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“Look, you know I want Vivian to be happy, and if that’s with you, great. If not, well, I’m fine with that, too,” she snarls once I place my drink back on the table.
“Don’t sugar-coat anything on my account, Jen,” I bark back. “What a great friend you are,” I add, allowing my sarcasm to hang in the air.
“That’s why I’m here, dickhead. I’m her best fucking friend, and she has been miserable since you guys crashed and burned.”
“What? You’re going to help me get her back?” I ask, leaning onto the table, now finding interest in this convoluted conversation.
“Sorry, my part’s already done. I just had to get you here. Sit back, relax, and drink your beer; you have a lot in store for you tonight.”
“What the fuck, Jen? I don’t think this is very fu
“You need to do as you’re told,” she says, picking up her beer and purse from the bar top. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies.” She tips her beer to me in a goodbye, and leaves me alone at the table.
What the fuck just happened?
I start peeling the label off my beer waiting for what, I have no clue. I’m not even sure why I’m still here. I guess my curiosity is piqued enough to stick around for a little longer. I’m sure all of Vivian’s girls will take their turns lecturing me on what a piece of shit I am, then I’ll be let loose to crawl home alone and wallow in self-pity like I have for the last few days since Vivian told me she never wanted to see me again. I keep hoping that she’ll change her mind and call or text, something. I still carry around her ring in my jacket pocket. I can’t bring myself to return or sell it. Having it close to me makes me feel like I still have her, and I’m not ready to let her go. I’ve never been able to let that woman go.
I’m alone for only a few more minutes before my next girl-of-college-past appears and takes a seat at the table. At least this one is a little more benign. “Hello, Carly, good to see you. What do I owe the pleasure?”
“Cut the shit, Brooks. I’m not exactly thrilled to be here,” she sneers.
Okay, maybe I was wrong. Mad Carly is something new, and I’m not sure I like it. I decide silence is my best means of protection, so I just raise my hands in surrender.
“I know everything that happened, and I don’t like it, Brooks. Vivian is my friend. I love her like a sister, and that’s why I’m here. I don’t give a flying fuck about you or your happiness, but I do about hers. So I’ve come here to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with you.”
Her fingers are laced together and folded on the table. She has no drink, and her eyes are severely narrowed on me. This is purely business, and in this moment, I feel horrible for the poor shmuck who married her, because Carly can be downright scary. I consider myself a very confident man’s man, but this woman is forcing my balls to shrivel and die.
I push my beer away and lean back in my chair, waiting for the wrath to ensue. I gesture for her to continue, which is apparently the wrong move because I see her nostrils flare.
“In college, I thought you were a womanizing man-whore and other than your good looks, I never saw what Viv saw in you. Then when we all thought you cheated on her, I wasn’t surprised. To see that your adult life hasn’t ventured off that course, it only makes me think less of you. However, whatever you and she had behind closed doors has made her happy. You brought out the Vivian that no one else could. I understand that none of what appeared on the outside was the actual truth of the situation, but I still don’t like it. I think Vivian deserves the world, and if you aren’t prepared to give it to her, then I suggest you walk away, because even though I seem like the nice one, I promise I have the best Rocky Mountain Oyster recipe, and if need be, I know of plenty of places to hide a body. Are you catching my drift?”
Not wanting to poke the bear any more than I already have, I merely nod a response.
“Good. I’ll keep an eye on you, Brooks,” she says sternly, then like a light switch, she shifts gears and smears a smile on her face. “Enjoy the rest of your evening,” she adds sweetly.
Good God that was the most frightening downshift known to man. Here, all this time, I thought Jen was who I needed to worry about, but wrong again. Carly can throw down like no one’s business. I flag down the server to order something stronger. If I have to sit through any more lectures, I might drown myself in the alcohol behind the bar.
The waitress slides my Joh
I look behind me for the asshole that bumped me, and I’m met with a beaming Lakin. I take a piece of ice from my glass and launch it at him. “You prick, what the hell?’ I say through the hacking breaths and tears.
“That’s not any way to greet the person who’s here to save your sorry ass.” He laughs as he takes a seat with his scotch. “Besides, I was just politely patting you on the back; I think you’re just a little jumpy. Those women must have put you through the wringer tonight.”
“You have no idea, Lakin. This was a waste of time. Let’s just finish our drinks and head out. I should be home with Grace anyways; it’s a school night.”
“Just take it easy there, big brother. The night is still young; Grace is fine. Besides, I think if you stay around long enough, you might find that this evening will turn out better than you expected.” The devilish grin that he isn’t even attempting to hide does nothing to improve my mood.
“You’re in on whatever this is, aren’t you?” I say, slugging him in the arm. “You little shithead, you’ve known what’s going on, that those women would corner me like that, and you didn’t even give me a heads up. What happened to brotherly love?”
“Hey!” he whines. “You know I bruise like a peach,” he adds, rubbing his bicep. I’m not buying the pussy show for a single second; Lakin has competed in mixed martial arts since we were kids. I guarantee that punch hurt me more than it did him.
“Suck it up, Nancy; you have some explaining to do.”
He only laughs and takes another slow drink of his scotch. His eyes leave mine and track someone behind me. I turn around to see Campbell approaching the table. Fucking marvelous. The next girl-of-college-past is here for one last kick to the balls. Lakin is seriously going to pay for this. If the fucker didn’t have his own money, I might have considered cutting him from my will.
She looks like some kind of 1950s pinup. Her ebony hair half pi