Page 59 of Body and Soul

Ketchup snorted, not bothering to glance up from the magazine. “That ain't saying much. Later, man.”

I waved goodbye and followed Bryce outside.

The drive back felt different with Bryce at the wheel, one hand steering while he flipped through radio stations until upbeat pop filled the car.

“Ever heard these guys?” Bryce asked, grinning over at me.

I shook my head. “Can't say I have. Shepherd's more of a classical music guy.”

Bryce snorted. “Sometimes I think he was born in the wrong century.”

He cranked up the volume and began singing along to the foreign lyrics, bopping his head to the catchy beat. I watched him, fascinated by how carefree and uninhibited he seemed. It was such a stark contrast to Shepherd's tightly leashed control.

As if sensing my gaze, Bryce looked over at me, still grinning. “So, Eli, when you're not inking people up, what do you like to do for fun? You a movie buff? Gamer? Secret K-pop stan?”

I huffed a laugh, settling back in my seat. “Nah, none of the above. I used to game back before...” I trailed off, memories of my old life threatening to surface. I pushed them back.

Bryce nodded. “Fair enough. What kind of food do you like? I’m starving. We could get takeout, watch Netflix, make a night of it.”

I considered Bryce's suggestion, my stomach growling at the mention of food. It had been a long day and the thought of vegging out on the couch was tempting. But a nagging voice in the back of my mind stopped me from immediately agreeing.

“I should probably start on my chores first,” I said hesitantly, glancing over at Bryce. “You know, since Shepherd isn't here...”

Bryce waved a dismissive hand. “Nah, dude, you're off the hook tonight. Shepherd's taking a mental health day, which means you get one too. Them's the rules.”

I chewed my lip ring, unconvinced. It felt wrong to skip responsibilities, even if Shepherd wasn’t around. He’d given me purpose, stability. The least I could do was hold up my end of the agreement.

“I don't know. Shepherd's pretty big on routine and discipline. I feel like he'd still expect me to get everything done.”

Bryce sighed, though there was no real annoyance in it. “Look, I get it. You're a good boy who wants to make Daddy proud.”

I flushed at his choice of words, but didn't interrupt.

“How about this?” Bryce continued, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “We'll tackle the chores together, as a team. Then we’ll veg out and eat junk food the rest of the night. Deal?”

I thought for a second, then nodded. “Deal. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?”

Bryce grinned. “Exactly! Knew you'd come around.” He reached over to ruffle my hair playfully.

I ducked away. “Watch the road, you menace.”

“Yes, dear,” Bryce sing-songed, turning his attention back to driving.

We bantered the rest of the way. By the time we pulled into the apartment’s parking lot, my face ached from smiling.

Chores with Bryce were surprisingly fun. With his playlist blasting, we danced and lip-synced around the house, bumping hips as we cleaned.

When we finished in record time, Bryce flopped onto the couch with a satisfied sigh. “See? Teamwork for the win!” He held up his hand for a high five.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help grinning as I slapped my palm against his. “Yeah, yeah. You were right. Don't let it go to your head.”

“Too late. I'm already drunk with power,” Bryce declared. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and started tapping away at the screen. “Now, what are you in the mood for? Pizza, Chinese, Thai? Ooh, there's a new sushi place that delivers.”

I settled on the couch beside him, peering over his shoulder at the food delivery app. “I could go for some pizza. With lots of meat on it.”

“A man after my own heart,” Bryce said approvingly. He selected a pizza with five different kinds of meat toppings and added it to the cart, along with an order of cheesy garlic bread and a two-liter of Coke. “Dinner of champions, coming right up.”

After placing the order, Bryce queued up Netflix. “What’re you in the mood for? Action, comedy, or trashy reality?”

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