Page 25 of Barbed Wire Fences
“Catering? Do you have an event tonight?”
He shakes his head. “No, we do game night every now and then over at Lark and Lainey’s house. Tonight’s Uno, but it’s a very extreme version. Drinking, fighting, furniture gets broken, friendships are tested, I pretend fire Lark. That kind of thing.”
I laugh, thinking about my old friend Lainey from high school. Like I said, it hadn’t been all bad growing up here. The friendships that I’d built had meant something to me at one time though now, they feel like a distant memory. After what happened with Owen the other night, I thought it might be best to keep to myself for the rest of my visit, but loneliness has been creeping in and seeing Lainey might be exactly what I need.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to reach out to her since I came back but haven’t had the time.”
His brows raise. “Why don’t you join us tonight?”
“For game night?”
“Yeah, why not? You said you’ve been meaning to text her. I bet she’d love to see you. Colt and Molly should be there too. Bet Molly would be thrilled to see you.”
“Do you think it would be okay for me to just show up uninvited?”
He waves his hand. “Did you forget, we aren’t like the city-folk you’re used to in Richmond. People just walk into houses down here. Lainey and Lark are always inviting random people over for game night. Some of the other guys from work will be there too. They get a sitter, and it’s a whole thing. Just a small group of eight or nine of us usually. Any more people and we’d probably burn their house down and the cops would get called. Which would be awkward considering Molly’s a cop now.”
“God, I forgot she’s a cop.”
He nods, flashing a grin that tugs at something deep in my chest. These people—they used to mean so much to me. And yet, when I left, I’d written them off as if they were nothing. I hadn’t checked in, hadn’t cared enough to keep up with their lives, but they’d kept up with mine.
The realization settles in like a heavy weight, guilt threading through me that I didn’t value their friendship more. I never thought there would be a day where I’d feel uncomfortable seeing my old friends again.
Despite the disaster with Owen last week, I decide this town deserves one more shot before I condemn it to the “sucks forever” list. Maybe this is my chance to find a small slice of what I used to love about this place or at least distract myself from everything that I’ve been avoiding.
Besides, it’s not like I’ve had any actual fun since coming back. A night out might do me some good, especially after a grueling shift and an entire afternoon spent sleeping like the dead. If I don’t do something to shake off the funk that I’m in, I’ll just end up in my hotel room all night, binging Netflix, wearing out my vibrator, and inhaling overpriced truck-stop snacks like they’re fine dining. Not exactly the vibe I’m going for and breaking my vibrator just isn’t an option.
“Alright. I’ll come.”
He smiles. “Hey, are you meeting someone for lunch? You care if I join you? The owner here always looks at me suspiciously when I eat two platters alone. She’s been trying to hook me up with her granddaughter for three months now.”
I laugh. “I’m not meeting anyone. You can join me. But maybe you should give her granddaughter a shot. You do seem kind of uptight.”
Rhett lets out a bark of laughter and steps toward the register to place his order, but before he does, he leans down close enough that I can feel his breath on my ear and no one else can hear us. “What did I tell you about worrying about my sex life?”
A shiver runs down my spine and my cheeks heat up, but I refuse to look at him. He notices anyway, letting out a low, dark chuckle that makes my stomach flip. I dart off in search of a booth and my dignity.
A couple minutes later he’s sliding into the seat across from me with two full BBQ pork platters, collars and baked beans.
“So, two platters, huh?” I ask as I pick up my sandwich and take a bite. I hold back a moan because this is amazing. Virginia may be considered the south, but no one does it right like the southern food in North Carolina.
“You didn’t need to wait for me to start eating, but yes, don’t judge me. I work manual labor, burn over 3,000 calories a day and I’m two hundred pounds of pure muscle. I need fuel for all the shit I put up with all day.”
I snort, “The literal shit you put up with,” which then causes the sweet tea I was sipping to inhale through my nose and shoot out. “Ouch!”
His light brown eyes go wide with amusement. “Now hold on there; I didn’t think that was that funny.”
I smile easily and sigh because damn does it feel good to enjoy easy banter with Rhett just like old times. I can’t even count the number of nights we’d spend here, scooping together enough spare change to split a sandwich when we were kids.
“I’ll have you know, the new owner was not happy to see me talking to you.”
“Did you reassure her that I’m just a friend?”
His brows raise as he forks a scoopful of baked beans into his mouth. “Oh, so now we’re friends again?”
I’m not sure what it is about that question that makes me sad because really, we aren’t even friends anymore. We don’t know each other and that’s completely my fault.
I bite down on my bottom lip and shake my head. Rhett chews his food silently, knowing eyes searching my face while I try to think of how to get out of this conversation.
