smiled and shook both their hands, and Amelia scooted over so he could sit down.

"Do you want another beer?" Pam asked Eric, and he nodded as he finished off his first.

Ten or fifteen later, and Pam was hanging all over Eric in the backseat of our car, giggling and nudging my seat with her knee as she made out with Eric's neck. He was drunk as a skunk, and not really reciprocating, but not stopping her either.

As soon as we all got into the apartment, I took Eric's car keys. The way Pam was going he was going to stay the night anyway, but I wasn't taking any chances. It didn't take long for them to disappear into Pam's room, and before the noises could even start I was in my pajamas with earbuds firmly in place. There was no way I was listening to that.

The next morning I woke up with one bud still in my ear, and the cord wrapped around my arm. I'd managed to pop the earphones from my ipod, which I'd kicked to the floor. I rolled out of bed, and into the shower, and once I was removed of bar stench, I headed out to the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast.

I was just finishing up my scrambled eggs and buttering my toast when Eric padded into the kitchen. He was only wearing his boxers, and a white tank. I was a bit stunned to see just how much bulk he had underneath the clothes.

Morning, he signed.

"Good morning," I said. "Hungry?"

He shook his head vigorously, then held it in his hands.

"Want some aspirin?" I asked, and he nodded.

I got him a glass of water and passed him the pill bottle, then I waited until he swallowed so I could say what I needed to. I'd been thinking on it all morning, and knew it just had to be said.

"I'm going to tell you something serious, so pay attention," I said, and he nodded. "I don't know what happened between you and Pam last night, and I don't really want to know. If it's serious between you, and you really like her, then I'll bite my tongue, but if it's just a casual thing, please let it end with last night, okay? I know it's selfish of me to request, but Pam already has two regular fuck buddies, and she doesn't need a third, least of all my other best friend."

By the time I was done, Eric was staring at me like I had two heads. I wasn't sure if that meant I'd completely missed the mark, or if he thought I was a jerk for it. His reply didn't really help either, since all he did was nod. Then he made the motions like he was writing on paper in air so I could find some for him since his was probably still in his pants from the night before. I went to the desk and pulled out our grocery list paper, and handed it to him with a pen.

So I'm your best friend, huh?

He had a cheeky smile when he handed it to me, and I smiled right back. He was great at taking my mind off of unpleasant things. It was how he managed to be such a great teacher. When I'd get too frustrated with something, he'd get my mind off it, and smoothly glide into something else.

"Yeah, you are. The best guy one at the very least," I said, and he wrote again.

You're my best friend, too.

Because I can be a total sap, his words hit me right in my heart, and I teared up before I could get ahold of myself. Eric chuckled at me, sipped his coffee, then nudged me as he walked past to head back to Pam's room. He came back out a few minutes later, fully dressed, and sat with me at the table while I ate some breakfast.

"Do you have to work today?" I asked him.

Later this afternoon, he signed.

"I understood you!"

Well I am a good teacher, he wrote down on the paper in front of him with 'am' underlined.

"So humble," I joked.

After I finished up breakfast, Eric and I watched some cartoons, with captions, until Pam came stumbling out of her room. She didn't pay any attention to us as she walked to the kitchen, and a moment later she ran back through with her hand covering her mouth just before she commenced barfing in the bathroom.

"Whoops. I left some eggs in the skillet. Eggs are the thing that gets to her with a hangover," I explained to Eric.

Eric shrugged and signed what I think was, She shouldn't drink so much anyway.

Eight Months Later...

"I met someone," I spoke and signed. Eric had just arrived at our favorite restaurant for lunch, and I couldn't hold back the news.

Who? A guy?

"Yeah. His name is Quinn. He bartends at some club that Pam went to, and she introduced us. He asked me out on a date."

My signing wasn't anywhere near perfect, and I usually got some things mixed up, but I was good enough that Eric could understand me, and getting better.

Good luck then. I hear bartenders are kind of fussy.

"Jerk."

You love me.

"Yeah, yeah," I laughed.

The truth was that Eric's approval meant a lot to me. He'd been an almost daily fixture in my life for nearly a year, and him getting along with the guy I was dating was important.

"If it goes well, I want to invite him to come out with all of us."

Okay. Do you want me to approve the guy or something?

"Kind of. I want your opinion. It would mean a lot to me."

Just go on a date with the guy. I'll be honest with you when I meet him.

"Thank you," I said, and I meant it.

That night Quinn was going to meet me at the bar after we closed, then take me to a late night dinner so we could talk. I didn't really know what to think when Pam introduced us. He was attractive; tall, muscular, bald, with almost pansy-colored eyes. But I wasn't able to get a feel for his personality. Hopefully I would on our date.

Eric and I talked all through lunch, and he used the opportunity to correct me some and help me out. It was a slow learning process, but I was acing the class with Eric's help. I wondered if it was cheating sometimes to have him help me, but then I just thought of it as tutoring. Anyone could hire a tutor, I was just lucky enough to have one as a friend. Regardless, I was having Eric come to class with me so he could see me present my final. I was going to perform a song in sign language. Thankfully I wouldn't have to sing along with it, no one would want to hear that. Since Niall knew Eric, he told me it would be fine to have him watch.

We hugged when we parted ways, and I promised to text Eric to let him know how the date went. I swear he was a more attentive friend than Pam at times. Mostly she just liked to dress me for work, which she was sure to do that night, hence the girls being on full display when Quinn came to pick me up.

To my surprise, he managed not to stare at them the entire time. That won him points towards a second date. Honestly, the only reasons I agreed to a second date were that I was, one; lonely, and two; horny. I hadn't been with anyone since Bill, and now that I was more used to my schedule, I thought I could give a relationship another try.

So that night, after Quinn dropped me off at my place, I sent Eric a text that said, He scored a second date :) See you tomorrow!

And just before I went to bed, I got one back.

Lucky guy :)