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Sweet. See you in a few. You’re buying.
You asked me out.
Don’t be a cheap ass. I’ll get dessert.
Chris laughed.
Deal.
He left his spare room, taking the wraps off his hands as he walked down the hallway. His knuckles ached already, telling him he’d overdone it tonight, but he still felt better than he had an hour and a half ago.
He reached his bedroom, where he kicked off his shoes and stripped out of his clothes. Chris was a neat guy who didn’t like things out of place. Instead of leaving his laundry on the floor, he picked up the bundle up and tossed it into the wicker basket next to his shiny cherry wood dresser. Chris left the hand wraps on top of the dresser. He’d put those away later, since he wasn’t likely to trip over them in the dark.
He walked past the king size bed with its gray comforter. The head and foot board perfectly matched his dresser and nightstands. On top of each were matching lamps with gray bases and eggshell shades. The right nightstand held his alarm clock and a picture of his parents on their wedding day. On the left was a photo of Kelly and him at one of the first weddings she organized.
Next to it was another frame of silver, with Ray in his dress blues and Chris with his arm around his friend’s shoulders. They’d been celebrating Ray’s boot camp graduation and it was no surprise that Kelly had been the one to take that picture of them.
The slight twinge in his chest hurt, mostly because it reminded him that he wasn’t over losing his friend. Ray had been the brother he’d always wanted, a confidant that had his back and called him on his bullshit. As much as he tried to get out there with his other lawyer friends or guys he’d kept up with from college, they couldn’t replace Ray.
Chris pulled the buds from his ears, determined not to settle into a downer mood on his birthday. When he set his phone on the counter in the connected bathroom and pulled the headphones from the jack, Green Day blared through the room. He’d bought the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Somerset as a foreclosure and had been slowly updating it himself. He’d started in the master bath and bedroom because he knew he’d be spending the most time in there and he loved the way his shower had turned out. It was tall and wide, big enough for four people with dual shower heads and dark gray tile. The toilet had a separate door, and the second sink on the double vanity sparkled compared to the one he used every morning. Cass hadn’t spent the night much and when she did, she’d always used his side.
He turned the nozzle in the shower for the hot water, adjusting the cold slightly so he didn’t peel his skin off. Finally, he stepped into the waterfall, sighing loudly as the tepid spray rained down on his body. He was too hot for his normal scalding shower, but the steady, massaging stream was still amazing.
The music on his phone paused and he heard the text notification. A sense of urgency shot through him, and he hoped Kelly hadn’t changed her mind about going out for food. He finished scrubbing the sweat from his body and hair with body wash and shampoo. Once the soap was gone, he stepped out onto the black bath mat and grabbed his towel on the wall. Wrapping his towel around his waist, he went to the counter and unlocked the screen on his phone with his trigger finger.
By the way. Happy Birthday, SBF.
Attached was a picture of a clown holding a birthday cake, a wicked grin on its painted face. He grimaced.
You’re evil.
I love you.
I know.
Chris shook his head with a grin and ran his hand over the steam-covered mirror. He went ahead and left the golden five o’clock shadow that had formed on his cheeks and chin. Kelly wouldn’t care if he shaved or not.
He finished getting ready and left the house to climb into his slate gray Toyota Tundra. He blasted the radio as he pulled out onto the dirt road that would take him to highway 16. Pine trees lined the two-lane road, and in the distance, he could see the hills beyond growing taller. When he hit the three-way stop, he waved a red sports car on his right through before gunning the engine.
It took him about ten minutes to get to Shotguns, as it was on the other side of Sweetheart. All the businesses sported clever, wedding-themed names, like Bow Ties Italian Restaurant. It was what the small foothill town was known for. A private place that catered to celebrity weddings. It was where most of the revenue came from that kept the businesses booming. A picturesque oasis; a country setting with California sensibilities.
Chris pulled into Shotgun’s lot and parked next to Kelly’s truck, a sneaking suspicion crossed his mind. The parking lot was packed except for one spot right up front. Kelly forgetting his birthday?
He was an idiot.
He climbed out of the truck and walked up the steps to the dark wood building. The bouncer, Phil, grinned at him with his hand on the doorknob. The dark haired, six-foot-four body builder towered over him like Shrek, but with a better attitude.
“Any chance there isn’t a surprise
party waiting for me in there, Phil?”
“Sorry, pal, Kelly told me I’m sworn to secrecy.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Let’s get this over with, then.”
Phil opened the door and Chris walked into the bar, which was pitch black and eerily quiet.
The lights came on with an explosion of “surprise” and Chris’s heart nearly propelled from his chest. Even though he had been waiting for it, he hadn’t been fully prepared.
