“Has she?” I asked, surprised. Lisa had been our friend, but I knew that she really belonged to Kenny more than she ever had to me.
“Yeah.” He grimaced and glanced over his shoulder.
“Why didn’t you?” I kept my voice calm – well, as calm as I could.
His face fell, and he sighed with the weight of the world.
“What do you want, hon?” Saved by the waitress. Kenny glanced up and smiled at her – my heart beat a little faster.
“I’ll have whatever he’s having.” He looked at my half-drunk beer. “Why don’t you bring him another and add a shot of Jack to mine, please.”
“That kinda night, huh?” She giggled. “Coming right up.”
He looked back over at me and placed his hands on the table. “What were we saying?”
“I asked why you never called?” I managed to whisper.
“Would you have answered?” He cocked one of his eyebrows.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe?”
“Maybe, huh?” He licked his top lip. It had always been a nervous habit of his.
“Eventually, yeah. It would have been… nice to hear your voice. It’s nice now, I guess.” Being with Kenny felt like walking in a minefield. I wanted this – and I shouldn’t want it. But we had shared so much together over the years that it really was nice to see him – to talk to him – even if it made my stomach clench as tightly as my fist around a baseball.
“Yeah… I’m…”
I tapped the table to stop him. “If you’re about to apologize to me, I think you should let me drink that second beer first.”
He chuckled, and my toes curled. Damn Kenny for still making me crazy. He always did keep me on my toes. This was all happening much too fast.
“I was going to say that it’s good to see you, Jax. Even after all the… stuff that happened. It really means a lot for you to be here for Dad.” His smile set me ablaze.
“He’s like my own father, too.” I huffed back, the emotions bubbling to the surface.
“He admitted to me that you guys still talk some. I’m glad. I know Mom will be happy to see you.”
“It’ll be great to see them both. They really mean a lot to me, and I would never have… had any kind of success if they hadn’t stepped up and helped me out when I was down. I owe you that more than anyone.”
“You were my best friend.” His voice broke.
“Were… yeah. This is fucking weird.” I laughed, and he nodded in agreement.
The waitress stepped between us and saved us again as she set down our beers and Kenny’s shot of whiskey on the table. “Let me know if y’all need anything else, ok?”
“Thank you. I had forgotten how nice people could actually be.” I moved my second beer next to my other.
“What? Los Angeles doesn’t have nice people?” Kenny teased.
“We do – but… Well, they’re not really like this. I had forgotten how people could be so unguarded, you know?”
“You seem pretty guarded.”
“You’re not a picket fence yourself, there, bud.” I snorted. “Guess this is the best that we can do, huh? Tiptoe around the past and… I don’t know.”
He took the shot of whiskey and set the glass down before wiping his mouth with his hand.
“Maybe find a way to move forward? I mean, we’re both here. Maybe we can learn to be friends again?”
