“Do you have a bottle opener?”Tonya waggled her eyebrows.
I couldn’t help but laugh.“Pretty sure.”
“I’ve got a bottle of red in case you don’t like chardonnay and a full bottle of whiskey.”
“We’re most definitely shooting whiskey.”
Two shots in and a lot of talk about Dante in high school later I asked, “Josh wound too tight?Are you sure we’re talking about the same Josh?That’s not the guy I remember.”
“I heard he had a real come-to-Jesus moment back in college.He crashed his car, got a DUI, spent a few nights in jail.Actually, I think he was in jail a few times before that for drunk fighting here in town.Ever since his crash, he’s been the picture of responsibility.He barely drinks, won’t even speed, goes to church every Sunday and Bible study when he can.He’s always helping somebody with something.At first, I assumed it was just good optics for his business.Now, I think it’s who he really is.”
“You’re saying he became an upstanding citizen and a saint since I knew him?”
“Saint might be pushing it.”Tonya snorted a laugh and gave her head a slow shake.“He keeps his bedroom roster top secret, but the way he parades that pretty butt around, you’d think he was charging admission to stare.”
“You looked?”
“What straight girl wouldn’t?I don’t want to touch his complicated, screwed up ass, mind you.He started dating that Milly woman a month or two ago.I have no clue what she brings to their relationship.”She shrugged.“Maybe she can suck a golf ball through a garden hose.Doesn’t matter to me, but for some reason Dante despises her.You know that man can see the best in everyone, but she’s on his permanent shit list.”
I didn’t want to be this interested in Josh’s love life.But I was.
Tonya waved her glass at me.“Tell me about you.Are you seeing someone?Engaged?Divorced?”
“I was seeing someone, but he cheated on me while I was down here, something I don’t think is new.We broke up.”I stared at my glass.“I’m not that upset over it.I knew he wasn’t good for me.What grosses me out is him sleeping with another girl in my bed.”
Her face scrunched up.“Burn the mattresses, girl.That’s disgusting.”
“I should.He won’t quit texting me.It’s as if he thinks we’re still together.”
“How about we crack the wine?”She held up the corkscrew.
“Let’s do it.”I smiled and nodded.
* * *
JOSH
Dante rubbed his chin and sighed as he read an incoming text.He shifted on the rock next to me.
“Got to go into work?”I hugged myself against a gust of frigid wind, somewhat hopeful he needed to go.
He held up a finger while he made a call.“Did you text that right,mi amor?”There was a pause.“I’m on my way.I’ll get you.”He hung up.“So, uh, Tonya went over to see Erika.They?—”
“What?They don’t even know each other,” I interrupted.
“Sounds like they do now.Knowing Tonya, she probably wanted details about me in my wild days.They’re a few bottles in and likely wasted.Can you drop me off at Erika’s place?I’ll drive Tonya’s car home.Glad you drove.Makes things easier.”
My heart thudded hard when I pulled into the Chomping farm driveway twenty-three minutes later.The place felt hollow now that Roland had gotten rid of the animals.Five or six years ago, there’d been goats, a working chicken coop, a mean duck that nipped my ankles the second I got out of the car, and a Great Pyrenees.One by one, as they fell ill, he let them go instead of fighting to keep them alive.When I asked why, he gave a vague answer that sounded like money might have been the problem.It was a strange choice for a vet—and a sad one.
Dante didn’t even knock at the green front door.He walked in as if he lived there.
I followed behind, alert for an Erika attack.Vinny lay asleep on the sofa, his mouth slightly open.The home screen ofCarsflashed across the large TV mounted above the fireplace.Popcorn had spilled on Vinny and across the carpet.
Dante whispered, “Heads up, they drank a whole bottle of whiskey.”
Nothing got Erika drunk faster than whiskey shots.
Tonya sauntered to Dante with a goofy grin.She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.“You always said not to drive if I had more than a glass.”
