Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Don’t phrase it like that, but sure, thank you,” Jack said.
“Done,” I said. “And then there’s this group chat that’s just named with three hot pepper emojis. I assume this is the Red’s Tavern thread?”
“Sure is.”
“There’s a message from Perry saying he has a new recipe for fried mac-and-cheese balls he wants to put on the menu, and then about six messages from Sam that are all jokes about balls. ‘The more balls on our menu, the better. I’d definitely want to put those delicious balls in my mouth. Do you think we should have some wieners to go along with those lil balls?’”
“Sam really has no off button,” Jack said as he finally sat up.
“Does it ever get really raunchy in this thread?” I asked.
“Raunchy how?”
“I don’t know. Do the guys ever send, like, full-blown cock pics?”
Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Curious much?”
I snorted. “Blue, you know I’m curious about everything in the world.”
“Always have been,” he said, nodding. “But no. No full-on cock in the group chat. Some ab pics from Sam, sometimes. But I promise you, it’s not a hookup chat. Pretty much all of those guys are all in very happy, committed relationships by now.”
“That’s a shame. For you, at least. Nice enough for the rest of the guys.”
As we got out of the tent and stretched, Jack still looked all tired. He had the hint of dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m going to get some coffee started,” I offered. “You still up for a hike?”
“I’m always up for a hike,” he said.
“Hey, let’s go to Red’s tonight,” I suggested. “I want to meet these guys if they’re becoming friends of yours. I mean, especially since I’m not going to be around here forever.”
I paused after I said it, feeling as if I’d just dropped something expensive and shattered it to pieces. I realized it was the first time the subject of me moving away had come up this morning.
Jack was just looking out toward the horizon, clearly trying not to react.
“Right,” he finally said, nodding. “Sure. I didn’t know you’d want to come to a place like Red’s, but I’d love to bring you.”
“Of course.”
“The guys aren’t going to go easy on you, though, you know,” Jack finally said, giving me a hint of a smile. “You’re going to get a lot of attention in a place like that.”
“What do you mean?”
He rolled his eyes. “You never realize how attractive you are.”
“Well, I think you’re just too nice to me,” I said, waving him off. “C’mon. Let’s get this coffee going and get on the trail.”
Jack had always been my number one fan, and I knew he was going to butter me up no matter what. Truthfully, I was pretty sure he thought I was way better, smarter, and more attractive than I actually was, but I never got sick of him lifting me up.
In fact, I was going to miss it like hell. How was life going to be anywhere near as good without my favorite person around?
“There he is!” a fit young bartender in a tank top called out to Jack hours later, the moment we walked into Red’s Tavern.
“Jack Damien, I never thought I’d see those kind of puns in the group chat coming from you,” another older bartender said, tipping his cowboy hat at Jack.
“Evening to you both,” Jack said, already blushing a little. “Sam, Red, I’d like you to meet my best friend in the world, Tristan Wood.”
“Well, hello there,” Sam, the tank top gym bunny, said as he reached out to shake my hand. “Aren’t you a cutie with that James Dean look you have going on.”
“It’s very nice to meet you guys too, especially after witnessing the madness of the Red’s Tavern group text message thread.”
Sam grinned wide. “Have you been reading along, too? I thought I was doing pretty good earlier, managing to get ten different ball sack puns in. And then Jack here surprised me.”
“I have a secret to admit to all of you,” I said. “All of the messages from Blue—I mean Jack—over the last few hours have actually been from me.”
Sam dropped his jaw in an exaggerated fashion. “You mean to tell me the joke about the hot peppers was you all along?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“Oh, you’re my new best friend,” Sam said, clapping his hands together once. “Jack, you’ve got competition. I’m going to steal your BFF.”
“Ain’t nobody stealing Tristan from me, ever,” Jack said in his usual calm, deep voice as he sat down on one of the barstools. “But I’m glad you guys like him, too.”
“What can I get started for you two?” Red asked. He was clearly the owner of the tavern, and he looked the part, dressed in well-fitted cowboy garb that matched the interesting kinda-gay, kinda-western vibes of the whole tavern.