Another One Bites the Dust
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
CAM
Though I was surprised to get a text from Foster asking me to meet at Wayward Brewing, I was happy to get to hang out with him. With me married to my work and my increasing antisocial tendencies, our guy time was minimal these days.
The hop-scented bar was full of lively conversations, and I zeroed in on a round table filled with the rest of the guys, Matt, Zach, and Foster. They cheered and raised their glasses in unison as I approached. While one-on-ones with Foster are rare, a round table with all my other friends occurs about as frequently as a solar eclipse.
“There he is!” Foster said.
“Hey, bud,” I said, pulling out a worn wooden chair. “Didn’t realize everyone else was crashing our date.”
“I know, I thought tonight was the night for us,” Zach said. “And then I walk in and all you assholes are here.”
“How’s your ass?” I asked, patting Zach on the back as I sat down.
Zach laughed into his water. “Better. Thanks for filling in.”
I ordered a Hazy IPA and settled in, waiting for the real reason Foster gathered all of us together. A round of wings, pretzel bites, and three beers later, Foster stood and cleared his throat.
“Gentlemen,” he said, taking a sip of beer and raising his glass. “I have an announcement.”
“You’re not pregnant, are ya?” Zach asked. I chuckled along with everyone else, and we finally stopped razzing him so he could get the words out.
“Tonight marks the beginning of the end. Last night, I proposed to Laura Angeline Poulos. Wedding is next February, and I would be honored to have all of you stand with me.”
Shit. Another one bites the dust.
“Now, you know Laura is Greek, so prepare for a lot of ouzo, dancing, and shouting!”
“Hear! Hear!” we hooted in unison, clinking our glasses. Thankfully, the hostess had put us at a table near the back.
When Matt left for the bathroom, Foster slid into the seat next to me. “You sure you’re up for this?” he asked. “I know weddings are rough for you.”
“That they are.”
“I understand if you want to sit this one out.”
“Are you kidding? Wouldn’t miss it.” I stuck out my hand, which Foster shook. “Congrats, man. Laura’s the best. Thought she had better taste, but I won’t hold that against her.”
Foster laughed and swirled the last drops of his beer around in his glass. “Laura could definitely do better, but she’s stuck with me. By the way, how’s it going with that blonde you left James’s wedding with?”
“The blonde?” I couldn’t think of who he was referring to since a brunette had been occupying my thoughts as of late.
“Yeah, you looked pretty happy walking out with her.”
I tossed my head back. “Oh. Amy. Nothing’s going. Some guy was hassling her, and she was wasted, so I gave her a ride home. Haven’t seen her since.”
Foster arched an eyebrow. “Damn, I hoped you were finally getting out there again.”
“I’m good staying in.” I scratched my neck and took a long pull of my beer.
“Well, Laura’s got some great cousins flying in for this, so …”
“Actually,” I straightened in my seat. “What do you know about Rachel from the wedding?”
“Which Rachel?” Foster asked. “There were like three different ones there.”
“You know, the bridesmaid, big hazel eyes, long dark hair, nice legs.”
Zach answered before Foster could. He pumped his eyebrows three times and said, “Rachel, Kicklighter .”
“Oh yeah,” Foster laughed. “ That Rachel.”
“Kicklighter … where do I know that name?” I asked.
“The, uh, giant storefront off Hayden,” Foster said. “I think you can see it from space.”
“Wow.” I sat up in my seat. “So, what’s her situation?”
Foster glanced at me sideways. “Whoa, yeah, you know what? She’d be perfect for you.”
“Slow down, Cupid, I was just curious. She went home with some guy anyway.”
“Which guy?” Zach asked.
Foster stuffed a leftover pretzel bite in his mouth. “Phil probably picked her up. Was he driving a black 4Runner?”
“Yeah. Think so,” I replied.
“Yep. That’s Phil Madden, Foster said.
“They have sexy times,” Zach said.
Foster nodded. “Yeah, they’re friends with benefits. Rachel went through a nasty breakup, so she keeps things pretty casual now.”
That piqued my interest since I was still nursing the wounds of my own nasty breakup. “Do you know what happened?”
“Her ex was cheating on her,” Foster said. “The worst part is, he’s an ambulance chaser. Scumbag is plastered all over town on those billboards along the 101.”
“Which ones?” I asked.
Zach pushed the straw back and sipped his gin and tonic out of the glass. “The Got Dents, Call Wentz dude.”
I cringed. “For fuck’s sake, that guy?”
The picture of that dick’s billboard flashed in my mind. He was wearing a suit that was too small, pointing at the camera trying to look intimidating.
The worst.
“Yeah, they knew each other in high school, I think,” Foster continued. “Anyway, Rachel’s great. She’s Laura’s bestie. I can hook you two up if you want.”
My stomach somersaulted at the thought of seeing her again. “Nah, I’m good. Like I said, just curious.”
“Listen, man, it’s about time you started dating again. Rachel’s an incredible girl,” Foster said. “Ask her to get coffee.”
“Plus, she’s scalding hot,” Zach added.
“Zach’s always had a thing for Rachel,” Foster said. “Have you been in her store, Cam?”
I picked at a divot in the table and shook my head. “Nope.”
“That’s because you literally have a bed and a chair in your house and nothing else,” Matt quipped once he returned from the bathroom.
“You should go to her store,” Foster continued. “It’s nuts in there. It’s so tricked out.”
“Maybe I will …”
Foster raised both eyebrows and grinned like a madman.
I scoffed. “I meant I will eventually have to go in there to get a gift for your wedding, dumbass.”
I had another beer and then left the rabble-rousers as they started a marathon round of pool. The same old stillness greeted me when I entered the door code to my house. My keys clanged in the same old dish I threw them into. Matt was right, I had made no attempt to decorate the house after Britt moved out. What she didn’t take, I donated or threw in a dumpster, which was an incredibly cathartic exercise.
The prickly heat of the day had evaporated, making it a perfect night for me to sit alone by my fire pit and scroll through the picture James had texted me from the wedding. Sarah wanted a few pics to look at immediately while she waited for the professional photos to come through. I zeroed in on the one he took of Rachel and me.
Rachel was stunning even in that awful dress Sarah had made the bridesmaids wear. Despite the fact that it was the color of day old guacamole, she was stunning. Her strong legs peeked out of the slit when she moved on the dance floor, her hair whipping from side to side, her skin dewy with sweat.
Time to turn off the fire pit and take a cold shower.
Tomorrow, I might stop in Kicklighter’s tricked-out store.
Because I was curious.
Just curious.