Colton turns toward me. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing. I’m just tired.”
Yeah, I suck at acting. I’ll definitely never make it to Broadway.
Walker lifts his chin and meets my eyes. “Dude, you’ve been like this for months. Always too busy or tired to go out. What’s up with you?”
“It’s …” I start, but Colton cuts me off.
“Dude, if you say it’s the renovation.”
I realize I’m not getting out of this without some type of honesty. Maybe it’s the three beers that have given me a bit of a buzz, but I’m no longer interested in lying.
“It’s … a girl.”
Both of their eyes open wide in disbelief.
“Whoa,” Walker replies. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“No shit,” Colton adds. “Is it serious?”
I pull at the back of my neck as more tension builds. I can’t look Walker in the eye. “It’s a bit confusing. It started casually. I’m not sure what it is right now.”
“Are you, like … in love with her?” Walker asks.
“I’m just trying to figure out why she’s been rejecting my invitation to hang out the last week.”
Colton seems almost impressed. “Wow. You’ve found a woman out there who isn’t hanging on your every word. I like her already.”
“Gee. Thanks.”
He laughs. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t mean it like that.”
“Maybe she’s busy,” Walker inserts. “It’s only a week. This is New York. People are busy.”
“She said she’s been sick.”
Colton and Walker both give me blank stares.
I shift in my seat, not quite understanding what’s going on. “What?”
“Did you ever think that maybe she’s actually sick?” Colton asks.
“If she was sick, why wasn’t she home when I stopped by the other night?”
“How do you know she wasn’t home?” Walker asks. “And you just stopped by, even when she said she was too sick?”
Doubt creeps in as they begin to hammer me with these questions. Am I … overreacting?
“Yeah, I stopped by. I wanted to make sure she was okay. And she didn’t answer the door.”
I realize my stopping by wouldn’t seem as weird if I told them she lived in my building. But admitting that feels like I’d practically be telling them who it was.
Colton lowers his head into his hand. “Dude, she could have been at the drugstore, picking up medicine. At the doctor.”
“Yeah. Or maybe she was sleeping,” Walker says.
They can’t hide their laughter as it all starts to dawn on me. I’ve got it bad. I made up this entire scenario in my head, worrying over nothing, when she is likely just sick at her place and wanting some rest.