Page 4 of Dare to be Different

“We don’t,” he agrees. But what he means is that he struggles to turn jobs down because he’s a soft-hearted sympathizer. A lot of the supply runs we do are for remote communities that would be fucked if we didn’t get them the necessities they need. Remy doesn’t like to leave anyone wanting, and I can commend him for that. “But we gotta make a change because I’m losing my fucking mind, Zahn. I haven’t even fucked in a month.”

“No wonder you’re losing your mind.” I laugh. “You need a hookup, Rem. Let’s get drunk as shit tonight and blow off some steam. We can get these two to do our runs tomorrow.” I nod at the two pilots waiting by. “They’ll do it.”

“Yeah, for a fuck ton of money.”

I shrug. “Might be worth it for a night off, yeah?”

Remy sighs long and loud. “Fuck it. I’m in. I need a break. I’m so out of it I almost forgot to call in my flight path to air control yesterday.” Oh, that’s a big no-no.

“Deal. We’ll do our runs today and meet back here tonight. Then we’ll do filthy things. Shit-faced and rowdy, yeah?”

“Shit-faced and rowdy,” he agrees. We even shake on it.

By the end of the day, we’re both so tired we’re almost rowdy just because of it, and it barely takes anything for us to get drunk. We ordered some food and a few beers at a local bar and grill to start the night off, but that quickly turned to shots of whiskey and drunken banter.

My favorite.

Remy has been my best friend since the first grade. We got in shit together for hopping the schoolyard fence, and we’ve basically been best friends ever since we refused to rat each other out. I’ve watched him get hooked on a chick, get his heart broken, hook up with randoms, lose touch with his family, get his pilot’s license, and start a business with me. We’ve traveled together, confessed shit to one another that no one else knows, and fought like real brothers. But through it all, we’ve always had a bond stronger than friendship, and I’ve never doubted Remy once in my life. I don’t know where I’d be without him.

“So, get this.” He smacks his palm on the table, making the glasses rattle. “She tells me that for one night, and one night only, she’s all mine! Like a fucking sales pitch, Zahn!” He laughs, already drunk and invested in his story-telling. “She made it sound like it’d be the best sex of my life, and I should consider myself the luckiest prick in the world to spend a night with her.” He pauses to laugh and take a breath.

“So, obviously you did.” I widen my eyes at him.

“Yeah, I did.” He leans in. “But it was fucking shit. Like, worst hookup of my life. Complete shit!”

“What?” I bark a laugh.

“Yeah! She sold herself so high that I either had massive expectations or she just wasn’t doing it for me. She just wanted to fuck in the dark with no foreplay. No foreplay! No build-up. Nothing.” He shrugs. “Nothing special about it. Maybe it’s me.” His laugh dwindles and doubt sets in.

“It’s not you, Rem. Are you kidding me? I’ve seen you fuck, man. You’ve got game.”

“Yeah, my game’s been off lately,” he mutters into his drink. “But speaking of game.” He scopes the bar for potentials. “Think someone will fuck me in the bathroom so I don’t have to stay up all night? Just looking for a quickie here.”

Three-quarters of the people here are tourists looking for the same thing. Remy won’t struggle, but of course, I decide to be a dick about it. “Thought you liked foreplay?” I mock him for what he literally just complained about.

“There’s a difference between a bathroom quickie and a rowdy night of fucking, Zahn. One requires foreplay and one doesn’t. You know this.”

I do know this, and I’m not going to debate the logistics of a quickie. I grin at him and sip my drink. Time to get my best bud laid. I’m always down to wingman.

“That one. Her.” This drunken fool already has his sights set on someone.

I follow his gaze to see who he’s looking at and shake my head immediately. “Fuck no, Rem. I’m not up for that tonight. I’ll wingman, but I’m not signing on for all that.”

Because she’s a sexy, curvy brunette with mile-long legs and really nice hair, but she’s one of two parts. Her equally sexy blond friend is part of the bargain, and I know the drill with these types of girls. They go together, or they don’t go at all. Girls love their safety in numbers, and I can’t fault them for that, but I’m drained.

“Come on, Zahn. Don’t bitch out on me now.”

“This is your hookup. Not mine.”

Remy gives me the eyes. Those eyes. Those blue, big, begging eyes. “For me?”

My whole plan was to get him laid and go home. I have about three months’ worth of sleep to catch up on, so I wasn’t planning to hookup tonight, especially with a set of tourists who look like that’s their main goal.

“Pick someone without a friend.”

Remy shifts in his seat, sweeping a slow look around the bar. After one pass, he shakes his head. “Nah. That one. Those ones.” He smirks. “Be my clingy friend?”

Oh fuck, here we go. When your best friend asks for a wingman, you just have to do it. It’s like bro-code, and I can’t leave him hanging. “Fuck you, Remy. What’s the play?”

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