Chapter 13 Chris
CHRIS
My phone was vibrating.
“Are you sleeping?” he asked. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, what’s up? Is everything okay?”
“I have a situation. Can you come down to that steak place in Arbor Lakes with a credit card? I need to borrow three hundred bucks.”
“What?”
“Dude, fucking hurry. I took Larissa and her mom out to eat and my card was declined. They’re closing and they won’t take Venmo or a card over the phone.”
I was already throwing off the covers. “I’m coming. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I hung up with him and ran to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face. Then I looked in the mirror.
I looked tired. I was tired, it was almost midnight.
I took a minute to mess with my hair. I didn’t want to look like I just rolled out of bed, but I also didn’t want to look like I was trying.
I debated putting on cologne. Then I decided against it because why would I do that?
I was going to help my best friend and his girlfriend. I didn’t need to smell good.
It didn’t escape me that I wanted to. Or that I cared about my hair.
I told myself I was being an idiot and I left.
When I got to the restaurant, Mike met me just inside. The bus boys were stacking chairs on the tables. “Where’s Larissa?” I asked, looking around.
“She went home. They came in their own car, thank fucking God.” He took my Visa and gave it to the hostess.
“What happened?”
“Her mom wanted to eat at the most expensive restaurant in the city, that’s what happened.”
I blinked at him. “Why’d you take them?”
“What was I supposed to say? ‘I’ve got ninety bucks in my account’?”
“Mike…”
He sat back at the bar and took the last swallow of a bourbon. He held the glass up. “Hey, I know you’re closing out, but can I get one more?” he asked the bartender.
The guy nodded and grabbed a tumbler.
I wiped a hand down my mouth. “Did she know?” I asked.
“She knew my card was acting up. I thought it would just overdraft and I could deal with it later but it didn’t. I told her to go home while I called the credit card company, told her it wasn’t a big deal. I think she bought it, I don’t know. God, how fucking embarrassing.”
They handed him the card slip back and he gave it to me. I tipped and signed it. Then he took my card and tossed it to the bartender.
“I’ll pay you back,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure. How many is this?” I asked, nodding at the drink they set in front of him.
“I don’t know,” he said, picking it up. “Four?”
“And you’re getting home how?”
“I’m driving.”
“Uh, no, you’re not. Not after four.”
He downed the drink in two swallows and set the glass on the counter with a clink. “I’m not paying for a damn rideshare after everything.”
“I’ll drive you,” I said.
“I need my truck in the morning.”
“Then take a car back to it.”
“I’m not paying for a damn ride,” he said again.
He got up and pulled his keys from his pocket.
“Nope.” I reached for them and he held them out of the way and started for the door.
“Mike!”
I looked back at the bar and then to my best friend stalking toward the exit. The bartender still had my card.
“Goddamn it,” I muttered.
I followed him.
“Hey! You’re not fucking driving like this!” I said after him.
He kept walking.
“MIKE!” I came up behind him and snatched the keys. Then he spun and shoved me.
I staggered back a few inches and stood there, stunned.
It wasn’t hard, he didn’t hurt me, but Mike had never laid a hand on me. Ever. He was the guy who would kill somebody for so much as looking at me wrong back in high school. And he’d just fucking pushed me.
He stood there panting, staring at me wide-eyed like he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
Then he turned and bolted in the general direction of his house, leaving me with his keys and his truck in the parking lot.