“Shiloh,” Mikey said in a distracted voice, “did you blow through those tokens already?”
“Yes.”
“You’re worse than my five-year-old nephew—oh!Snap!I got you!” He and Cary both started pounding on the buttons.
Shiloh watched for a minute.
Then she poked Cary’s side.
He reached back and scooped his arm around her waist. He pulled her up next to him and rested his hand on her back. He was still playing, absolutely focused on the screen and rocking his right hand between the joystick and the attack buttons.
After a few seconds, he needed both hands again. Shiloh stayed close to him and quiet. She turned her head to watch his face. His mouth was straight. The lights were dancing in his eyes. The game played electronic music, and the arcade was playing Christian rock.
“How d’ya like the taste of mybat!” Mikey shouted.
Cary laughed. Then his shoulders went tense. “There you go,” he barked, “there you go, there you go—BOOM!”
Cary and Mikey sounded exactly like they always had. If Shilohclosed her eyes and pretended her lower back didn’t hurt, she could be seventeen again.
They both whooped when they cleared the level.
Cary glanced over at Shiloh, like he was just now realizing how close she was. His face was red from laughing and yelling. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Motherfuck,” Mikey said. “Three of my fingers are going numb. This is my painting hand. I have a family to support.”
Cary elbowed him. “Eyes up. Next level.”
Shiloh bought herself popcorn and a Diet Coke and dragged a stool around the retro section, following Mikey and Cary from game to game. Then she had to find somebody to give her the key to the bathroom. It was tied to a chunk of wood.
When she came out, the guys were waiting for her in the lobby. Mikey was doing an impression of aDouble Dragonvillain, and Cary was laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.
“We should go get a beer or something,” Mikey said.
Cary looked at her. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“I can be hungover,” she said. “The eight-year-olds won’t notice.”
“What would we have done in 1991?” Mikey asked.
Shiloh yawned. “We would have gotten Taco Bell.”
“Ohyeah...” he said. “Let’s make a run for the border.”
They went through the drive-through. Mikey ate a chalupa and immediately lay down in the back seat. “That’s all for me, folks. That’s all she wrote. Wake me up when I’m dead.”
Cary drove Mikey home first. Mikey made him get out of the car for a goodbye hug. Shiloh watched from the front seat.
Mikey threw his arms around Cary. “You take care of yourself, and you call me next time. I’m your man on the ground.”
Cary said something that Shiloh couldn’t hear. Their voices buzzed for a minute. Then Mikey gave him another bear hug.
Shiloh liked watching them hug. It was like watching Gus eat.
Mikey pulled away and leaned down to Cary’s door. He pointed at Shiloh. “Pick up the phone when I call, Shy. Otis wants to party with Gus and Juniper.”
Shiloh nodded. She yawned. “MaybeI’llcallyou.”
She was still yawning when Cary got back in the car. Then she burped and made a face. Taco Bell.
