“‘Fraid Blondie’s gonna shoot you down?”
“No, dickhead. I just don’t know if something so private should be made public.” ‘Cause Theo is the only woman I’ve ever even considered a real future with, let alone decided to propose to. “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.”
He laughs and nods. “Well, here’s my take.”
“Great.” I roll my eye. “Unsolicited advice from man-whore of the year. This should be good.”
“Hey, I’m a changed man, a man off the market.”
I frown. “What?”
Jackal nods with a goofy smile. “Ruby Red and Jolie, dude.”
“Serious?” Well fuck, I guess Blondie was right.
“As a heart attack. We’re looking at a house over by Prez when they’re here, hoping to have it settled before they go back to New York. Once we close, I’m gonna head out to help them pack then we’ll all come home together.”
“No shit.” I smile because fuck, I’m shocked and really fucking happy for him. “Congrats man, that’s fucking awesome.” I clap a hand on his shoulder, pull him in for a hug but when I let go, Jackal looks confused. “What?”
“You really ok with this?”
“Not my life man, but yeah.”
He swallows hard. “Don’t think it’s fucked up that I’m settling down with two chicks?”
I shake my head and point my beer at him. “I think it’s the only way you would settle down.”
“I guess you’re right.” Jackal rubs the back of his neck. “You don’t think I’m—“
“First of all, what I think doesn’t matter, but for the record, I think this is great. If the three of you are happy together and want to make a life out of whatever the hell you’ve got going, more power to you.” We’ve been friends for damn near twenty years and never once have I seen Jackal look so vulnerable. “Second, are you happy with your...relationship?”
He nods, his eyes going a little dreamy. “Real happy, man. Summer is the spice I need while Jolie is the sweet. They haven’t been together long, but they clicked right away and when they came out here, the three of us just made sense.”
“Then that, my friend, is all that matters.” Then I smirk. “We can take a vacation to Egypt in a few months so you three can get hitched.”
Jackal laughs and blows out a breath. “I thought you were gonna tell me I’m nuts for doing this.”
“This? Nah. Ninety percent of the other shit you do? Absolutely. You tell anyone else?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. Wanted to see what you thought first, gives me an idea what the rest of the EC will say.”
“Again, what anyone else thinks doesn’t matter, but they’ll be happy for you.”
“Thanks man. Now back to you and Blondie.”
I roll my eye but motion for him to continue.
“I think you should pull her aside tonight, ask her in private at the party then let her go nuts showing off her ring to the other chicks. She’ll want to anyway, between Tate and Summer, Jolie, and she’s gotten super tight with Sofie and Harlow. Theo is gonna be so excited and you know she already considers us family; she’ll want to share the news right away so the party is the perfect place to do it.”
I take a deep breath and nod. “That’s what I was thinking. Especially since it is only going to be us.” Just wish I wasn’t so fucking nervous.
It’s not like Theo is going to say no. We pretty much live together already, established that what we have is forever, and she essentially proposed to me last week while we were laying on an air mattress. Theo is mine just as much as I’m hers, but I can’t help feeling like it’s too good to be true.
“Get outta your head, brother.” Jackal chuckles as he nudges my elbow. “Theo loves you, it’s obvious, and the only way she’d say no is if hell froze over first.”
“Just hard to believe, you know. I spent so many years convinced I’d never meet someone like Theo, someone that doesn’t give a shit about how I look or the lifestyle I live. Someone who wants to be with me because of who I am at my core and not because I’m somefixer upperorbiker badass.”
“I get it, but we got lucky, man.” He laughs again. “If Harlow can love Marbles’ crazy ass, then it only makes sense guys like us get the girl too.”
