He chuckles, “Well, not at the time, but because of it, I dropped out of college and joined the military.”
I shake my head in disbelief and ask, “You’re telling me a girlcheatedonyou?”
“Yeah. With my best friend. At a Christmas Party.”
“Wow! I’m shocked!” I tell him, truthfully. “What woman in her right mind would cheat on you? What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. I was good to her. They got coked up and went at it.”
“No, that’s not what I was asking. What I meant was, what did you do when you discovered their betrayal?”
He laughs, staring out over the dining area. “I cleaned fucking house. Threw out the damn trash.” His eyes drift back to mine and the righteous conviction that stares at me is sobering. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. There would be no mercy. “That’s the night I perfected, ‘Bah Humbug, Motherfucker.’”
I shake my head stunned. “Friends don’t do shit like that to each other. Friends respect each other.”
He lifts his beer to toast my comment. “I’ll drink to that.” We clink our bottles, then he asks me as his beer travels to those perfect lips. "Ever marry?”
"No," I shake my head, then lift my beer, and before I take a drink, I ask him. "Kids?"
We take a long draw together, then he says as he sets the beer on the table. ”No, no kids. Do you?"
"No, I don’t either." I smile and set my beer on the table too.
Blake calls from the kitchen. "Your pizza is coming up in ten minutes. You two ready for another beer?”
Zane lifts his empty bottle in the air.
Blake says, “Sit tight. I’ll bring ‘em over.”
Zane smirks at me, and we both know Blake is curious to talk to us.
When Blake sets the fresh beers down, Zane takes them, sliding one to me like before and I thank him.
Blake looks from me to Zane, then back to me expectantly, then he grins at me. "It’s so good to see you. It’s been a while since you stopped by.”
“Yeah, I practically live at Been Jammin’, and my apartment is closer to Henderson. I don’t make it over this way much anymore.”
“You look good.” He offers, making me smile. “Life must be treating you right.”
“I don’t have any complaints.”
He smiles and looks at Zane, waiting for him to say something, but he doesn’t. He slides the empty beer bottles to Blake, then stares at him.
The air starts to build with awkward tension so I say to Blake, “I’ve missed your special sauce. No one makes it like you do."
He beams, “It’s an old family recipe. I’ve been thinking about bottling it and selling it online.”
“You should,” I encourage him. “It would definitely sell.”
He looks at Zane like he expects him to offer encouragement too, but instead Zane asks him, "How’s Batman doing on that hambone?"
Blake chuckles, “He’s working it over pretty good."
Zane tilts his head, lifts an eyebrow and says, “You do know he’s a rescue, don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah,” Zane nods, “I don’t leave him alone in my kitchen.”
"Oh, lord!” Blake cuts his eyes in the direction of the kitchen, and the look on his face says he left food out that Batman could get into. Then he looks back at us and says in a high-pitched voice with an expression of panic, “Excuse me.” He spins around and takes off at slight jog back to the kitchen. The extra chub around his middle bouncing at odds with his stride.
I touch Zane’s arm, and he looks at me. ”Batman’s a rescue?”
He grins wickedly, “Naw, he was bought from a breeder. I couldn’t resist poking Blake.”
I throw my head back and laugh out loud at his practical joke. “Oh my gosh! That’s hilarious! You totally had me going too. You rascal!”
