Chapter Four
Dinner Dates
“Istill can’t get over the look on Frank’s face when you grabbed him like that,” Marcus boasts, grinning wide. “Fucking priceless. I wish I would have thought to take a picture.”
We’re at our usual table in the corner of Lucky’s bar, the four of us sitting across from each other, and there’s a massive pile of empty plates and beer glasses between us.
It’s the only place to grab a beer for ten miles in any direction, sticking out like a sore thumb on a stretch of road with nothing but farmland surrounding it, but it’s homey.
The food might be shit, but the regulars would rather die than admit it.
By now, we’re on our fourth round of beers. It’s probably the last of the night, but we’re savoring them, trying to stretch out the evening.
“I bet he’s pissing himself,” Ben pipes in with a cheesy grin.
“I doubt it.” I sigh. “You should have seen the look he gave me. He might be plotting my murder.”
Marcus smirks. “He’s just pissed you made him look like an ass in front of the whole shop. He deserves it, honestly. It’s time someone stood up to him. Better you than me, though.”
“I’m not planning on making a habit of it. It was hopefully a one-time thing. But he was being obnoxiously homophobic.” I grimace.
“I bet Luke loves you now,” Eric says out of nowhere.
I stiffen and snap my head in his direction, my brows arching with a mind of their own. I try to school my expression to look less shocked than I feel.
“Careful how you say that, dude.” Ben flashes Eric a sly grin. “The man’s gay, remember? It means something different to him.”
“Shut up, asshole. I just meant because someone stood up for him,” Eric defends, furrowing his brow. “Why do you have to make it weird?”
“You’re the one who said he’s in love.”
“Not in love, you fucking idiot.”
I can’t help but clench my jaw and stare at the table as they go back and forth. It’s not unusual for them to do this now and again, though it’s relatively tame compared to most conversations I’ve witnessed. Still, the topic makes me somewhat anxious.
Marcus suddenly clears his throat with an air of authority, and I wonder if he noticed my discomfort.
“Guys, come on,” he interjects, arching a single brow.
“Let’s play nice, okay? Ethan went to the trouble of sticking up for the guy against Frank.
Don’t you two start making jokes, or he’ll beat your asses next. ”
Ben and Eric laugh, throwing out lighthearted apologies, and I grin sheepishly. I shoot Marcus a grateful look, and he winks. Ah. So, he did notice.
“Are we still good for the camping trip Labor Day weekend?” he asks, blissfully switching topics.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“We’re trying to find a sitter for the kids,” Ben groans. “Laura’s mom was gonna take them, but now she’s decided she’s going out of town.”
“What about your parents?” Marcus frowns.
“They’ve already got plans to drive out to Grand Rapids that weekend. My grandma is the only one I have left, but I don’t know if she’ll be up to watching three hellions.”
Eric’s eyes widen in horror. “Ben, your grandma is ninety-three years old. You can’t do that to her. I’ll ask Liz if her parents could watch them with Jackson. He’d love having friends over for the weekend, and I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“Really? That would be awesome if they could. Otherwise, we’ll probably have to back out.”
I sit and listen quietly while they discuss their plans.
It’s not uncommon for me. Whenever the conversation veers into the subject of kids, I’m always the odd man out since I’m the only one in the group who doesn’t have any.
I’m also the only one who’s never been married.
What can I say? Forever the bachelor, I guess.
It’s safe to assume I’ve been hesitant to jump into that kind of commitment.
I was never thrilled with any of my girlfriends long enough to want to spend forever with them.
Though I suppose I could have gone the route Marcus did, marrying for love at the moment, then moving on to the next best thing when it became too much to bear.
He was the first to get married right out of high school, then married again soon after the first one fell apart.
The third and current marriage seems to have stuck the longest at ten years, and I hope it will stay that way. At least he’s matured.
Ben and Eric were a little wiser, waiting until they were older before settling down, and they’ve remained happily married, or at least they’ve never told me otherwise.
But when they all started having kids, a natural separation grew between us that couldn’t be helped.
I was suddenly left out of conversations as they turned to playdates and parenting methods, excluded from many things over the years—maybe not intentionally, but just because it made sense.
After all, “Why would Ethan be interested in joining us at the Disney on Ice show?” I guess I can’t blame them, but I honestly might have been if they’d only asked.
It’s not like I hate their kids or anything.
“Next, we gotta find Ethan a date to bring up there so that he’s not the seventh wheel,” Marcus jokes, clapping his hand on my back to grab my attention. My brows arch in surprise as I turn to look at him.
“Yeah, man,” Eric agrees. “You’re the only one not coupled up. We gotta fix that.”
“I’m fine,” I reply sheepishly, frowning.
“Bullshit,” Ben scoffs. “You’ve been single now for almost two years. It’s time you get back in the game.”
“What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?” I laugh nervously. “Why are you all suddenly interested in my dating life?”
“You’re closer to forty than twenty-five, and you’re still single, dude.”
My face scrunches with a frown. “Have you been talking to my mother?”
“You know I got Elaine on speed dial.” Ben snickers, and I punch him in the arm. Not too hard, but he still winces and rubs it slightly.
“There’s gotta be someone you’re interested in,” Marcus adds a little too casually. He nods his head up at the bar. “What about Chrissy? She’s single.”
Frowning, I turn my head over my shoulder to look at our regular waitress, where she’s chatting with someone at the bar.
She’s been working here for so long that it’s hard to think of Lucky’s without thinking of her.
She knows all our drink orders by heart, and I’m sure plenty of others, too.
With a reputation for being the biggest sweetheart you could ever meet, it’s easy to see why everyone loves her.
And thanks to the nature of small towns, we share the same social circles enough that I would go so far as to call her a friend, even if we don’t hang out on our own.
I can’t deny that she’s cute, with big doe-like, amber-colored eyes and a plump, round face framed by wavy brown hair.
She’s short and curvy, with a nice full figure, exuding nothing but confidence in the bar uniform’s short-shorts and overly tight T-shirt.
I’ve always found her attractive, but the last I knew, she was married to a prick named Kyle. It’s news to me that she’s single.
Suddenly, Chrissy looks up and meets my eye, and I panic, thinking she must have heard Marcus’s remark.
She flashes me a wide grin, and it’s incredibly warm and inviting—the kind of smile that lights up a room.
My return smile is small, but my heart sinks as I quickly realize what’s happening here.
I turn back to Marcus sharply, shooting him a glare.
“You did not just ask me out tonight so you could try to set me up,” I hiss quietly. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You’ve been single for too long, my friend.
” Marcus grins wickedly, like he couldn’t be taking any more satisfaction from throwing me under the bus than he is right now.
“It’s time you get back on the horse and try again.
Chrissy is fantastic, okay? She's a sweet girl, and we all love her. You’re single.
She’s recently single and has a massive crush on you. ”
“What?” I ask, though it comes out more like a shriek.
“You can’t be that stupid.” Eric chuckles. “She’s been checking you out all night. ‘How’s your drink, Ethan?’ ‘Need anything else, Ethan?’ She couldn’t have been more obvious.”
“She’s just being her normal nice!”
I’m full-on panicking now, and I can feel my palms sweating.
Totally sexy, just what every girl loves.
God damn them for doing this to me. I should have declined tonight and stayed home reading instead of being ambushed by my so-called friends.
But how was I supposed to know this was an elaborate setup? I’m going to murder them.
“We found out she had a crush on you last time we were here.” Ben smirks. “We teased her relentlessly about it after you left for the night, so now it’s your turn. But she’s hot, man. You’d be an idiot to ignore her.”
“But it’s Chrissy,” I whine, running a hand through my hair. “I know her. It’s awkward. What if shit goes south?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Marcus groans. “You know her, so it’s easier! You’ve already got shit to talk about. Now, get your ass over there and ask her out, or I’ll kick it in the parking lot.”
“Oh, my god,” I groan. “You are all the worst friends.”
“Pfft. You love us. Now go.”
Despite my irritation, I’m actually very nervous to talk to her.
What am I supposed to say that sounds natural?
“Hey, girl. Wanna go out?” It’s so cliché!
But as much as I don’t want to do this, I know the guys will make me regret it if I say no.
So, I get up from the table with one last fierce glare in their direction, taking up my empty beer glass as a pathetic excuse to make this look as casual as possible.
I didn’t intend on drinking anymore tonight, but one more won’t kill me.