How does that work? (3-way sequel)

“Let’s break it down then!” Elaine yells, her hands moving into fists. “From religious to classics to regular—”

“Obviously, I’m correct, Elaine. My list has the most quintessential and heartfelt choices. No doubt,” George spouts, interrupting her speech.

Jerry walks into the diner as he hears the exchange. It has been a week since the dream, and he hadn’t talked to anyone about it yet. He hasn’t really seen George, and he feels a strange energy between them. Elaine has seen Jerry and George(separately), but only briefly for lunch or for coffee.

He waves at them but they don’t see him.

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas, really, George?” Elaine argues, her eyes narrowing.

George laughs in a hearty, sarcastic tone. “Dear, sweet Elaine. That’s in the top ten of most popular Christmas beats, but you can’t deny it’s a huge piece in regard to traditional Christmas music.”

“In your top ten, you mean. What about, Little Drummer Boy? Huh?” She counters.

“That goes more into church and religious holiday music. It’s not the traditional playlist.”

Jerry peeks in between the two and says, “Hello! I’m here!”

“Oh, hey,” Elaine says quickly.

“Hello!” George says just as fast, waving him off.

Elaine gently moves Jerry from the middle of the table.

“Oh, come on, guys! You’re arguing over Christmas music! Really?!” Jerry says in a faux frustration. He really just felt glad they were all together again.

“Well; of course, now that it’s December—-the radio has started to play Christmas music again,” George explains. “We appreciate this.” He motions to Elaine and himself respectively. “I do. Elaine and I seem to differ, however, on the importance of over-playing songs that seem to be less popular or not as traditional for American standards.”

“I just think the religious aspect of Christmas has been increasingly lost to the media’s driven desire to shove commercialism down our throats. Manufactured songs like, All I want for Christmas is you, is cheap and a bit yucky to me. It’s overall just a ploy to be sentimental just… for no reason other than to be mushy,” Elaine reasons.

“Why can’t you both be right?” Jerry asks, sitting down next to Elaine.

“Because that’s not how it works!” George raises his voice, making Elaine roll her eyes.

“Right. Okay. Let’s just relax,” Jerry says quietly. “I like The Little Drummer Boy. I like Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let’s all just enjoy the season!”

“So it’s all up to you, huh?” Elaine says, biting into her sandwich angrily.

George nods. “I think we can all Decide. Let’s make the varying levels of playlists. Then we’ll vote!”

“No. I’m not that invested,” Elaine yawns.

“You are just afraid. Afraid to lose! Isn’t that right?!” George says to her in a accusing manner.

Elaine’s eyes light up. “Uh.. no! No way! Heck no! No thanks, jerk. You are on, now! You are gonna be sorry.”

“I’d say you two both have good points, honestly,” Jerry says softly.

“But, who is right?” George says defiantly. Elaine sticks her tongue out at George.

“What about that weird, provocative little number, Santa Baby? Who else thinks that one is just the weirdest song ever? Is she trying to actually seduce Santa? Is she putting him on just to get the good gifts? What’s the deal with that song?” Jerry asks in a overtly dramatic tone, trying to lighten the mood. Elaine laughs, and George smiles, laughing softly.

“Yeah, I think we can all agree that song sucks. Right?” Elaine agrees.

“Well, we may not like it, but it’s a staple of traditional American Christmas culture,” George says. “A popular song at its inception. We can’t deny its right to have a cultural merit in society.”

Jerry felt this point was so ridiculous that he wanted the whole conversation to be over. “Alright, I’m done with this. I got a headache. Please. Can someone order me a coffee?” Jerry says lowly, his hand on his forehead.

George and Elaine look at each other and shrug.

“I gotta go to the bathroom,” George says abruptly and leaves, looking upset.

Jerry looks up and Elaine sighs softly.

“He’s still waiting on the results for his mother’s cancer thing. So… I think this… whole debate was keeping him distracted..” Elaine whispers to Jerry.

Jerry looks at her with a slow understanding, and then bits his lip. “Dang. I should’ve realized that. I’ll go talk to him…”

She shakes her head. “Give him space, he knows we are both going to be there for him. He’s not doing well. We gotta take him out tonight.”

“Where?” Jerry asks.

“Anywhere. Your place. Is that okay?”

Jerry nods.

“Great. I gotta go to work now. Just try to hang out with him awhile. Okay?”

Jerry sighs. “Okay.”

“Is everything alright?” Elaine asks, picking up on the change of tone.

“No. Not really. I haven’t been sleeping at all. And…”

“And?”

Jerry frowns, deciding to be honest about at least one thing. “And… I kind of did something… well, I said something… to George that I… I made it a bit awkward between us, I feel.”

“What? What did you say?” She’s leaning forward in her seat, her head tilting toward him. It reminds Jerry of being in a bumpy roller coaster seat.

“I… I called him… dear, on accident…” He whispered.

“WHAT?!” Elaine yells.

“Shush! Shush, will ya? Oh, jeez…”

“No way! When?”

“Last week. He told me to get my coat over my speaker at my door buzzer. I said, okay, dear… and ever since, we haven’t really seen each other. Until today. He’s called… but that’s it.”

Elaine’s facial expression is bemused yet Jerry can’t properly read it. She seems… almost happy.

“Wow. I’m just.. that’s… interesting.”

Jerry shakes his head. “No. It’s not.”

“Yes. It is. Anyway, got to go, dear,” She grins.

Jerry sighs. “Yea, yea. Laugh it up.”

“I’m not laughing,” she says, putting on her coat. “I’m leaving. And I’ll see you later.”

“Right. See ya.”

A minute later, he sees George and smiles at him.

George smiles back, but feels out of place now that Elaine has left. He usually likes to spend alone time with Jerry, but without having much opportunity to discuss the little social indiscretions they had last week, George was at risk of just saying what was on his mind directly.

And that was dangerous.

But what was on his mind?

He wasn’t sure.

All he knew was there was something going on between him and his long time best friend that he couldn’t quite place, and it was something he was feeling very unsure on.

When he sits back down again, they start talking more easily, and Jerry invites him over along with Elaine. Possibly to watch a movie, or just relax.

“Home Alone?”

Jerry laughs, “Not that one, you always cry.”

“It’s almost Christmas, though.”

“Well, I say it’s too early. It is only December ninth, wait a bit.”

George shakes his head. “Uh, no. Once November is over, Christmas is basically here. That’s the spirit of the holidays.”

Jerry sighs, looks at him as his eyes soften, “Fine. Fine. We’ll watch it. Kay? But don’t come looking for me when you start blubbering like a little boy on Christmas morning who got everything he ever wanted.”

“More like lighting candles each evening for Chanukah, but okay, wise guy.”

Jerry chuckles. “You and me, both, buddy.”

They spend more time together, and start feeling a bit more normal.

Then before they leave, George thanks Jerry.

“You know, if I didn’t have you, or Elaine, I’d be so lost. Thank you for helping me out and checking up on me about my mother.”

Jerry smiles, his chest warming up. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Suddenly, Jerry puts his hand across the table, toward George’s hand. George is keenly aware of this gesture, and though he doesn’t pull away, he doesn’t move toward him either.

A brief touch of hands, and then, lingering a moment.

Their eyes meet.

They both pull away, look at something random and then, clear their throats.

“Well, I’ll see you tonight,” Jerry says. George nods, getting up.

“Yeah. I’ll see ya then.”

They smile awkwardly at one another, wave goodbye, and walk outside, in opposite directions.

“Holy shit,” Jerry says under his breath as he walks away.

“What the hell?” George whispers, sprinting away in a flurry of images flashing through his mind.

They are all of Jerry, and of that damned corny smile, that sweet, sweet corny smile…

His face heats up, and his heart is racing.

—-

Jerry feels like the cat is out of the bag (half-way)now, and just decides to talk about it to someone.

His wonderfully supportive parents had unfortunately passed away one year from each other, his father from a heart attack, and his mother a year later from pulmonary embolism. He missed them so much, he still cried at times and wished he could call them up, just to say hello.

He decides to wait at his apartment for Kramer to inevitably burst in again, so he can discuss this situation with him.

But, no one bursts in.

So, he calls him on his cell phone instead.

“Hey, you busy?”

“Nah. I ain’t. Why?” Kramer asks.

“Come over, will ya? I need to talk about something.”

“Kay, be there in a flash!”

He sees Kramer open the door in a burst, like a mini firecracker, and he has him sit down.

“Sit down? Oh no, usually that means bad news!” Kramer says. “Do ya got bad news? I really hate bad news. Ya know? It’s always been like that… nothin’ but bad news all the time when they tell me to sit down, everywhere, and it’s tearing me apart!”

Jerry looks at him with an unimpressed glance, sighs and then says gently, “No. It isn’t bad news. I swear. Just relax.”

“Okay, okay. I’m cool, man.” Kramer sits down, though he seems on edge, sitting at the very end of the couch cushion.

“Good. Okay.” Jerry takes in a deep breath.

Jerry then proceeds to tell him everything. The dream. The hand touching. The accidental way he called George, dear. The way he smelled George hugging him. The way he keeps picturing all three of them in quiet domesticated situations, cooking dinners together and cleaning up, living together—-all the things that made his heart secretly yearn and warm up, all the things he deeply needed in his life.

And Kramer is silent for a few minutes, seeming to take it all in.

Then, he asks finally, “How does that work?”

Jerry frowns. “Huh?”

“I mean…” Kramer clears his throat. “How can you make that kind of three way relationship work?”

“It’s like most relationships… right?”

“I don’t know. That’s the demands of a woman and a man, all the time. Can you handle it?”

Jerry looks at him with a mixture of panic, frustration, confusion and a bit of determined pining.

“I .. I don’t know. I don’t know!” Jerry stands up, and sighs in exasperation. “I just know… I just ..” he suddenly looks like he’s had an epiphany, his eyes wide. “I just love them.”

“You do? Both of them?” Kramer asks. “I knew you were at least in love with one of them. Hah… I was right!”

“Ah, be quiet!” Jerry sits back down in a flustered wave of his hands, his face red.

They are both quiet for a moment, then Kramer sits back, more relaxed.

“It’ll be alright. Don’t worry. Elaine and George are coming over later, right? Just keep it chill. Don’t overthink things.”

“Yeah, but how do I do that? I’m so nervous. How do I tell them how I feel?”

Kramer laughs softly, “It’s just George and Elaine. They don’t need anything fancy. Just say it.”

“Yeah, but..”

“Why George, anyway? You go for guys that have those dad bods, huh?” Kramer sits up straighter. “You don’t like me? I’m lanky, tall… fit.” Kramer casually flexes his arm muscles, and Jerry rolls his eyes. “You go for that squinty eyed, dad-body, glasses wearing yet not really a nerd look—-yet for ladies, it’s those tall, pretty faced, loud, big breasted, big butt—”

Jerry’s eyes widen again, and he shakes his head. “Jeez, will you stop! I get it! I didn’t mean to choose George. It just happened.” Jerry slumped into his chair. “I don’t understand it. But I think I do. We are always there for one another. We are always doing everything for each other. We do argue like a married couple. Elaine and I have our history together. I know George likes Elaine. We all like each other. It should work, shouldn’t it?”

“I mean… maybe. I think George is pretty much in love with you.”

Jerry laughs nervously. “You’re just saying that!”

“No, no. I thought that before.”

“Yeah, right. Well… anyway, thanks for listening. Don’t repeat this to anyone. Please. Okay?”

Kramer nods. “Mums the word.”

“Have…” Jerry starts, and then stops.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Jerry takes a slow breath. “Have you ever liked another man?”

Kramer nods. “Sure. Sure I have.”

Jerry looks surprised, and motions at him for more information.

“Oh, you want to know who. No one you know,” Kramer says with a knowing smile. “Experimentation is normal, and sometimes can just be a passing thing. Falling in love is a permanent thing. I never fell in love.”

“Wow. Just… wow,” Jerry sighs heavily. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it!”

Kramer laughs, getting up. He pats Jerry on the shoulder.

“You’ll see for sure if it’s real for you or not. However, I think you already have. And so has he. Elaine might need a bit of convincing to take the next step to commit. But she loves you too. And George, too, in her own way.”

On the way out, Kramer takes a few bagels and a package of Pop-tarts.

“Soon, I won’t be able to take your food as you’ll have two mouths to feed! You polygamist!” Kramer teases, biting into a half opened Pop-tart.

“Just go, enjoy the food! We will always have enough to share. Thanks again!” Jerry says, a bit embarrassed but also a bit hopeful.

Then he wonders about his type—-and he realizes that Kramer is right, he does like men with dad-bods, a bit nerdy and named George.

And women, tall, loud, big breasted and named Laney.

*****

Next part is up soon! Hope y’all liked it.

This is dedicated to my friend Joshua Mason, aka Josie, who inspired this story and the above (very) corny and heartwarming contents. Please check out her profile too, and read her stories!