“What music should I play?” Gina asked as she scrolled through playlists on her phone.
“Whatever you listen to,” Zita replied without thinking.
“Seriously, come on, you’re the guest. What do you like?”
“It really doesn’t matter.”
“You can’t say that,” Gina teased her friend. “What do you listen to at home when you’re alone?”
Zita hesitated for a moment. She furrowed her brow and stared at a corner of the ceiling in the living room, as if waiting for the answer to come from there. Her gaze then drifted blankly toward Gina, before stopping at her own feet in her slippers. She couldn’t really focus, her mind too occupied searching through imaginary records.
“I have no idea. I think I usually just put on András’s playlist. I don’t even have my own. His works fine for me.”
Gina grinned.
“But András isn’t here now, so bring out your party memories, and let’s relax! Can I get you something? I made some mint liqueur, it’s divine!”
“No, thanks. András doesn’t like it when I drink alcohol. He hates it when I smell like booze.”
“He has a beer sometimes, right?”
“That’s different. He’s a man, and anyway, he drinks rarely. But he thinks a woman shouldn’t reek of alcohol because it’s a turn-off.”
“Doesn’t it bother you when he smells like beer?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never thought about it.”
Gina stared at her friend in confusion.
“How long have you two been together?”
“Twelve years. Why?”
“I just want to know what to expect if I ever get married. Sounds like not much fun,” Gina laughed to soften her words.
“A relationship doesn’t work without compromises.”
“Fair enough, but you could still have your own music playlist, and if you wanted to, you could have some liqueur or whatever.”
“András thinks my taste in music is childish, and Britney Spears’s voice drives him crazy. But I don’t mind what he listens to. I don’t mind the smell of beer, but he does. It’s that simple. Plus, I didn’t go to college after high school, but he did. We both know he’s smarter and more educated than I am.”
“Wait, does he actually say that to you?”
“Of course. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just a fact. I mean, I don’t like it when he jokes in front of people that he didn’t marry me for my brains, but… well.”
Gina felt a pang of sympathy for her new friend. She barely knew her, so it wasn’t her place to dig into her relationship. Besides, who was she to judge how they lived? It was none of her business.
For a while, they listened in silence to “Baby One More Time.” Both jumped when Zita’s phone rang. It rang just once before stopping. Zita leapt up from the couch.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. That was András signaling me that it’s time to go home.”
“With one ring?”
“Yes, that’s our agreed signal.”
“And you have to leave immediately?”
“Yes, well, it’s getting late.”
“It’s only a few minutes past nine. You’ve barely been here an hour…”
“He doesn’t like it when I stay out too late.”
“Doesn’t he go out with his friends?”
“Sometimes he grabs a drink with his colleagues, but that’s different. It’s important for coworkers to get along. And, well, I don’t work.”
“Didn’t you want to?”
“András thinks it’s unnecessary. With my skills, I’d probably only get a dishwashing job, and I wouldn’t make much money doing that. At least I can make myself useful at home.”
“And that works for you?”
“Sure. I hate doing dishes.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. Are you happy living like this, not working, listening to András’s playlists, and jumping when your phone rings?”
“We overcomplicate this happiness thing a bit.”
Gina raised her eyebrows.
“You think so?”
“I do. None of the things you listed bother me. I don’t feel bad about it at all. It’s not a problem that we live with structure. Why wouldn’t we? At least it makes everything predictable.”
“Even sex?”
“Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Never on Sunday because he needs rest. And on vacation, at most once, because he doesn’t like being disturbed.”
Gina’s eyes widened.
“Never spontaneous?”
“What’s the point? One of you could be sweaty, the other smelling like garlic? No, thanks. I like to be prepared for it.”
“You seem upset now, though.”
“Are you surprised? He called seven minutes ago, and I’m still here. He can see from the GPS that I haven’t left, despite the warning. You’re not the one he’s going to yell at, and you’re not the one he’s going to punish by not talking to for days!”