Page 4 of The Hookup Mix-up

The back of my neck prickles with annoyance. “Yeah, call me crazy, but not really feelin’ being second choice to my brother. Did you want something to drink?” In some ways, it’s the story of my life. I’m not mad at Ty about it. His dad’s choices aren’t Ty’s fault. I’ve loved getting to know Ty. It’s why I moved to San Luco, and we have a better relationship than I could have hoped for, but I’m also not fond of being anyone’s second choice. Our dad chose to be in Ty’s life and not mine, so there are complicated feelings there. But Ty also grew up with a bunch of expectations on him. The reason he didn’t graduate on time is because he was originally going to college for computer science just like his dad. I’ve never had someone pushing their wants on me, but the one thing I do want, which actually is computer science, I won’t take because I won’t allow myself to be like Ty’s dad.

“Bummer,” she replies. “I’m good on the drink, though. Have a nice night.” She tosses a wave over her shoulder.

Gwen, the head bartender, steps up from behind me. “That was shitty,” she says, making my cheeks heat. I hate that someone else overheard it.

She pushes her pink hair behind her ears and gives me this concern-filled mom look that says she knows that bothered me. While she’s only a few years older than most of the people who work here, she definitely has that caretaker vibe mixed with don’t fuck with me.

“It’s not a thing,” I reply.

“Ty gets it too.”

The thing is, I know she’s right. People ask him shit about me too, but that’s not the point. “Neither of us should get it.” People need to learn to mind their own business. I’m not an idiot, though. I know the chances of that happening aren’t high.

“The world doesn’t really work that way.”

No, it doesn’t, and I also don’t want to talk about this, don’t want to act like it matters more than it does, so I try to find a joking way to ease out of the conversation. “You agree with me, though, right? I’m hotter.”

“Totally.” Gwen winks, and I laugh, before we both get to work, knowing that Shenanigans is going to be getting a whole lot busier soon.

Brax and Ty both put in a good word to help me get this job. Brax used to be a bartender here before getting a tech job after graduation. Ty works here now as a busboy part-time while he’s in school. He doesn’t have to because our dad—his dad—helps him with money, but I refuse to take any from him, so a job is on my must-have list.

Luckily, I’m not working a closing shift tonight, so I get off at nine before things get too crazy.

The bar starts picking up, filled with more FU students. It’s Saturday night, and school starts on Monday. I don’t go to college, but considering I’m unwilling to do what I actually love, there’s no point. Still, I’ve been trying to save money just in case. It helps that Brax’s brother moved out and I’m able to rent a room in the house he shares with Ty. They give me the family discount on rent.

“Hey, there’s a party tonight at Jack Thompson’s,” I hear a guy tell a group of people as I’m getting off work.

“Who’s Jack Thompson?” I ask because I’m always down for a good time. It’s one of the things I love about living in a college town. “And can I go?”

“For sure. The more the merrier,” he says, and gives me the address.

I freshen up in the employee bathroom, then type the address into my phone. It’s within walking distance, so I decide to leave my car at the bar. Who knows what will happen once I’m at the party.

I smell the ocean behind the bar the second I step outside, sucking the air into my lungs. I love it here, can see why Ty wanted to stay here instead of going back home to Massachusetts. Not like we don’t have the ocean there, but Southern California has perfect weather year-round.

A ton of college-aged people are out and about, walking to the shops and restaurants close by. The FU campus is across the street—with the huge Spanish-style white buildings with orange-tiled roofs.

There’s a crowd going the same way as me, and while they’re not the group I saw in the bar, I’m pretty sure they’re heading to this Jack kid’s house too. I’m the kind of guy who has no trouble showing up alone somewhere I don’t know anyone, but still, I shoot off a text to Ty just in case he can drag Brax’s antisocial ass out of the house.

Me: I’m heading to a party at Jack Thompson’s.

Ty: Who is Jack Thompson?

Me: No idea. You and Daddy want to go?

I tease them by calling Brax daddy. In the beginning, his head nearly exploded, but now he just rolls his eyes.

Ty: Brax says fuck off.

I laugh.

Me: Tell Daddy I love him too. Don’t wait up. I’m hoping to get laid.

Ty: Funny. That’s what I’ll be doing too.

“Lucky bastard.” I exit out of the texts and continue to this Jack guy’s house. I can hear the music from down the street and figure that all the houses close by belong to people who go to FU, so no one gives a shit how loud it is.

Like most of the places out here, it’s a stucco house with a tiled roof, which is so different from what I’m used to back East. It’s a two-story, in a neighborhood with trees other than palms, and from the looks of it, the backyard is fenced.

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