“I should go home,” Jordy says quietly, so I turn and pretend to stir. “I just want to drink too much and forget all about—” His mouth snaps shut so audibly I can hear it.
“And I told you, don’t drink alone,” Theo says. “Come on, Cas is even cooking.” Theo hops on a barstool, practically shoving Jordy into another one.
“Yeah, but then I’ll drink too much and that’s embarrassing,” Jordy hisses.
Baylor clears his throat. “If It’s all the same to you, Jordy, I think everyone here has felt the need to drown their sorrows a few times. If you need to get sloppy, better to do it with friends.”
Jordy’s mouth gapes open. “That’s so sweet.”
“Told you no one would care. Don’t be sad alone, ok?” Theo whispers, but again, I can still hear them, which makes me think they already got a pre-game on the drinking and don’t know how loud they are.
“Can I guess man trouble?” I ask looking up from what I am doing.
“Ugh. Unrequited crushes are the worst,” Jordy whines, his face in his hands.
Baylor already has drinks poured for everyone and pushes them to Jordy and Theo.
“Oh my god,” Jordy says, eyes wide after he takes the shot Baylor poured. “Matt will come here, won’t he? Then I’ll be all stupid in front of my boss.”
“He’s not your boss tonight,” Baylor says easily, “and, for that matter, Matt’s the last person to say anything. In fact, it wouldn’t even cross his mind.”
“That’s true,” Theo agrees. “Matt wouldn’t even think it was worth mentioning if someone got drunk and stupid. He would just take it in stride, I promise you.”
“That,” I say, “I can second. Quinn and I used to do a lot of fun and slightly crazy stuff.” Baylor guffaws quietly at “slightly crazy.” “But,” I emphasize, giving Baylor a smile, “Matt saw his share of plenty of sloppy shenanigans and never said a word. He won’t think anything other than whether Theo is okay.”
Baylor holds my eyes for a beat, and I realize I was looking at him as I spoke, each of us focused on the other. There’s not a ton of memories there, so maybe it’s a safe place for a little toe-dip in reminiscence.
“Fine, I’m in,” Jordy says, slapping the counter like he’s throwing down a hand at poker. “Let’s hang out.”
“Awesome,” Theo says, hugging Jordy.
“Just make plans to stay here, I’ve got plenty of room,” Baylor says. “Especially if we are drinking away unrequited love.”
“Wanna talk about it?” I ask, letting things simmer on the stove and plopping my ass next to Baylor.
Jordy rolls his eyes. “He’s amazing, I’m awkward and he thinks I’m a kid. The End.”
Theo rolls his eyes right back at Jordy. “Come on, Baylor has a game room with a pool table.”
I turn to Baylor when they are out the door.
“He okay, you think?” I ask.
Baylor shrugs. “I’ve got an idea who it is that he’s hung up on, and I would just say they are going to have to work it out in their own time.”
Come to find out, Theo and Jordy together are hilarious. Jordy washes away his sorrows, even though he manages to eat some of the food I make. Matt does in fact join us, and he and Theo get Jordy situated in the bedroom next to mine when he starts nodding off. He’s upright though, more sad I think than intoxicated.
Matt’s smile is a mile wide when he joins us back in the living room.
“You have fun, sweetness?” he asks, gathering Theo for a much deeper and lingering kiss than the kiss hello in the foyer when Matt arrived.
“Of course,” Theo says, “you ready to go home? Long night.”
Matt looks up at me and Baylor. “I’m good for a bit. We can let Jordy sleep it off a while. What are you guys up to for the rest of the night?”
“The Thing Called Love.”
I choke on a sip of wine and quickly clear my throat at Baylor’s response.
