Page 4 of In Plain Sight

Dean: Elle brought some new friends and they’re looking for a good night

Dean: do I need to send out a search party? Where the fuck are you?

The last message had come in while I was driving home. I didn’t have much time before Dean started calling, which was his go-to when he was drinking and I didn’t answer his texts.

And I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Drunk Dean.

Luka: just got home from work

I went to put my phone on the coffee table when it lit up with another text.

Dean: so why are you there and not here if your off?

Luka: I’m gonna just chill tonight

Dean: what? Why?

Dean: did I mention that Elle brought some friends? Hot friends in case you didn’t get that

Elle was Dean’s girlfriend, or at least she was right now. They’d been going out for almost two years, but they were one of those couples who seemed to thrive on drama and were constantly breaking up, only to get back together after a few days or weeks. Then they started the cycle all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

They’d been broken up for almost a week when I’d talked to Dean yesterday, looked like they were back at it. For now, at least.

Luka: tempting but I’m gonna pass. I have to work in the morning

Dean: lame

Dean: have fun being an old man

I waited to see if he’d say more, then tossed my phone onto my lap when my screen went dark.

I’d known Dean since I was eighteen, when we worked on the same road crew. He still worked in construction, which was one of the reasons he couldn’t seem to wrap his head around my new schedule.

His days started at dawn and finished before dinner. At my old shop I’d worked mostly early shifts and had been off every day by five. Now I didn’t get off until after nine on weekdays, and I worked Saturdays, which he always had off.

That was one of the hardest parts of adjusting to my new job. The later hours were so far off from everyone else’s schedules that my friends were always out and having fun when I was just getting off work.

They had time to go home, shower, eat, and decompress, whereas I barely had enough time to get my ass in the door and sit down before they were at the bar or club or wherever else they decided to go.

I liked my new job, and I really liked the shop, but the hours sucked, and I was always being left out of plans now.

But that wasn’t always a bad thing. Especially when Dean and Elle were in matchmaking mode, which they constantly were.

I’d learned my lesson about hooking up with someone in my friend circle last year when I had a casual thing with one of Elle’s friends. Things were fine for a while, but she startedto catch feelings, and she was less than pleased when I ended things. That had created tension between me and Elle, and also between Elle and Dean, which spilled over into my relationship with Dean.

Even though over six months had passed and Beth was with someone else, things were still strained. We barely spoke when we were out with everyone, and her boyfriend spent most of the time glaring daggers at me and making sure I kept as far away from her as possible.

It had gotten so bad that I dreaded going out if they were going to be there, and I’d been excluded from group plans more than once because the tension made everyone uncomfortable.

I had no clue if they were out with the group now. I assumed they were, but at least I wouldn’t have to find out tonight.

Letting out another sigh, I closed my eyes and leaned back against my couch. It had been a long-ass day, and I had to be back at the shop before ten.

A mental image of Zander leaning against the wall while he chatted with Devon flashed in my mind.

Dev and Zander were close to the same age, but they were opposites in pretty much every way. Zander was quiet and reserved, while Dev was outgoing and always had a smile or joke for everyone he met.

Seeing them chatting and laughing had been weird. Not because they were friendly, I already knew they were close friends, but because it was the first time in the three weeks since I started at the garage that I’d seen Zander laugh.

---