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We had chosen a low-key place for dinner, a short walk down Collins Ave. None of us were sober, but no one was wasted either, so the walk could’ve been worse.
South Beach’s streets overflowed with aromas of mouth-watering food and the pulse-pounding beat of Latin music, even where there was neither. Miami’s whole vibe was spicy. Even the people. I love the heat. The hotter, the better. It helped the slight buzz I caught at the pool, and felt like the bachelor party had truly begun.
Tyler slung his arm around me, making the already muggy May air that much more humid. “Are you going to try the vaca frita?”
“What’s that?” I thought it was some kind of shot.
“Fried beef in garlic, lime juice, and onions.” He smacked his lips. “Making me hungry already.”
“I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds good as fuck.”
“Yeah, bro, that’s why we picked this place.”
“You picked this place.”
“Okay, that’s why Isuggestedthis place.” We laughed. “Been seeing it on TikTok and it makes my mouth water.”
The six of us sat at a giant round table right on the sidewalk. The sun went down as we arrived, settling Collins Avein shadow, only to be replaced by headlights, louder music, and the neon glow of South Beach.
Ryder sat in silence beside me, as far away from his brother as a circle would allow. Tyler suggested tequila shots, and Jason took out his phone, saying, “Yeah, but let me check in with Beth and the baby first. Wanna say goodnight before her father gets shitfaced.”
Connor slapped his shoulder. “Good man. Good dad. Let’s just hope you’re not in the room when I become a father this weekend.”
“Fucking gross, dude. What the—Hey, honey!” Jason said as his wife answered the call. “Yeah, we’re about to sit down for dinner, and I wanted to say goodnight to her…” He left the table to speak to his little girl in peace.
Connor paled. “Do you think he’s pissed?”
Miles said, “Nah, he’s good. If he was pissed, he wouldn’t have said anything and just walked away.”
“Good.” Connor’s shoulders fell. “I didn’t wanna offend him, or fuck things up right out the gate, night one.”
The shots were waiting for Jason when he returned. We lifted them, and I was about to clink when I noticed everyone staring at me. It only lasted a second, but it was awkward. Like standing on stage after someone pantsed me.
“Does the best man want to say something?” Ryder said just under his breath with a gentle nudge.
“Oh, uh, yeah.” I was never great at thinking on my feet and fumbled my words. “Here’s to a great guy and a great weekend.”
No one moved. Tyler said, “Hopefully the weekend will be better than the guy. Just saying.”
Miles said, “Fuck you, man,” with a laugh, but kept his glass raised and eyes on me.
I wasn’t off the hook. “You’re a great dude, and I’m honored to call you my best friend.” My cheeks heated. “You’re like the brother I never had. Love you, man. Now let’s get fucked up!”
That got some hoots and a few hollers. Connor whistled. The tequila wasn’t top quality, but it was less than half the price of the stuff at the airport. It went down with a burn and a laugh.
I took Tyler’s suggestion and got the vaca frita. It was every bit as delicious as he made it sound. Ryder got a Cuban sandwich, which he let me have a bite of in exchange for some of mine, and it was the best damn Cuban I’d ever had. We ended up trying everyone’s, and I was glad we did. Croquetas, ceviche, arepas, and more. It wasn’t the most authentic place, catering to tourists like us, but it was still so fucking good.
Tyler suggested we go to a bar after we paid the check. I said, “Do we wanna go heavy the first night? We’ve got a lot of shit planned.”
“Just the one across from the hotel, bro. Nothing serious.” Tyler pushed his chair back from the table with the others.
Miles said, “No, the number one male has a point. Let’s go, but keep it decent.”
Ryder chuckled. “Didn’t know you knew that word.”
It sounded as if he didn’t mean to say it out loud. I heard it, so did Tyler, and we made eye contact. Miles said nothing, but his face fell as if Ryder had slapped him, before turning around to catch up with Jason and Connor.
