Page 102 of Wingmen

“To be honest, that bet was pretty gross, anyway. It kind of made me realize…” Elliot paused. He hadn’t meant to bring this up, but he’d been low key thinking about it since he talked to Drew. Because it wasn’t justhimwho trash-talked women – that was where heandDiego had something in common with Reef.

“That whole thing just made me realize you probably shouldn’t treat people that way,” he said. And waited.

Diego said, “I guess.”

Elliot pushed. “Because you know. It’s not really okay.”

Diego sighed. “Man, I guess I just realized I lost my wingman. If you’re getting your dick sucked by Dustin Bennet, you’re probably not coming to the club anymore.”

“We can go to the club,” said Elliot, mildly offended. “I’m notdead, homes. I’m just saying…”

“Yeah. I hear you,” said Diego. “I know what you’re saying.” He was quiet again for a while, then he sighed and said, “Maybe I’m not doing this thing right with Renata.”

Elliot frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Now you got me thinking…” Elliot heard the screen door bang and the creak of Diego sitting in the wicker chair on his patio. “I been getting so mad about these guys she’s seeing. Because it’s more than one, you know. And she keeps saying I’m getting in her business and talking about double standards and…now I’m hearing about you and Bennet, and I’m thinking, like…what if it wasgirlsshe was hooking up with? Would I be grillingthem?I don’t think so, but why not?Thatseems like a double standard. So…I don’t know…maybe she’s right?”

Elliot sipped his smoothie. “Well, she’s pretty smart. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with worrying about her. Have you tried talkingto her about it?”

He sighed. “No, not really. We just yell at each other while she’s walking out the door.”

“Right. Well…I’m starting to think talking might be the way to go. In general.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

They sat with the line humming between them and – ironically – said nothing while Elliot finished his smoothie. It felt good. He should’ve just told Diego about all thisweeksago. But at least he was figuring it out now.

They hung up and he walked back to Force.

Knowing Diego was in Tampa made him feel better about going back there. But there was a split in his mind about the city now that had never been there before. On one side of it was Diego, and his mom, and his team, and the place he’d grown up in and was proud to call home.

On the other side of that split…was Reef.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Dustin

“Nine four seven.” Tom clicked off the stopwatch. “Not bad.”

Dustin turned at the top of the ladder, shaking out his calves. Nine four seven wasn’t what he wanted. But it was better than ten nine nine, and it was a hell of a lot better than nothing at all. He was trying to get used to the idea that he was lucky to be doing anything at all.

It was two weeks since what Dr. Wu calledThe Vancouver Incident. Dustin’s new psychologist didn’t like that name – he said it made it sound like an isolated accident Dustin could put in the rearview mirror, when actually, it was a sign that there were problems with his vehicle. Not the knee: that was healing up and on-track for January.

It was his brain that needed attention.

A brain that rationalized its way into another country to buy dangerous pharmaceuticals needed to be examined, said his psychologist. Dustin should also examine why he’d had such a hard time admitting he needed help. Or slowing down. Orletting go. Because it was probably all related. And if he didn’t understand how, then going back on the roster in January might just land him right back in the same shit.

Dustin reset at the top of the ladder and ran it again. His left foot was hesitating on the third rung and he was trying not to let it bother him. He was trying to be grateful to be running a ladder at all. It was hard work: being grateful that he wasn’t as good as he wanted to be.

“Nine four five. Good.” Tom noted this on a clipboard and surveyed Dustin with his arms folded. “One more?”

“Always,” said Dustin, and went back to the top and ran it again.

“So now youput the onion in on top of that. Uh huh. Wait–” Elliot looked around. “Did we chop the peppers?”

They were standing in Dustin’s kitchen with the blender half full of cilantro and onions and Dustin wasn’t even sure what else, making something called ‘sofrito’. Elliot had assured him this was an easy place to start because it was just blending vegetables, which was basically making a smoothie, which was all Dustin could reliably do.

He pointed to a cutting board. “Those?”