Chapter Two
Finn
Tyler was already rummaging around well before I could’ve gotten out of bed. I blinked, and another hour had passed.
His first words were, “Dude, get up. Beer and breakfast burritos down by the pool.” He shoved me. “C’mon, man. It’s boring as shit down there alone.” He was already a little buzzed, shirtless in a bathing suit.
“Yeah, alright.” I sat up.
My head hurt, not blaring, but in need of some Advil. Instead, Tyler handed me a beer. “The number one male needs to keep the party going.”
I took it, then a sip. Tyler kept his stash in the hotel mini-fridge, though I wasn’t sure when he got it. Booze just appeared whenever he was around. The beer was ice-cold and faster than the pain reliever would’ve been.
Tyler always liked to drink. He was the first one on the freshman football team to puke at a party.
It was like he was on a mission so far that trip.
I had no desire for a beer. I also couldn’t skirt my duties as the number one male.
Part of that was to make sure everyone had a good time, including my roommate.
Tyler sat on my bed while I medicated. “You know what’s up Miles’s ass?”
“What do you mean?” I said, failing to suppress a burp.
“He’s just been in a shitty mood. He’s smiling and drinking, but something’s up with him.” Tyler flexed his shoulder blades against each other, making his chest stand out. “And what was with that comment Ryder made last night? Kind of a low blow, right?”
I never liked causing drama or being anywhere near it. If I was wrong about Miles and Ryder having some beef, I didn’t want to start a rumor. Love the guy, but Tyler’s lips aren’t the tightest when he’s drunk, and I knew he’d be smashed the entire trip.
“Nah.” I chuckled and took a swig from the can. “They give each other shit like that all the time. You and your little brother give each other shit, too.” I laughed. “I’ve seen you fucking pummel him.”
“That shit’s different,” Tyler said, stretching his back by moving side to side. “If I punch Kev in the face, it’ll only piss him off. Miles looked hurt. That’s different.”
I never understood sibling dynamics since I didn’t have any. Tyler and his brother’s feral relationship even less so. The closest thing I had was Miles, and if I ever hit him in the face, it would cause a huge problem.
“Yeah, I dunno. Maybe Ryder has work shit on his mind? Been kinda quiet.”
“Except to you, or when he’s drunk,” Tyler said with a pinched face, still trying to be his own chiropractor. “That fucking bed, man. Killed my back.”
My cheeks heated. “I guess. But not really. He’s just been quiet.”
“Well, if it’s not that, then something else’s up Miles’s ass.” His back finally popped, followed by a look of deep relief.
“I dunno, man. Maybe Bree’s been on his ass?” I said, referencing Miles’s bride-to-be. “She wasn’t in love with the idea of a bachelor party to begin with. And having to fly out here even less.”
Tyler chuckled. “She’s always on his ass. I think this is different, but maybe she ramped it up? Did you get that text too?”
“What text?”
“The night before we left? Saying how we needed to behave and all this nonsense. Like we’d even go to a strip club in this economy.” He laughed. “Deranged.”
I hadn’t gotten that text, I got another. “Hey Finn! Have a good time down there, but not too good! LOL! Please make sure Miles doesn’t drink too much, and there are no photos or videos of him misbehaving. Just bring my Miley home safe and sound! LOL! I know I can trust you, Finn. Thanks!”
I responded by liking the message. I’d already told the guys about the pictures, but there was no way I’d meter the groom’s drinking outside of what was healthy.
I didn’t dwell on it. Better that I didn’t.
Dealing with the bride’s demands surely wasn’t the best man’s duty?
Or maybe it was. Either way, I didn’t have to. She went right over my head.
I chuckled. “Yeah, for real.”
With his back sorted, Tyler stood and eased the beer to my mouth. “C’mon, bro. I’m hungry.”
I finished it in one go.
In the elevator, I texted the group chat to see where everyone was and tell them Tyler and I were getting food. Some of them were up, but by the time we got back with the breakfast burritos, everyone was sitting by the pool. Except for Ryder.
Tyler said, “If you guys are licking your wounds after one night, what the fuck are we gonna do when we go hard?”
“Chill, bro. It’s like nine a.m.,” Connor said, mouth full of burrito.
Jason wiped his mouth on a napkin. “What’s the plan for the day?”
Miles looked at me, followed by the others. “Uh, I think it’s another chill day by the pool and a nicer dinner tonight.”
“Seriously?” Connor asked, deadpan.
“Uh, yeah.” I didn’t understand. “Why?”
“Kinda lame, no?” Tyler cracked a new beer.
Miles interjected, I thought on my behalf. “No, that was the plan. But we’re gonna go bar hopping after dinner, right? Get a feel for the city.”
“Now we’re talking,” Connor said.
“Thought that was obvious.” I took a bite.
With his mouth full again, Connor said, “You’re the number one male. You gotta know this shit, bro.”
I chuckled and nodded, agreeing that I should know that kind of stuff. But should I? Or a better question: if I were supposed to, how would I get that information? I didn’t plan the trip, Miles did… It was whatever.
“Shit, it’s Rick.” Jason showed his phone to Miles. “I haven’t taken PTO since my paternal leave, and he’s still riding my ass.” I‘d never heard him so animated. Or pissed.
“Is that your boss? You’re in Miami. At a bachelor party,” Tyler said.
Connor took another bite. “Don’t pick up, man. Fuck that.”
Miles was already looking at his email. “No, he’s gotta. Shit might be fucked.”
“Or he’s just a dick.” Jason stood. “Come with me, Kilo? Maybe he forgot, and if you’re there, he’ll hang up quicker.”
Miles got up. “Yeah, alright.”
As they walked towards the hotel, I heard Jason say, “Hey, Rick. Is everything okay? You know I’m in Miami for Kilo’s thing, right?”
A few minutes later, Ryder emerged through the plant alleyway and sat down next to me. His mood was darker than the last time I saw him, but better than the day before. Though he still wasn’t chatty. At first, at least.
“You missed the burritos, bro,” Connor said.
“But not the beers.” Tyler handed him a Corona.
Ryder opened it and took a deep pull. “Thanks,” was all he said before sitting down and retreating into his phone.
The three of us bullshitted until Connor convinced Tyler to go over and talk to a group of women who were checking us out, leaving Ryder and me to hold the chairs.
That wasn’t Tyler’s MO. He was more of a get-drunk-and-flirt-with-an-equally-drunk-girl-at-a-party kind of dude.
He wasn’t the type to walk up to an unknown group of women out of nowhere with no reason. But Connor was.
Connor always had this way about him with women.
His mom was born in San Juan, and he grew up speaking Spanish.
He’d throw in an over-rolled R every once in a while just to show off how long his tongue was.
It was kinda gross how many women he slept with.
Then again, Connor was also a built-as-fuck Latin guy who always had his facial hair on point.
I was just glad they left me the fuck out of it.
“You’re not gonna join in?” Ryder asked.
“Nah. Not my style.”
“Oh, right.” He rolled his eyes. “Your style is waiting and never doing anything ever.”
I chuckled and shifted to face him. “What about you? Aren’t there any hot guys that might play for your team?”
Ryder rolled his eyes again. “Even if there were, which there aren’t, that’s not my style.”
I had to laugh at his hypocrisy. “That’s bullshit.”
“Not bullshit.”
“How’s it not bullshit?”
“Because in a setting like this, I might end up with a black eye hitting on a guy out of nowhere.” Ryder tried to suppress a smirk.
“That’s not true, man. C’mon, what year is it?”
“No, I’m mostly kidding. I’m shit at flirting anymore, though. Unless a guy throws himself at me, I can’t tell if he’s interested, much less into guys in general.”
“So why are you giving me shit for feeling the same way?”
Ryder stared at me, then laughed hard. “Fair fucking point.” I laughed too until we just kind of looked at one another.
I couldn’t place the feeling I got. I used to be afraid to talk to Ryder and never felt like myself around him. That wasn’t the case anymore. If someone had told me years ago that the two of us would be bullshitting and roasting each other, I’d have said they were crazy.
But I also kinda loved it. Ryder was an awesome fucking guy, regardless of what was going on between him and Miles. And if that meant I got more of his attention, I didn’t hate that either. Okay, that was bullshit. I’d much rather they get along, but at least there was a silver lining.
Connor appeared out of nowhere and flopped down in the lounge next to me. “I’m fucking bored, bro.”
Ryder said, “What happened?”
Tyler walked over and sat next to Connor on the same chair. “They’re on a bachelorette, and all have boyfriends.”
“Damn,” I said.
“Sucks,” Ryder said.
Connor pouted. “Let’s go to the beach or something, man.”
“We can’t just leave them,” I said.
Ryder sat up. “Yes, we can. Why not?”
“’Cause it’s like, his bachelor party?” I didn’t need to pose it as a question, but did anyway.
Ryder said, “Where are they?”
Tyler sloshed the last bit of beer in his bottle. “Jason got a work call and asked Miles to field it with him, hoping to make it quick.”
“That sucks,” Ryder said with a laugh. “If they’re not back already, it means they won’t be for some time. Let’s go and come back. If it’s nice, we’ll all go later.”