That was true. It was Friday night, and the student center was usually deserted. Everyone was out drinking, blowing off steam, and getting sweaty on dance floors. That’s what Jake ordinarily would be doing.
He wondered if that’s what Ezra and Sean were doing.
Jake glanced at the time on the VCR. It was a little after nine. Ezra and Sean had planned to seeThe Blair Witch Projectand then go have a drink at The Cellar. And Jake didn’t know this because he’d been eavesdropping or anything. He justhappenedto be behind the music shelves in the choir room while Ezra and Sean were standing nearby. And then Jake justhappenedto hear what they were saying. That’s all. And the fact that Jake knew the movie would be over by now wasn’t because he’d gone through the dozens of newspapers in the student center so he could find the show times. He just saw it. Already laid out on a table. On the exact right page. So, he was just lucky. That’s all it was.
But if the movie was over, they’d be at The Cellar now.
The place had some quiet corners and nooks. Tea lights on each table. Romantic.
Jake stood up. “All right, let’s go out. Let’s go to The Cellar.”
“What?” Mindy said. “But everybody’s at Sharkey’s.”
“It’s cool,” Jake said, walking toward the exit. “We’ll just get a couple drinks there and catch up with them later.”
“I don’t want to go there.” Mindy followed along, digging around in her purse.
Jake put his arm around her. “I’ll buy you a drink. And some fries if you want some. They’ve got good cheese fries.”
“Ugh. Fine,” she replied, shrugging his arm off her.
When they got there, the place was sort of crowded, but there were still some open tables. Jake looked around until he spotted the back of Sean’s curly, dumb head and elf ears, all the way overin a round booth in the corner. Ezra was sitting next to him. He was smiling.
Jake wasn’t.
Mindy was making her way to one of the bar stools, but Jake turned her toward an empty table. “Let’s sit over here.” It was across the bar and the perfect place to watch without being seen.
“But I wanted to—Whatever. Fine.” Mindy took a seat.
Jake took the seat next to her and held up the menu so his face was hidden. He peeked over the top to see Ezra and Sean talking. Jake wondered what about.
“Um, what are you doing?” Mindy said.
“Uh, just looking to see what’s good.” Jake pretended to peruse all the signature cocktails and appetizers. “What do you usually get? A Screwdriver?”
“No. Rum and Coke.”
“Okay. Be right back.”
Jake got up to go over to the end of the bar where Ezra and Sean wouldn’t see him, but he could still sort of see them. As he ordered the drinks, he watched them. He wasn’t really sure what he was looking for. They weren’t going to fuck in the middle of this place. But they looked like they were having a good time.
And Jake didn’t like that.
He got his and Mindy’s drinks and took them over. He held up the menu again and peeked over it, taking a sip of his beer.
“This is a ginger ale with bourbon,” Mindy said, pointing to her drink.
“Oh. Sorry,” Jake said. “Want me to get you another one?”
“No.” She took a drink. “But you owe me a rum and coke later.”
“Yeah, sure,” Jake said distractedly, watching Sean and Ezra laugh together. What in the hell could Sean be saying that would make Ezra laugh?
“Jake?” Mindy looked to where he was looking. “What are you….? Oh.” Then she looked at him. “Are you spying on your friend’s date?”
“No!” He tried to look offended, but then he hung his head. “Yeah. Kinda.”
“Why?”
