Besides, I wasn’t the only one peeping on this show. Iola and her Mama Mafia were at a table right in the center of the room, a pitcher of some Granny Tea already half gone. The name Granny Tea sounds all sweet and shit, but that stuff was toxic. Maude Pike, owner of the pub and creator of the foul-assed drink, had joined them tonight, her raspy smoker’s laugh echoing loudly.
I was a little jealous of the Mamas, actually, because they had a much better view than me.
Neil, Lyle, Truman, Hammy, and I crowded around a table in the back corner next to the men’s john. Not the most desirable location on any night, but particularly bad on trivia night since our view of the screens was shit.
Good thing we weren’t here to play.
“Why are we here on trivia night?” Neil complained. “It’s always so busy.”
“I needed to get out,” I said. “Lyle’s been riding our asses too hard.”
Truman grinned. “Aw, but I love it when he rides my ass.”
A groan went around the table, interspersed with Neil’s hyena-sounding laughter.
Lyle shook his head with a fond smile. “You walked right into that one.”
“I always forget Tru’s devious nature. He looks so sweet and innocent.”
“That’s how we reel you in,” Truman joked. “Like the poisonous tree frog, my brilliant colors attract predators and then I pounce!”
“With inappropriate sexual innuendo,” Lyle added. “Notquiteas effective as venom.”
Truman leaned in, hugging Lyle’s arm and batting his lashes. “Luckily, I’ve got a big, strong man to protect me.”
Lyle straight-up blushed, which cracked the rest of us up all over again.
Hammy stood. “I’ll get the first round.”
“Thanks, man!”
The bar was a revolving door of traffic as folks got impatient and ordered drinks directly instead of waiting for a server to come by. But Hamilton was a big guy, and the crowd parted for him as if he was Moses or some shit.
He was super nice, though, and would probably wait an hour without a single complaint.
“So, are you guys almost done with this development?” Neil asked. “It’s looking pretty awesome.”
“Almost there,” Lyle said with a sigh that suggested he was as worn out as the rest of the crew. “But we’re expanding on the original plans, so we’ll have another phase starting nextweek. We need to wrap this up or we’ll get behind schedule.” He frowned. “Am I really riding you guys too hard?”
“There it is again,” Truman said. “Should I be jealous right now?”
I chuckled. “You definitely shouldn’t be jealous. And no, Lyle, you’re just doing your job. We all know that.”
“Okay,” Lyle said. “I know the change in plans has pushed us a little.”
“It’s manageable,” I said, feeling a little guilty for making him worry. “And that’s not really why I wanted to come out. I was just giving you shit.”
“So, why did you?” Neil asked.
“Does a guy need a reason to have a few beers with his friends?” I asked.
“You were pretty insistent about coming tonight specifically, though,” Neil pointed out.
I shot him a look. “I figured your wife would finally let you out of the house. You got grounded the last time you went out on a Friday.”
“Oh, come on, that wasonetime,” Neil protested as the guys laughed. “I was hung over for her best friend’s birthday brunch?—”
“And you puked into a planter by the hostess stand,” Hammy added as he returned to the table with a pitcher and a stack of pint glasses.
