Page 82 of The Accidental Honeymoon

I pull her into a warm hug, holding her for a second longer than normal. "What would you say to hanging out with my friends?”

“Uhh. Sure.” She smiles. “We can do whatever you want. Just no phones.”

Calla and I arrive at the Tin Shed Pub just as the afternoon sun peaks over the town square. The glass-fronted windows are dark. A "Closed" sign hangs crookedly on the door. Calla hesitates. I just push the door open with a flourish.

The interior is all wood and kitsch, with mismatched tables and chairs giving the place a homey, disheveled feel. A large, U-shaped bar dominates the right side of the room, and the smell of fried food and stale beer lingers in the air. It’s empty, save for a small crowd in the back.

It strikes me that Calla and I haven’t really been in here since the night of our wedding. Aww, howromantic.

"Jaybird!" Bennett calls out. He’s my old college roommate and owns this place. He waves a pint glass. “Amber?” he asks, referring to the beer, not a person.

I wave and shout, “Give me a few,” then take Calla’s hand and lead her to the table where my friends are sitting.

"These are the guys," I say, though she already knows.I’ve introduced her to parts of my crew before at the Couch Potato Parade. Today is just going to be a chill, more intimate gathering.

Ryan, Bennett, Gabe, and Zach are all crammed around a table. Reece Carson, the only woman to join our friends group, is perched on Gabe’s lap. Even Ellie, Ryan’s younger sister, is here. She’s stretched out on a bench, poking at her phone with the disinterest of someone who’s just in it for the free food.

"Thought you bailed," Ryan says, standing to give me a bro hug. He’s tall and blond, the very picture of confident masculinity. Calla once described him as "ridiculously handsome," which I pretended not to hear.

"Had to finish something up," I say, leaving out the part where Calla and I were just lying in bed, talking about nothing and everything. Or the part where I was busy answering emails while Calla baked. "Y’all remember Calla."

There’s a chorus of hellos and welcomes. Calla waves, looking a bit overwhelmed but pleased.

"Make yourselves at home," Bennett calls from across the room. "I’ve got a spread coming out."

We squeeze into the tight seating arrangement. Calla ends up next to Reece, with me on her other side. I like this setup. It means I can keep an eye on her and make sure she’s comfortable.

"So, Calla," Reece says. "How’s married life treating you?"

"It’s… an adventure," Calla says, smiling. "Jay is full of surprises. Did you guys know he cooks?"

“Let me guess.” Ryan grins. “He made you turkey meatloaf. He must really think you’re special.”

“I would hope so,” she replies. “He did put a ring on it.”

"Very true. Well, if you’re looking for embarrassing dirt on the guy,” Zach says, waggling his eyebrows, “he’s got a whole catalog of excruciatingly awkward college stories."

Calla’s eyes light up. "Oh, do tell."

"Let’s just say he had his moments," Bennett says, appearing with my pint. He sets it down on the table in front of me. "Some more tragic than others."

Ryan chuckles. "You wouldn’t believe some of the things this guy got up to."

Zach stretches. “He once painted his body blue and gold during spirit week. Only he didn’t remember to use washable paint. He was bright blue for a week.”

“Ooh!” Reece laughs. “Remember when Jay had Professor Franz? Franz hated everyone, but he especially hated Jay. Made his life hell. Jay meant to send an email totally blasting him to “Friends Group” but sent it to him by mistake. Franz blew a gasket and made Jay spend a whole Saturday volunteering for a Shakespeare fest.”

The table erupts in laughter. I just grin and bear it. These are my people. This is what we do. Besides, it’s kind of nice to see Calla enjoying herself, even if it’s at my expense.

“Franz was a pain in the ass.” I sigh dramatically. “But he actually gave me an A.”

"I need to hear more of these stories," Calla says, mock-seriously.

"There are no more stories," I lie. "All evidence has been destroyed. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise can’t be trusted."

“Hah!” Ellie laughs without looking up from her phone. "He’s just lucky you didn’t take more pictures."

Calla beams. "I’ll have to hear all about this later."

---