“We’re partners in crime, man!” Josh exclaimed, his bright smile returning.
Riley's pulse settled as he smiled at his best friend’s exuberance.
“Yeah, partners in crime,” he agreed, bumping his shoulder against Josh’s again.
Josh’s arm found its way around Riley’s shoulders, practically tugging him off his chair into a side hug.
“We’re probably the best partners at this table. We could take on any of you!”
“Josh, that’s an amazing idea,” Hailey said. “We should totally have a competition between the couples. Oh, like a couples version of the Newlywed Game or a cooking challenge.”
“I’m pretty sure Emilio will wipe the floor with all of us when it comes to cooking,” Avery said diplomatically, his arm around his wife, Hailey.
“You Americans love everything as long as there is enough cheese on it,” Emilio said, and everyone reluctantly nodded in agreement. “But I am happy to show you how to make real pasta.”
“Yes! That’s one thing we didn’t get to do in Italy, a pasta-making class.” Elena brightened. “And also, I agree with Emilio. You guys always ruin my Mexican cooking with too much cheese.”
Elena was half Mexican and half Black and grew up with herabuela’scooking. Riley had asked her once if they’d get to try a meal from the other branch of her family tree, but, according to Elena, her dad couldn’t cook for shit. His love of reading didn’t extend to cookbooks.
“Battle of the countries!” Josh shouted. “Cole can help Elena with a Mexican dish one night, Emilio and Abby can do an Italian one, Riley can help me with a Chinese dish, and Avery and Hailey… You guys can make something American, like… chicken-finger-mac-‘n’-cheese pizza.”
Emilio snorted and tried unsuccessfully to hide it by coughing.
“Is there a grill?” Avery asked. “We could make burgers.”
“Barbecue in the snow sounds like a lot of fun, actually,” Abby said.
“Okay, it’s decided. Our Poconos trip will also be a battle of the couples,” Cole announced, drawing cheers and taunts from everyone.
Riley and Josh weren’t technically a couple, but like most people around their table, they were competitive.
Game on.
————————
After about two hours on the road, they arrived at a cabin nestled in the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania. The place was exactly as Cole described, with views of snow-covered mountains all around them. It was picturesque, and Riley pulled out his phone to take pictures once he climbed out of the car.
“Damn, it’s really beautiful here,” Josh said as he sidled up next to him, taking in the view.
Riley turned to Josh and couldn’t help but smile as he caught the boyish enthusiasm radiating off his best friend, the steam puffing out of his mouth from his breaths. The view was gorgeous, but few things warmed his heart as much as a happy Josh.
“Come on, let’s go make sure we don’t get the worst room,” he said, pulling Josh toward the house where everyone was taking their bags.
“Dibs on the master,” Cole shouted from the front door.
“Dibs only works if you’re in sight of the room,” Riley shouted as he raced past Cole, trying to beat him up the stairs.
He heard Cole drop all of his and Elena’s luggage, followed by Elena cursing at him and Cole’s footsteps racing after Riley. He had studied the house’s online ad to see which room was the best, so he knew he wanted the renovated attic space that had the best view of the mountains and was farthest from everyone else in thehouse, making for a quieter stay. He raced up the first set of stairs and heard Cole cheer behind him as he passed the biggest room, which included a luxurious master bathroom. Cole could have that one. Riley and Josh would rather have the views.
When Riley climbed the second set of stairs, he threw the attic door open and skidded to a halt in the doorway. The opposite wall was practically all window and offered the most amazing view of the mountains. He paid little attention to the full bed, not even a queen, as he slowly ventured toward the window. The bed wasn’t a big deal, as he was used to sharing with Josh after hundreds of sleepovers over the years. The clear day offered a landscape he’d struggle to catch on camera. Pictures never did justice to a view like that.
“Shit, your view is way better,” Cole said next to him, startling him out of his reverie. He hadn’t even heard him enter the room. “Ours has a tree blocking half our window.”
He was aware, and he didn’t bother hiding his smug smile.
“You got the king-size bed, though.”
“True. Maybe Elena will want to christen it now. I better go check to make sure.”
