Me
Been thinkin on Pack talk from the other night.
Vic
Oh, is that why we’re not using the group chat?
Me
Partly. Well, mostly.
Okay fine, yeah, it’s the reason.
Vic
Well, what’s on your mind?
Me
Bonding. We should talk. Wanna meet?
Vic
Yeah, how does a beer sound?
Me
Delicious.
We text morebefore landing on one of the breweries in town. It doesn’t take long to get there, and we’ve arrived in time for their Happy Hour. Cheap, delicious beer? I’m totally in. Vic’s already here, and he catches my eye by waving his hand in the air. My own hand raises in acknowledgement before navigating his way.I sit on a stool across from him at a two-person high top and settle in.
“Whatcha got there?” I ask, looking at his golden drink.
Vic inspects the glass before shrugging. “Honestly, I told them to bring their best-selling beer, didn’t ask what it is.”
My head tips back in laughter, and when the waitress comes around, I order the same, grabbing an appetizer as well. We make small talk until my beer is delivered, and I decide it’s time to get down to it.
“So, I want to bond with you and Josie,” I spit out.
Vic raises his eyebrows in surprise, “Well, lube me up before you just jam it in there.”
I chuckle, “I figure just get it out in the open and figure shit out, you know? Simon and Jesse are clearly not ready or not willing to join as a Pack, so I didn’t want to waste time if you’re not interested.”
“No, I’m interested, no problems there. I don’t know Jesse very well, but Josie seems like she’s excited about him. I think our last Pack talk hurt her more than she wants to admit.”
“Yeah, after I took her home, we just cuddled. She wouldn’t let me leave until she fell asleep, but she also wouldn’t talk about it,” I tell him.
“She’s always had a bigger heart than she cares to admit. There’s a desire in her to be independent and not need anyone else, and I know there are a few areas that stem from that. Deep down, though? She is more focused on other people’s happiness than her own.”
“So all we have to do is convince the other two to bond with us, and everything’s fixed. Easy.” My voice is laced thick with sarcasm.
Vic just chuckles and makes a noise of agreement. Our appetizers appear then, and we abandon our conversation for food and more small talk. Vic is a fun guy, and I can see whyJosie likes him so much. He gives me glimpses into their lives as they met and then were separated. It sounds like they’ve been enamored with each other since they met, and fuck if my heart doesn’t melt a little at that.
“What if we really do get both guys on board?” Vic asks, swinging back to our serious conversation with no warning.
“Now who isn’t using lube?” I tease him, eyebrow raised.
Vic chuckles, acknowledging the switch in position.
