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“Had?” Junior asked.
“I haven’t been in touch for years,” I admitted. “So, I guess it is hopeful thinking to put it in past tense. I’d like to think she is somewhere, clean, and putting her life together with a decent guy.”
“My parents abandoned me,” Barry said, making both Junior and I look over, surprised. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Last year, they sold their house, and up and moved to Peru.”
“Peru?” Junior asked, brows raised.
“The dollar goes a lot further there. Ma is happy because she has a housekeeper and someone to come in and cook meals three days a week. They don’t come up for holidays or even my birthday anymore.”
“You could move there,” Junior suggested, pretending to be helpful, when I knew he was trying to push the guy out—if not of his life, then his house, at least.
“I burn,” he said.
And that, apparently, was that.
The conversation went back to Christmas, but this time not movies, but which shows had the best Christmas specials. Barryconcluded it was a mix between an episode ofWill & Grace, New Girl,andFriends.
“Alright,” Junior said as he got up from the table. “You got to meet Shale. You’ve been fed. Go home.”
“Oh, no, I can’t go home,” he said.
“Why the fuck not?”
“I’ve had too much to drink,” Barry said, waving his mostly drunk gin and ginger.
“You had one drink,” Junior objected.
“And I’m wobbly,” Barry insisted.
“Shale needs to sleep on the couch,” Junior said, surprising no one more than me.
When did I ever say that I was sleeping over?
Yet, somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to object either.
If nothing else, this was one night where I wouldn’t be abducted and murdered.
Besides, if Junior was a good enough guy to put up with Barry when he clearly found him irksome, I really doubted he meant any harm to me.
“Okay,” Barry said, thinking that over. “Then I will sleep in the bed with you,” he said.
The look on Junior’s face was freaking priceless.
“Fuck no,” Junior said, lip curled.
“Then I’ll sleep in the bed with Shale,” Barry said.
“That’s an even bigger fuck no,” Junior said, and the fierceness in his voice made my belly feel a little wobbly.
“Then you can sleep in the bed with Shale,” Barry said.
“I’ll drive you home,” Junior said.
“Nuh-uh, Boss man,” Barry said, shaking his head. “You’ve had even more to drink than I have.”
A growling noise escaped Junior at that as he suddenly turned and walked away.
“The bed is very comfortable,” Barry informed me.
