Page 64 of Somebody to Save
“Damn,” Andrew muttered. “You’ve got it bad, brother.”
I took my phone back but didn’t bother denying it. I was so far gone for her, if I looked behind me, the man I was before would be a little point in the distance I’d never be able to make out.
The waitress came back by, and we all ordered burgers and fries. The crowd got rowdier the later it got, and we had to speak louder to be heard over it.
“So, I’ve gotta ask: the age difference isn’t an issue?” Nathan finished off his beer, and I shrugged.
“Not necessarily. I mean, it’s a little more obvious sometimes,but overall, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like she’s partying every night or I’m looking at retirement homes.”
“You just have to forget about the fact that she was born almost at the same time you were graduating high school,” Andrew said.
Although his comment was unhelpful, it was also the truth. Like I said, most of the time it was a nonissue, but occasionally, both of us realized the difference.
They continued to riddle me with questions, most of which I answered. Except Andrew’s about our sex life and my ability to “still get it up.”
“I am not that much older than you, dickhead,” I reminded him. “I’ll ask you the same question in a few years and see how you feel about it.”
He waved me off, and we’d finally exhausted the topic. Only it was halfway through our meal, and we’d spent a good half an hour on my new relationship.
“Andrew, what about you, man? You’ve got someone new, right?” Nathan asked, and Andrew froze with his burger halfway to his mouth.
“It’s…umm…fine,” he muttered, taking a large bite. Neither Nathan nor I believed him, and we stayed silent until he groaned. “She ended things. We spent Thanksgiving with her parents, and it seemed to go well, but then shit went upside down.”
He gulped the rest of his beer, and I realized then that maybe his attitude didn’t have as much to do with work as I thought. He cleared his throat, obviously done talking about the topic and very uninterested in expanding, and looked at Nathan.
“Okay, man, fess up. We’ve gone over our relationship shit. It’s your turn,” Andrew said.
Nathan pushed his empty plate to the center of our small table and smiled at the waitress, who immediately came by to grab it. She looked at him a second longer than she had before, and Nathan’s smile widened.
I’d seen that look before. My best friend was a fucking flirt. Always had been, and likely always would be.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Nathan said.
Andrew laughed. “Have you been enjoying the rooms at your own club?”
Nathan narrowed his eyes at my brother, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. “Of course, I have. What kind of business owner would I be if I didn’t test it out before offering it to others?”
“A pretty shitty one,” Andrew agreed. “I feel left out now. I need to come see the place.”
“Hell yeah, you do. New Year’s Eve is our next event, if you want to join. You, too, Beckett. Bring your girl.”
Smiling, I glanced around the bar and nodded. I didn’t know what we were doing on New Year’s Eve, but I knew it would be perfect. As long as Addison was there, it would be.
And they were definitely right—I had it bad.Reallybad. Yet, I didn’t care.
THIRTY-ONE
A BRACELET WITH BLUE BEADS
Addison
Working.That’s what I felt like I was always doing. But days like today didn’t feel so much like work.
The Lake Hills holiday party was a success. The residents were singing, dancing, eating, and even crafting in the little corner I’d set up. We’d done a gift exchange and, of course, played bingo.
Assessing what wine and beer we still had left, which wasn’t much, I peeked across the room. Beckett was sitting with Mr. Rogers at the craft corner, trying to string beads on a piece of cord. And I couldn’t believe he was still there.
He’d picked up Nana and Grams earlier and brought them to the party. Then, when Nana was getting tired, he’d taken them back homeandreturned. No complaints, no hesitation. I hadn’t even asked him to do it.
