Page 23 of Second Chance

“Only if you’re on the West Coast, buddy.” I chuckle at the reference. Thank God Kristy left California.

Remaining in his crouched position, Billy squat walks to the end of the bar and ducks behind a swinging door, which I’m assuming leads to a kitchen.

“She’s right about one thing. You could have been one of us.” Giant taps the edge of my glass with his. I glare up at him, not understanding his meaning, but the sentiment turns back toward the door. I scan the crowd as fast as I can, and then double back, my eyes racing over people’s faces.

“She left,” Charlie says, not even spinning in my direction, but knowing who I’m looking for.

“When?”

“When you had your hands on your ex-wife.”

“Damn it,” I curse loudly, reaching for my wallet to cover my tab.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charlie offers, setting his fingers around the bottom of my mug and sliding it toward him. “Might I suggest you chase her. For once.”

I’d like to argue with Charlie—how I did chase Mati, how I kissed her, and she didn’t reciprocate. Then she married our best friend, having babies with him.

My mouth actually opens, preparing to spill this history, when Giant speaks. “The stopwatch started, man.”

Fuck them and their cryptic innuendos. I push through the crowd, pressing out the door into a chilly early fall mountain evening in hopes I won’t have to run too far.