“Jackass. Come on. There's a cold one in the fridge.”
“Man, you need a gate,” Boomer said.
“It's on the list. Right after 'champion bitch.'“
While Teo warmed up the lasagna, Boomer put out plates and Dylan handed out beer. “Women are crazy. You guys know that, right?”
“Yep,” Teo and David said in unison.
Dylan pulled up short and shot Boomer a pained look. “Sorry, man.”
“No apology necessary. I'm well verse in the theatrics that is womankind.” Vanessa had given the world’s best drama queens a run for their money on occasion.
“Then why can't we live without 'em?” Dylan mused as he turned a chair around and straddled it. Popping the top off his beer he drained half the bottle.
“Boobs,” Boomer declared.
“Pussy,” Teo said with a sigh.
“Ass,” Dylan added.
“So, what'd my sister do this time?”
“Wedding shit's gonna kill me. Fuck, I'd rather plan an extraction outta the hot zone at this point. Coral and gold or pearl and gold. Who cares? I just want to marry her. I couldn't care less what color the napkins are.”
“Have you told her that?” Boomer asked.
“Not in so many words.”
“Man-up already,” Teo said.
Dylan rolled his eyes. “You like making Jilly cry?” he asked. Teo shook his head. “I don't like to see Reya unhappy. She's having fun with all this stuff and I want her to be happy. But at the end of the day, it's all just details.”
“Devil's in the details, man. You know that,” Boomer said. “Remember what Warner drilled into our heads in BUD/S?”
“Details make or break a mission, I know. But this isn't a mission. It's a marriage.”
“Isn't it both?” Teo asked.
Dylan finished his beer and plopped the empty on the old table. “Probably.”
“So, what's really eatin' you?” Teo asked, snagging a piece of garlic bread.
Dylan glanced out the window and was quiet for so long, Boomer didn't think the other man was going to answer. He didn't blame him. There was way too much touchy-feely talk going on in the kitchen.
And all the talk of marriage and settling down was like wet sand rubbing raw skin. A constant, uncomfortable reminder of everything he'd lost. Not that he'd ever begrudge either man the love of a good woman.
Teo plopped an enormous slice of lasagna on each of the three plates. Boomer was happily working on his third piece of garlicy goodness and nodded his thanks.
“I don't want her to change her mind,” Dylan admitted at last. He looked pained to say the words and unsure of himself. Almost as if he expected them to laugh at him.
Teo paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “You think Reya's gonna change her mind? No way, bro.”
Dylan shrugged and glanced out the window, his gaze far off.
Teo let the fork drop. “You guys are made for each other. That's why I got you two together. She's not going anywhere. And a marriage license isn't gonna change that.”
Dylan's chest rose, stretching his t-shirt and then the corners of his lips turned up. “You're right.”
“Damn straight I am.”
Boomer laughed. “Spoken like a man who has everything figured out.”
“Nah man. I just know love when I see it.”
“Speaking of, whatever happened with that pretty little number you left the party with last week?” Dylan asked.
Boomer choked on a hunk of bread. Teo gave him a solid whack in the middle of the back. Hacking and coughing bought him a few extra seconds.
“Never thought you’d go for a chick with purple hair, but to each his own,” Dylan continued.
Purple hair? Sabrina didn’t have purple—
Oh. “That’s Celita. A makeup artist I know from work. She’s the one who did the green body makeup.”
“Oh.” Dylan sounded disappointed. “So, you didn’t go home with her?”
“No. She’s not my type.” And image of Sabrina, naked and willing in his bed flashed before his eyes. She was definitely his type. But he wasn’t interested.
Too bad his dick wasn’t listening.
“Fine and flirty?” Dylan said.
“Well, let’s just say I’m not her type. Ain’t got a pussy.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Teo sat back and laughed. “You’ve got this all wrong, D. He went home with the other one. Sabrina. The pussy cat.”
Realization lit Dylan’s eyes. He snapped his fingers. “You guys did seem really close at dinner last night,” Dylan added.
“Cozy,” Teo supplied. “Not to sound like one of the girls, but we want to hear everything,” Teo said and shoved a forkful into his mouth.
Didn’t they have better things to do than hound him about his love life?
Or lack thereof.
“What about her?” Boomer pushed away from the table and cleared his dishes.
Teo shrugged. “I was just thinking that the way you guys were looking at each other…”
Dylan nodded. “Definitely something there.”
“Whatever dude. You gonna eat that bread stick?” He nodded toward the golden bun of buttery goodness on Teo’s plate.
“Yeah. Stop changing the subject.”
“You’re as bad as a woman, besides I'm outta here next month.” God willing, the project would be wrapped up and he’d be on his way to his next job.
Toby had delayed them again. They’d missed their deadline. Again.
Problem was, deep down, he felt zero enthusiasm for moving on. While he normally looked forward to heading to a new place, working on a new project, he found himself wanting to stay in Georgia a little longer.
It was probably because he’d reconnected with Dylan and Teo and he couldn’t help but admire the roots they were putting down. Dylan and Reya would be married in the spring and he had no doubt they’d start popping out kids soon after.
Boomer’s sister was over in Charleston. Somehow, everyone was settling back in the South East.
Hell, even Sabrina had moved back here. And she was looking for a permanent apartment.
“So?” Teo quipped. “Her work isn’t location specific.”
Boomer flipped his chair around and straddled it.
“I think what he’s trying to say, what’s stopping you from hooking up?” Dylan said, popping the top on a fresh beer.
Nothing had stopped him. Not his common sense nor his sense of self preservation.
And now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Fuck.
“There’s nothing
