Page 65 of Tickled Pink

“We don’t have to do this now.”

“Sit down.”

“Thad.”

“Max.”

“Thad.”

“Max.”

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m having a drink with my best friend,” he says. “Our girlfriend is out of town, all of my clients are on vacation, and I’m bored. So, have a drink with me tonight. Please.”

It’s a little manipulative, but that’s Thad.

I sit down at the table across from him as he fills both glasses to the rims.

“To our lady,” he says, raising a toast. “May she kick ass… and behave herself.”

I take my shot, then laugh. “It’s Phoebe. She’ll be fine.”

Thad winces, his glass empty. “She’s with Jackie, though.”

I blink. “Oh, yeah.”

Thad snorts and moves to re-fill the glasses.

“No—“

He stares me down, spilling a few drops as he slides the glass back to me.

I sigh. “Fine. One more.”

Thad raises his glass and waits for me to do the same. This time, we drink without a toast. Just for the burn.

“So, I’ve been thinking about earlier,” he begins.

“Thad—“

“Let me finish.” He looks at me, his expression focused for a man who just downed two shots of Jack. “I’ve been thinking about earlier, and I think I have an idea.”

“An idea?”

“Do you remember eleventh grade?”

“Vaguely.”

“My birthday. We broke into my dad’s garage and stole his Challenger for the night.”

I chuckle, the memory resurfacing quickly. “Yeah, I remember.”

“It was me and you, and David Larkin and Blaine McNally, and we heard the girls were having a sleepover. So we went over to Sally’s, climbed that giant tree outside her window, and there they were. Making out and touching each other. It was like a goddamn music video.”

I laugh. “They didn’t notice us for almost an hour.”

“I’m pretty sure Sally knew within twenty, but she gets off on weird shit like that.”

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