Page 4 of New Neighbor

Benji narrowed his stare. “Just because you considered becoming a doctor doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing.”

“It was sports medicine. And hey, I took all those anatomy classes and worked part time as a PT assistant for a year before I switched degrees.”

Benji chuckled. “Still doesn’t mean shit, Jess.”

“I just don’t want you getting hurt. Again.”

Benji rolled his eyes. One pulled hamstring and they were always treating him like he was fragile. He wasn’t fragile.

“Anyway… Adam and Clay…”

“Those two argue all the time. Give it a few weeks and they’ll be fine,” Benji said.

“No. I think we need to get them in the same space and make them face one another,” Jesse countered. “That way we can gauge the temperature and see how bad it is this time.”

“If they’re pissed off at one another, how are we supposed to get them to come?”

Jesse grinned. “We lie.”

“That’s not cool.”

“If it’s for a good cause?”

Benji lifted a brow.

Jesse continued. “We tell each one of them that the other can’t make it and then persuade them both to come. They show up, and we go all ninja on them and don’t let them go until they’ve made up.”

Benji looked up at him from his seat on the leg press. “Fine. But we need to eat this time. Hayden got blasted last time because he hadn’t eaten first—and I hadn’t had much myself. The following day wasn’t fun.”

“You’re such an old man,” Jesse said with a smile.

“You two gonna use the equipment or run your mouths?” a big buff dude asked, moving in close. Benji froze. All those guys intimidated the hell out of him.

“Almost done,” Benji said, frowning. He lifted the weights too quickly—apparently forgetting the loss of weight. They clanged hard, and Benji felt every eye in the place on him.

“Amateurs,” the big dude said before sauntering off to find another piece of equipment.

Jesse looked back at Benji. “That new Chinese place opened up around the corner from Jackson Street. We can hit there, grease up the old stomach, and take a walk on down the row. Say Friday night?”

“Sounds good,” Benji said. “You’re going to call Adam and Clay, right?”

“Canyoucall Clay? I just tried a little bit ago. I don’t want to sound like I’m nagging.”

“You know I suck at lying,” Benji said. He wasn’t in the mood to be Jesse’s co-conspirator, but knowing how much of a weakling he was, he’d just be talked into it eventually. It was easier to just say yes and get it over with.

“Come on, Benj—you can do it!”

Jesse smiled as Benji rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” Benji answered.

“Good. I’ll call everyone else,” Jesse said. He looked to the right and saw big and beefy walking back. “Better finish up before we piss off the natives.”

Benji pushed his legs up again, slower this time. His mind swirled, imagining himself as the fifth wheel once again.Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way.

A guys’ night.

No expectations.

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