Eventually, he felt steady enough to push away from the wall and head back to the cab.
After Nick jumped into the backseat, the driver wrenched his neck around.
“Is your girlfriend all right?”
Nick stared blankly at the man for a second before he was blindsided by what the weird feeling meant.
He nodded slowly.
“Yeah. She’s fine.”
* * *
“What do you think?” Chase inquired after Nick spooned a taste of rice into his mouth.
Nick squinted as he assessed the flavor. “You used the coconut milk?”
“I blended it with the almond milk and added a smidge of butter.”
“I like it. Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s different.”
“What would you pair it with?”
“Maybe chicken or pork. Maybe add some kind of kale side. People who like acai tend to go gaga over kale. It’s a thing these days.”
Nick gave an approving nod. “Good.”
Chase glanced discreetly around the kitchen and lowered his voice. “Where were you last night?”
“Uh,” Nick stammered. “I had a … a thing.”
“A thing?”
“Yeah, a thing.”
Chase scoffed. “Must’ve been a pretty important thing for you to skip the hot Saturday night pickins.”
Nick huffed as he scrubbed his hands over his face. “It was something.”
“What happened?”
Nick made a guilty face, causing Chase to burst out laughing. “Aw shit. You called that chick didn’t you?”
Nick pursed his lips and then Chase cackled.
“Let me guess. She didn’t put out.”
“She got a little drunk.”
“Ah, man! You need to lower your standards.”
“Shut the hell up.”
“I’m just saying.”
“And then,” Nick added. “She said she wouldn’t put out until thetenth date.”
