16. Aiden
Aiden
B oys’ night out .
Who cares how old we get? Or how far away from each other life might take us?
As long as there are moments carved out of the insanity to drink, eat, and bullshit, then I’m happy.
I’ve already made a pit stop at Tase’s place, to find him easily persuaded to spend an evening at the steakhouse. I thought he’d be the one who needed the most convincing.
Normally he hoards his days off like a dragon with treasure. He doesn’t give them up to just anyone.
Then again, I’ve never been just anyone .
Back at the cabin, I find Gilli wading contentedly in the water a little ways down the shore, her pants hiked up to her mid thigh, and Soren with a black thunder cloud over his head.
He’s sitting on the couch, facing away from the lake, with his elbows on his knees and his hair still damp from a shower.
“Dinner tonight at Ruth’s,” I tell him in greeting. “Tase will join us there.”
I wait for him to answer and hear nothing. “Did you hear me? ”
“I heard you. Dinner,” Soren repeats woodenly.
Ruth’s is a staple in town. The owner is an elderly German woman who must have taught her son the tricks of the trade. Once she got too old to keep manning the grill, he stepped up.
Now Ruth and her husband are only part-time residents of Holly Brook and the rest of the year they spend down in St. Augustine with their golf buddies, going on haunted tours of the city and enjoying the heat.
Or so the gossip mill states.
Rib eye steaks and liquor is a tradition for us boys, and as long as Ruth’s is in business, we’ll keep going.
Since Tase never left the town except for college, he’s always been there when Soren and I come for our yearly visits. Always ready to get down and dirty with his old friends.
I grab a shower too, then change into a nice pair of jeans and a black Henley. A few strokes of gel get the longer strands of hair on top of my head at just the right angle to make me look like an available single guy instead of a douchebag.
Hopefully.
Gilli seems keen on having the cabin to herself, promising to stay at home and handle her own dinner. I shove thoughts of the woman aside to focus on the boys .
We’ve never let a lady come between us before and I’m not allowing myself to stay distracted when there are other things to talk about.
A few minutes past six, I slide into the booth across from massive front windows giving us the best view in the house of the lake.
Laughter roars from somewhere in the rear of the restaurant. Ruth’s is the place where people gather to eat, to get drunk, to chill with friends and family.
The familiar scents of sizzling meat and butter perfume the air and my mouth starts to water. I want to enjoy it .
“I see you came back empty-handed today. Fish weren’t biting?” I ask Soren as the first round of shots arrives.
The three of us reach for the glasses at the same time and down them. The liquor scalds a path down to my stomach and I smack my lips, satisfied.
“No keepers,” Soren admitted. “Sorry if you’re disappointed.”
I shake my head. “Nah. I just figure it will be better if I’m the one who goes out to fish after this. You know. Someone with skill .”
“We both know the real reason he disappears the way he does. He wants to get shitfaced without us,” Tase adds, hiding his laugh. “Afraid we’re going to draw a dick on his face when he passes out.”
Soren points a warning finger at us. His beard, normally neat, is scruffy near his jawline. “You already did. I vowed I’d never let you get the better of me again.”
“Come on. You say it like you can’t trust us.” Tase leans back in the booth with his arms behind his head. The picture of nonchalance.
Soren grumbles, his beard twitching with the movement. “I’ve known you both for too long.”
“Sounds almost like a threat, Tase. Don’t you agree?” I ask.
Tase grabs the last of his shot, taking it in two sips rather than one long swig, and grimaces. “I’m not going to weigh in on this. You two have a bad habit of ganging up on me.”
“Exactly,” I tell him with a smile. “Now it’s your turn to side with me and we gang up on Soren.”
A server with a heart-shaped face and freckles across her nose sidles up to the table and leans her hip against it. “Boys,” she greets. “Back again for your usual?”
“Aw, baby, you’re killing me. It sounds like you missed me.” I press a hand to my heart. “Since we were here last, you’ve been counting the moments until we returned.”
“Considering it’s been about six months, yeah. I always miss my good tippers.” She gives it back as quickly as she receives it. “And I know how to take care of them.”
Her name is Ellie and she is just about as sweet as the Apfelkuchen they serve for dessert.
I’ve sampled hers once or twice. Back in the years when I didn’t care who was in my bed or riding me. I only wanted a warm body to make me feel like I deserved love.
Today it seems her attention has turned to Soren. Ellie scours him from his waist to the top of his head with her eyes, promising a fun time.
Too bad I’ve already warned him about her. She’s sweet and bright but she is definitely not the type you play with.
She ends up wanting more than any of us are able to give.
Tase ducks behind his menu and I wonder if she’s already made a move on him.
“We’re all going to have the rib eye. Medium rare. And another round of shots, please,” I say with a lopsided smile. I grab the menu out of Tase’s grip and hand the stack over to Ellie. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
She swats me with them. “Don’t sweetheart me, Mister promises he’ll call and never does . Just make sure you leave more than twenty percent tip tonight.”
It’s impossible to miss the way her eyes latch onto Soren again.
Ellie saunters away with a swing of her hips, the tie of her apron highlighting her ass. It’s on the small side, though. Hmm .
Once I might have remembered it as peachy and delicious and ready for me to take a bite out of. Now it’s nothing compared to an entirely different ass.
“When did Ellie go for you?” I ask Tase when we’re alone.
He doesn’t looks surprised by the question. “A couple of times last year. Which is why I only come here when you guys are in town,” Tase mutters. “I need protection from her…appetites.”
“A grown-ass man like you should be able to handle Ellie,” Soren jokes mildly.
His eyes are dull and flinty.
“I’ve handled plenty of women like her in the past, which is how I know to keep my distance now. If I’m too busy working, then she gets tired and finds someone else. Boom. Problem solved.”
I roll my eyes as the vet mimes a mic drop. “Not everyone is going to be Dana. You had a good one and she got away.”
“Death is a little more serious than just getting away, dude.” Tase elbows me in the side and I accept it. “You’ve always been such a huge pain in the ass, Aiden. You ever get tired of hearing your own jokes?”
“Never,” I reply seriously.
We pause when Ellie returns carrying a tray of liquor and three waters. She sets them down in front of us, offering Soren a perfect view of her cleavage and a sultry smile before she leaves.
Nope, not worth it. At least he recognizes that.
We keep the conversation light until the food comes. The massive rib eyes are sizzling, and the baked potatoes belching out steam, with sides of butter and sour cream for each.
The steaks are done right, caramelized along the fat and with plenty of seasoning. Even the green beans are great, still a little crispy and drowning in butter and garlic.
That’s one of the best things about small towns and Ruth’s in particular. You know what to expect. The quality always stays the same and people know your name.
It’s light years better than White Plains, New York. Most of the kids on the team I coach aren’t happy to be there either. Some of them are, of course, those with the talent to take them far away and the diligence to make their skills work for them.
But the others are only eager to get back to their phones.
They won’t care about the open spaces and the privacy of places like Holly Brook. They want the details of their lives splattered across their social media accounts.
I dig into the rib eye with a smile, the knife slicing easily through the tender meat. The first bite is pure heaven. I swoon and fall back in the booth.
“Yes, this.” I point to the steak. “This is what we needed.”
Liquor provides that delicious fever in my veins. It lowers the barriers in my brain and makes every bite of food taste better. It makes the jokes funnier as it dulls my mind.
“What happened at work yesterday?” I ask Tase.
He shrugs. Funny how I only now notice how he’s done his hair tonight, slicking it back and away from the creases of his forehead. Who is he trying to impress?
The dude doesn’t give a shit how mangy he looks when we go out. At least, he hasn’t before.
“Typical bullshit. Saving lives. That’s what happened.”
“You lost a good worker, I’m told.”
“If by good worker you mean someone who barely managed to answer the phone and check in clients while alternately going queasy at the drop of a hat, then yes,” Tase agrees. “I lost a good worker.”
“He’s talking about Gilli, dumbass,” Soren snaps at Tase, his attention on his plate.
I don’t miss the way Tase flinches slightly. “What about her?” he asks carefully.
“She came to work for you yesterday, it seems. Or at least that was her excuse when she got home,” I clarify for the good of all.
Soren draws up sharply at the word. Home .
Tase sniffs, lifts a green bean, inspects it. “What’s your point? If you already know one of my girls quit, leaving me short-handed, then you shouldn’t be surprised to hear how Gilli stepped in to help. Seems like it’s her personality.”
“She does tend to demand attention, doesn’t she?” I say around a bite of potato. “She gets in your face and won’t back down until someone physically removes her.”
Tase instantly jumps to her defense. “She’s a good helper. I would not have been able to finish my day if she hadn’t randomly showed up when she did.”