Page 41 of Opening Strain

“What happened?”

King’s nice, however he’s not made it to acquaintance level yet with me. To be fair, I only have gradations of acquaintances, but I’m still not about to pour my woes out to an almost complete stranger. I opt for the lesser of all evils. “You remember Michelle, right? The woman I met with you on my first night in town.”

“Big lips, tight clothes.”

“The one and only.”

King’s name rings out over the sound system, and he excuses himself to get our drinks. I appreciate his thoughtfulness. He comes back and hands me my hot water and teabag, this time an herbal. Seemed appropriate, given I need to calm the fuck down.

He sips his steaming hot coffee. “What did Michelle do now?”

“I was out to lunch and she bumped into me. More like hip-checked me right at my muscle pull. Hurt like a bitch.”

King pulls a face. “Oh man,” he offers in sympathy.

I dunk my teabag into the cup. “To say I saw stars is an understatement. Felt like all my therapy went out the window.”

“I watched you walking here from outside. You were doing alright.” He sips his coffee. “I mean, I could tell you were going slower and were favoring one side, but you didn’t appear to be injured.”

“Because I got help right away. The server brought a makeshift ice pack and I elevated my leg.” And Jenna did a massage trick on it.

He taps his coffee cup against the table. “Makes sense. At least there was no lasting damage.”

To my groin pull. Another couple strolls in and says hello to King. He leans toward me. “They bought a house down the street from here with a sick view of the ocean.”

The way his face lights up reminds me of how Jenna describes her budding PT empire. “You must love being a real estate agent.”

“Yeah, I do. Never thought this is where I’d end up, but I’m happy. Helping people buy and sell rocks.”

“Almost as much as your father’s concerts.” I pause. “Your brother’s too.”

He chuckles. “Let’s say real estate turns me on like performing does for them.” His amber eyes bore into mine. “And for you.”

I chuckle. “I get it.” With a squeeze, I place the teabag onto a small plate and take a sip. Warmth slides down my throat, leaving a soothing wake. “It’s great to get on stage with a bunch of guys and share our music.”

“You sound just like Dad.” He grins over the rim of his coffee mug. “As for me, I get that rush with real estate. Although, when the TV show hired me to play opposite Angie, I had no idea what I was getting into. She’s taught me a whole lot more than real estate.” His eyebrows wiggle.

“Two kids later, I’d say she sure did.”

He takes another swallow of his java. “To be honest, we both taught each other. I was a reckless playboy back then, spending all Dad’s money. I had no purpose in life. Angie made me take the real estate exam where I found my passion.”

“I can’t imagine doing anything other than making music, which I discovered when I was seventeen, so I get it. Wandering aimlessly through life can’t be too gratifying.”

“Have to say, I enjoyed myself back then. However, it’s way more meaningful now.”

I sip my tea. “Glad Angie set you on the straight and narrow.”

“You have no idea. When you meet someone who clicks with you, grab on to her. She can change your whole world, which can be scary. Although, I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Hell, before her, I couldn’t imagine spending more than a night with any woman.”

Sounds like my life. “What you and Angie have is special.”

“It is man, it is.” He finishes his coffee and offers to driveme to my rental. Since I don’t want to face Jenna yet, I take him up on his offer.

Inside the rental, I wander through the kitchen to the living room. I even open the patio doors for a minute before the cold drives me back inside. I’m too restless to take a nap and too wired to watch a movie.

I put my new coat on again, and walk down the street to the arcade. A game of Asteroids Deluxe should help clear my brain. A couple of empty machines await, and I choose the one I played on my last trip. Might as well try to beat my score on this machine.

After a few rounds, I wipe the sweat off my brow. My alias of Benjamin Howell now shows I’m number eight on the leaderboard. I glance around and realize the arcade has filled. Guess school let out. I relinquish my machine to a kid who appears eager to play.

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