“I missed you, pup,” I murmured. He smelled like a mixture of indoor fireworks that were often used at the Lakers games and popcorn. In his hands he held a bobblehead of a player, and he held it out for me to see.
“It was bobblehead day,” Andrew announced and sat across from where I sat.
I took the bobblehead from Brandon’s hands and smiled at it.
“Lebron James,” I mused and turned it around before I set it by Brandon’s glass of water. “How was the game?” I asked the three of them.
“It was really good. Huge crowd, as usual,” Joshua replied.
“Let’s order,” Andrew suggested as he looked at his watch. I knew he had close to an hour’s drive to get home in Riverside.
“Yes,” Joshua drummed the table with his fingers and flipped open the menu. “Andrew has to get home to the Wicked Bitch of the West,” Joshua added under his breath.
I shook my head at Joshua’s jab at Elise. Andrew, thankfully, took the jokes and jabs in stride. He was such a calm, forgiving, young man. I was grateful that Brandon minded his manners and hadn’t vocally added to poking at Andrew’s partner.
“Let’s order a pizza,” Brandon suggested. Andrew and Joshua seemed fine with it, so we ordered an extra-large pepperoni pizza.
“Maleficent only lets Andrew eat pizza when he comes out with us,” Joshua added.
“That’s only because she doesn’t know we’re getting it,” Andrew laughed.
I never doubted that Andrew and Elise didn’t have a stressful relationship at times. They had overcome a lot to be together and make it work to the point that they bought a home together. I had missed seeing Andrew in Club Oxygen, enjoying himself. Elise had been banned from Oxygen. I knew Andrew missed it, but he was willing to sacrifice it for Elise.
“Elise was kind of pissed that I was coming out to dinner. I told her we might grab dinner with you after the game. I sent her a text telling her the game was over, and we were meeting you for dinner; she wasn’t really happy,” Andrew offered up as he looked at me.
“She probably missed you,” I countered as a suggestion to show that it probably wasn’t as bad as he was imagining it to be.
Andrew’s mouth formed a tight line, and he nodded in agreement with my assessment. Then Joshua had to add another jab that caused Andrew’s eyes to widen and caused me to stare at him.
“She wants to put you back in the cage,” Joshua mumbled. The moment he said it, he closed his mouth, realizing what he had just said. “I’m sorry, Bran. That was dickish of me to joke about that. I’m sorry,” he apologized.
“It’s okay,” Brandon replied and reached for his Coke.
While we waited for the pizza, Andrew quickly changed the subject to talk about his coffee house business. Joshua was quick to take part in the conversation and move away from his tasteless mistake.
“Business is going well, and my dad and I are thinking about opening up a new place.”
“That’s wonderful news, Andrew,” I said.
“Where are you going to open it at?” Brandon asked. I was pleased that he had rebounded from Joshua’s comment about the cage.
“Riverside?” Joshua asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Andrew replied.
Our pizza arrived, and as we ate, Andrew filled us in on the plans and his reasons for not opening the other location in Riverside where he lived. I found it very interesting that the location of choice was close to the downtown L.A. area. Andrew explained that after doing some demographic and research polls, more small businesses are supported in the urban areas as opposed to outlying suburbs.
“More people in places like Riverside feel more comfortable visiting big box businesses and chain coffee houses. Three Brothers Coffee would be better supported in the downtown area. It would hit on the business sector folks Monday through Friday. And then the eclectic nightlife and weekend crowd.”
“Those are all things to consider. Riverside is more spread out. You wouldn’t be able to rely on foot traffic much,” I said.
“What about down in Huntington by your dad?” Brandon asked.
“We’re considering that too. But there we are mainly relying on the beach crowds, the weekenders, and nightlife crowd. Downtown L.A. gives us the business crowd.”
As soon as we finished, I paid for us quickly so Joshua could take Andrew back to his place so he could get his car and start his drive back to Riverside. Normally, I would have enjoyed sitting and chatting with Joshua and Andrew. But Andrew needed to get going, and I was eager to get Brandon home and under my body.
“So, did you have a good time with Andrew and Joshua?” I asked Brandon as soon as we got into my car.
