“You know, you really need to get laid,” Noah says, coming up behind him. “It would help with all that tension you’re carrying around.”
“Fuck off,” he fires back. “I’m doing just fine.”
“Are you worried you’re going to lose?” Noah pokes. “I mean, I am an excellent bowler.”
“Want to bet on it?” Jasper asks.
“You know, this isn’t what I had in mind when I suggested we all go out together before the gala,” Marcus says.
“We’re all competitive. What did you expect?” I laugh.
“If you didn’t want them betting, you should have picked a bar,” Graham says.
“Nah. We’re past those days,” Bode says.
Everyone stops, staring at him.
“I never thought I’d hear you utter those words,” Jasper tells him.
“Fuck off.”
“Seriously,” Jasper continues, “who would have seen the day that Bode is all loved up before Dax and me here.”
Bode flips him off. “Well, when you find someone like Stevie, it’s hard not to be.”
“Technically, Chloe and I are seeing each other,” I say.
“Technically?” Marcus questions. “I don’t think there’s any technically about it.”
Noah drapes an arm around my shoulders. “I’m glad Chloe found you after that douchebag.”
“Are you able to call his brother a douchebag?” Graham asks. “At least to his face?”
“Yes.” Noah and I answer at the same time.
“I don’t think she really ‘found’ him,” Marcus states. “Dax has always been around. I guess she finally noticed him.”
“Gee, thanks.” I roll my eyes at him.
“What? It’s true.” Marcus shrugs. “It’s not a bad thing. You two are perfect together and I’m happy for you.”
“Which, speaking of that douche nozzle,” Noah says, “did you see Detroit picked him up?”
“Oh, I saw,” I confirm. “I hope they know what they’re getting into.”
“You know we’ll be playing them in a couple of weeks,” Jasper says.
“I know.”
“Think you’ll be able to keep it together and not punch him in the face after what he did to Chloe?” Noah asks. “I’d like to punch him for what he did to my sister.”
“Maybe if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t be with Cash,” Graham says.
Noah winces. “I really don’t want to talk about my sister and her love life.”
“Why don’t we start bowling?” I ask. I do not want my love life—or anyone else’s—to be the focus of conversation today. For a group of guys, there is far too much attention on our love lives. I don’t know how it happened, but all of us have gone from going out to the bars to bowling because it’s the tamer of activities we can do together.
“How are we doing this?” Noah asks. “Three versus three?”
