I took my shot, missing a close angle. “I don’t know,” I grunted. “You ever want too many things at once, and you just know you can’t have them all, but it doesn’t stop you from wanting them?” I scrunched up my face, not sure if I was drunk rambling, but Regina chuckled.
“I do know what that’s like,” she said, then sank another ball. “Although I try to give myself everything I want, whenever possible.”
“I thought I did, too,” I grumbled to myself. “Sorry your family doesn’t respect your work, by the way. You’re a badass, and nurses are fucking amazing, you know that?”
Regina laughed. “Yeah, I do know that,” she said.
I grinned. “Good.”
“So what’s the problem? What do you want with your guys that you aren’t getting now?” she asked.
I studied my shot and realized I was about to lose. “Right now? Besides rubbing our cocks together?”
Regina laughed loudly. “Well, that goes without saying.”
I shrugged, then finished my turn. “I don’t know. I was thinking the other day it would be nice for me and Blake to take Russell shopping. He needs some new things, and it just hit me out of nowhere that it would be fun for Blake and me to take him out. But that’s boyfriend shit, and we all agreed to be casual, and I don’t do boyfriend shit anyway.”
I grunted, the frustrated, confused emotions from earlier plowing me over again.
“Casey?” Regina asked.
I caught her eye. “Yeah?”
She leaned forward. “Eight ball, corner pocket.” With one swift motion, she sent her shot flying across the table, ending the game. “The woman who just kicked your ass at pool has a bit of advice for you.”
“Is it to get you a shot of whisky?”
Regina laughed. “Yes. Also, if you ever have the urge to take someone shopping, just take him shopping. Trust me. Nice stuff like that doesn’t happen often enough.”
“Huh,” I said, then gave her an appreciative nod. “Funny, but I think the nurse who kicked my ass at pool gives really good advice.”
I slipped away to the bar. Taking Russell shopping was definitely pure boyfriend territory, verging on sugar daddy. I didn’t change my mind about that.
But Blake had always needed my encouragement and advice when he was dating women over the years, so maybe I could help him out now, too. Maybe I could keep this going a little longer and make sure those two got where they needed to go before I headed off on my own again.
After all, I was good at the fun, easy part. It was just the stable, happy family vibe that I’d never actually figured out.
As I waited for the shots, I pushed through my drunken confusion and decided to just go for it. I’d text Blake first, and maybe we could even surprise Russell and do it right, take him someplace fancy since he couldn’t afford it himself. It sounded fun, and it made my goofy ass grin at the bar, so why the fuck not?
When I opened my phone, though, I was surprised to see a message from Peyton waiting. It was a group text with Blake and Russell too, and Peyton was asking about coming to visit in a couple of weeks, like he did a couple of times every year.
Fuck. Okay, no big deal.
But my pulse jumped anyway, a nervous worry itching at the back of my neck. When the bartender returned, I shoved my phone in my pocket and threw down a generous tip. When I got back to the pool table, I handed the shot to Regina, then clinked our glasses together and threw mine back immediately.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
I winced and felt the burn in the back of my throat. “Yeah, just gotta dig myself a little deeper in this hole.” I slammed the glass down on the counter, then turned back to the table. “Hey, where’s a good place to go shopping for makeup? You got any suggestions?”
