Archer
“Istillcan’tbelieveyou didn’t know who they were.” Eric is holding up the side of a crib while I screw it together with the end piece. He’s been giving me shit since Lana and her “delivery crew” left because I didn’t recognize any of them as members of the band, Sleeping Dogs. “We saw them perform live a couple of years ago,” he says with a laugh. “I guess I should’ve sprung for the floor seats since it appears your old eyes couldn’t make out their faces from the third row. Maybe you need bifocals?”
I grit my teeth and tighten the bolt I’m working on before reaching out and grabbing another from the pile of pieces next to me. Lana offered to have the guys stay and build it for me, but I told her I had my friends here to help with that. Eric is making me regret that choice now.
Like I could look any of those guys in the face after Eric informed me who they were, anyway. I’m still embarrassed that I had no idea who they were, not that any of them seemed to care. Hell, they have invited me for to Sunday dinner, so I can’t have offended them too terribly.
But despite my embarrassment, I ought to have taken Lana up on her offer. It would undoubtedly be better than the grief I’m getting from Eric.
“And you let them carry all this stuff in here. Like they’re regular delivery guys.” He scoffs. “You know, sometimes you amaze me. And not in a good way.”
I grunt and force myself to a standing position, my knees creaking in protest.Maybe I am getting old.“I have more important things to worry about than recognizing the members of a band that I rarely listen to.” Okay, that last part isn’t precisely true. I have all their albums downloaded, but it’s not like I listen to them daily. “I don’t have their poster on the wall above my bed like you, so I haven’t memorized their faces.”
“Hey, that poster is awesome,” he says with mock offense. “The women I bring home seem to like it, anyway. I’ve never had any complaints.”
I snort a laugh. I doubt he actually has a poster, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did. He’s like an overgrown frat boy. He likes what he likes and is not afraid to show it. It’s one of the things I like most about him. It’s also one of the things I like least, but with Eric, the good outweighs the bad. It’s why I’ve been friends with him for so long.
“Hey, Arch.” Mason is standing in the doorway of the spare room that I’ve decided will be Lincoln’s from now on. “You want this chair in here?” He points to the upholstered armchair with a matching ottoman he’s dragged to the door. “It’s one of those gliding rockers. Probably good for rocking the little guy to sleep.”
I stand up and look around. This room has been a guest room since the day I moved in, and its neutral grays and blues have served that purpose well until now. Now that I look at it, though, it seems a little boring. Now that it’s going to be my son’s bedroom, I wonder if I shouldn’t do something different with it. Hire an interior designer to make it more suitable for a little boy.
After we got the old bed out of the room, it became apparent how boring it is in here. But I suppose it will do for now. Lincoln is still a baby, after all. When he’s older, we can redecorate with his favorite colors.
“Yeah, that’s great. Put it in that corner over there,” I say, pointing to the far side of the room next to the floor-to-ceiling bookcase. “What else needs to be in a baby’s bedroom?”
Other than earlier today when I held Lincoln for Phoebe while she packed up to leave the lab, I’ve never been around a baby. I’m not sure what they need. But I trust MaeLynn got me everything I needed, so all that’s left now is for us to figure out where to put it all. If I’d been smart, I’d have asked her to come here and tell me and the guys what to do. Sadly, I’m not that smart, so now I’m stuck here with my four best friends, trying to figure out where to put all this stuff.
As if summoned by my internal confession of ignorance, MaeLynn calls out from the entryway. “Yoo-hoo, boys. Where are you? Why is there still a pile of stuff on the couch? Have you done anything at all since Lana delivered these things? Or were you waiting for me to arrive and tell you all what to do?”
Lucas rolls his eyes from where he’s standing at the bedroom door, his grin negating his display of irritation. He’s not fooling anyone; I know he loves MaeLynn almost as much as I do.
Dusting my hands off, I walk out to greet her and find her piling bags onto my kitchen island. “I was just thinking that I needed your wise counsel. I’m sure you got everything I could ever need for a baby, but since I still know nothing about babies, I don’t know where most of it goes. What will it take to convince you to stick around for a bit to tell us what to do?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I think five grown men should be able to handle this, don’t you?”
I would never expect MaeLynn to stay. This is her personal time, after all. But I’m not above begging a little to get my way. I wiggle my eyebrows, shoot her a little pout, and she caves. “Oh, alright. I’ll stay. I brought coffee and donuts from that little place downtown. The one near to the doll store I like?”
I nod. I know that one. I got myself a coffee there the last time I went to buy MaeLynn one of those horrifying dolls. I needed the fortification before going into that nightmare factory. I may never understand why she likes those things with their unnaturally white skin and creepy eyes, but they make her happy, so I keep buying them. Even if I don’t sleep for a week after I shop there.
“It’s got a funny name, right? Like Buzz and Brew, or something?”
“Bump and Grind,” she says around a mouthful of donut. “And I’m lucky I made it in at all. They’re closing early for a private party tonight.”
“A private party? At a coffee shop?”
“That’s what I said. But it seems some bride is having her bachelorette party there. I guess not everyone wants to go to a bar or a strip club.”
I reach into the box and select a donut with bacon on top.Interesting.“I suppose so. I never would have considered asking a coffee shop to close for a private party. Seems a little entitled, if you ask me.”
“You’re not wrong.” She licks her fingers, then wipes her hands on a napkin. “Boys!” she yells out. “Come get a donut before I put you to work.”
She walks to the couch and looks through some bags while the guys gather around the counter and grab their donuts. “You’ll need to wash these clothes before we put them away. Have you come across the baby detergent yet?”
I step up next to MaeLynn and pick up the bags. “I have detergent already.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Fragrance and dye free? The gentle stuff?”
I cringe. “Uh, no? Does that matter?” I’m barely started there’s already too much to remember about babies and what they need. I thought this was supposed to be intuitive. Shouldn’t people naturally know how to raise kids? With all the information Phoebe and MaeLynn keep throwing at me, how will I ever be able to keep it all straight?
