Three
With a victorious grinplastered on my face, I popped a fry into my mouth. “There is nothing better than a greasy cheeseburger and a frosty mug full of sweet beer to top off this awesome afternoon.”
Mags’ phone had put her into a trance as she finished reading a text.
“Everything ok?” I had to nudge her to snap her out of it.
Her eyes were glossy as she glanced up at me. “Oh, yeah. You know, just still fighting with Randy.”
“What’s going on now?”
She sighed, pushing a few French fries around her plate. “He’s just pissed that I didn’t come home last night. We are still packing up the apartment to get ready for the move in a few days and he’s just stressed. We both are. Enough about that; I want to hear all about your interview and your date last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. The interview was an interview, nothing too exciting to report other than my boss’s right-hand man looks like Channing Tatum in fifteen years. Total hotness.”
“Oh, that is exciting!” Todd, our bartender chimed in, leaning on the bar to eavesdrop on our conversation.
Todd was wearing a skintight fuchsia button-down like usual, continually willing to wear anything that screamed, “I’m gay. Get the fuck over it!” His jet-black hair was uniformly messy like always. As long as we’d known him, Todd had continuously been too skinny, shaped just like a stick figure.
“I wanna hear about your date too.” Todd put two new beers in front of us and rested his elbows on the bar, waiting for story time.
“Fine. But it wasn’t pretty.” I shifted in my seat to get closer to them so I could keep my voice low while I told the embarrassing tale. “He was hot as heck and a complete jerk. We got sloshed after a nice dinner and went back to my place. One thing led to another and while we were on the couch letting things heat up, he got a little too excited and it went everywhere, even in my fucking hair!”
Mags busted out with a hefty chuckle, nearly spitting out her beer as Todd gasped, throwing his hand over his gaping mouth.
“Oh, honey, that’s awful!” Todd giggled as he got called over to the kitchen to grab food for another one of his patrons.
Mags’ smile continued as she eyeballed me.
“What?” I barked, playfully shoving her shoulder.
“I don’t think blind dating is for you.”
I shrugged. “It’s not that easy to find someone, Mags. You’re one of the lucky few that finds her Prince Charming during the first week of freshman year.”
Mags’ face twisted into a frown as shefinallyrattled off a text back to Randy. “You’re right, Cali.”
“Did you apologize yet?”
Mags nodded and waved over to Todd. “Can I get one of these to go?” She pointed down at her burger.
“Peace offering?” I asked.
“Something like that.”
And just like that the wedding was back on and the lovebirds were singing their mushy, happy tune again.
We grabbed our checks and jammed out in the car to a worn-out CD from The Hysterics that we’d grabbed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival a few summers back. They’d quickly turned into our favorite band right when the lead singer had hopped on the stage with just an acoustic guitar after the crowd begged for an encore.
I hugged Mags in the parking garage next to her car. “Go home, have some hot make-up sex, and then talk your hubby into coming out with everyone tonight. It’ll be fun.”
She threw her purse and to-go bag in the passenger’s seat. “Since when do you want to hang out with Walker?”
“It’s not hanging out with Walker, it’s hanging out with all of my friends. And besides, I’m heading to the bar to tell them I quit, so I am definitely going to need a drink after that.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be there with boots on.” Mags giggled and hopped into her car.
As I got into the evaluator, I sent a text to the fifth member of our group, Mitch.