“I’m just saying your body count and your bank account are both in the hundreds.”
“Damn fucking right.” Connor roared with laughter.
Jason asked me, “Is this it for Miami? Sorry, I didn’t pay too close attention to the group chat.”
“Uh, yup, except…” I turned to Miles. “Where’s your brother?”
Miles took a slug of his beer instead of answering. Then it sounded like some of it got caught in his throat. “Not sure. But he said he was gonna come.”
Miles turned his attention to Tyler, and Jason asked me, “What’s the room situation again? We’re sharing, right?”
“Yup. You’re with Connor, I’m with Ty, and Miles is with his brother.”
Connor said, “Hey bro, you didn’t say shit in the chat about me bringing girls back to the room. So just be prepared for the fun.”
Jason’s cheeks heated, and he laughed. “Knew I shoulda paid more attention to the group chat.”
I almost choked on my beer before I answered. Rounding the corner, looking pissed off, was Miles’s older brother, Ryder. He was always bigger than Miles and me, even when we all stopped growing. His gait, assertive and determined, looked like he could burst through a wall Kool-Aid Man style.
Miles didn’t see him until he was right behind us. Ryder slapped his brother’s shoulder with more force than needed and said, “What’s up, fellas?”
The sudden hit caused a cascade of beer onto Miles’s forearm. Miles’s face melted as soon as he saw who it was.
Ryder said, “You could’ve told me you weren’t gonna be at the gate.”
Miles wiped his arm. “You’re a big boy. You found us.”
“Mm-hmm,” Ryder said. “Hey guys, what’s up?” He smiled at the rest of us, then took a seat next to me.
The bartender asked what Ryder wanted. “What’re we drinking, boys?”
“Just beer for now.” Tyler smirked and squinted. “But if you’re down for a shot, I am.”
“Why the fuck not? It’s a bachelor party, right?” Ryder said. Then to the bartender, “Round of tequila for the boys. The good stuff.”
Jason shook his head. “I’m good, man. Don’t want to be hungover before we even get there.”
“Your loss.” Ryder shrugged.
Gotta say Ryder doesn’t skimp on stuff like that. When he said the good stuff, he meant it. Shit was delicious. After we clinked glasses, Ryder kinda shrank. He spent the rest of the time until the flight either on his phone or giving short answers to the other guys. Ryder and Miles didn’t speak again until we landed.
Shit wasweird.That’s not the Ryder I knew. He was never rude to anyone or had a bad word to say. He wasn’t the life of the party type and would shy away from the spotlight if he didn’t need it, but he was always engaging.
Maybe Ryder thought he should’ve been the best man? But Miles had said he didn’t have time. The guy was a new doctor who barely got enough sleep, so it made sense. Also, if that were the case, wouldn’t he have been pissed at me? And he wasn’t. I was the only one he spoke more than a sentence to.
???
The hotel was pretty cool. Had this modern luxury vibe, with seats made of spooled rope, and millions of tiny lights hanging from the ceiling. Giant out-of-focus framed pictures of nearly nude models hung on every wall.
We didn’t see much of the city when we first arrived. Since it was still early, we dropped our bags, got our suits on, and rotted in the sun by the pool. Our hotel was small, but it had two pools. Neither was tiny, but they encouraged interaction between the guests. It was busy, not packed, so there were plenty of people to interact with and plenty of seats to snag.
For a group of twenty-something guys with six-packs, we were in heaven. Other than Jason and the groom, the rest of us were unattached, and there were plenty of gorgeous members of the opposite sex to make friends with, or ogle at and get ogled by.
“Bro, she’s checking one of us out.” Connor pointed out a hot blonde across the narrow pool. “I think… wait…” He flashed a smile. “Yeah, it’s me.”
“Gonna shoot your shot?” I asked.
Connor looked at me as if I had nine heads. “The fuck? I’m not desperate, bro. No. Now I know she thinks I’m hot. The next time I’m close enough to talk to her, I will. Guarantee she’ll be riding me tonight.”
