Page 38 of Whiskey Neat

He shakes his head, pausing before pulling into traffic. “No need. Paris is very walkable and has good mass transit, and I could always order a car when needed. Good thing is that driving is like riding a bike. It comes back quickly.”

“That makes sense.”

We fall silent, and I wonder if it was him who walked into the office this morning.

“Lowen?”

“Yes?”

“Did you walk in on me and Indy this morning?”

“I sure did, but don’t worry. I didn’t see anything other than legs, and I didn’t tell the others.”

“Thanks.” Embarrassment spreads through me, heating me up. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. You’re both adults and can do whatever you want.”

“It wasn’t planned.”

“Obviously.” He sounds amused, only adding to my embarrassment.

“Is this the part where you give me the best friend speech about not breaking his heart?”

Lowen scoffs, glancing at me briefly. “You couldn’t break Indy’s heart with a sledgehammer.”

“I’m not sure whether I should be offended.”

He pats my thigh. “No offense meant. You can’t break his heart because it’s not involved. It never has been. He’s the only person I’ve ever met who’s completely immune to the lure of love and romance.”

I remember what he told me about past relationships. “We have that in common. I’ve had relationships, but I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“Girl, same.”

An awkward silence falls between us until I find something to say. “You guys met in college?”

Lowen nods, merging onto the highway. I flinch, subtly gripping the door as he cuts it pretty close, pulling in front of an oncoming car. The other driver leans on his horn before changing lanes.

Lowen, seemingly unbothered, waves his hand in the air dismissively. “We did. Sophomore year in English Lit. I was just a baby then. We all were, I guess, but Indy always had a mature vibe about him, even then. He became the natural leader of the group.”

“I can see that.”

“None of us wanted to be in that class, but we all had to take it to fill degree requirements, and luckily, we ended up in the same one. We were assigned to work on a project for Moby Dick and that’s how we became friends. Otherwise, I don’t think it would’ve happened. We moved in different social circles.”

“So it was meant to be?”

He smiles. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

“Has Indy changed much since college?”

“Almost not at all. I find comfort in that, honestly. He’s reliable and steady. He’s always had a good head on his shoulders, and he’d move mountains for his friends and people he cares about. When I told him about my marriage imploding, he immediately booked a flight to Paris to be there for me. Friends like that are rare.”

“Mythical, actually.”

“True. I’m aware of how lucky I am to have these guys in my life. It’s a shame all our hopes and dreams fizzled out, but maybe life was just preparing us for a new, better dream.”

“Huh. I wonder if I can find your optimism for my situation.”

“What happened?”

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