She chuckles. “I’ve been to your old apartment, Crew. You have no idea how to organize a kitchen. You kept your pots and pans under the sink and your plates were where the glasses should go.”
Garrett jokes, “Are you going to tell us what time to take a shit, too?”
“Watch it,” Crew says. “That’s my fiancée you’re talking to.” He kisses Bria’s forehead and turns to Garrett. “I’m the one who’ll be telling you that.”
Garrett mock pouts. “You guys are going to be like our mom and dad, aren’t you? The responsible ones. I’m telling you right now, I’m damn well not going to censor what I say or who I bring into my room.” He pounds on the wall. “I hope these walls are thick. I wouldn’t want you to be jealous of all the screaming.”
“You’re the one who’s going to be jealous,” Crew says. “Believe me, there will be no shortage of banging from our bedpost.”
Bria’s face is beet red. “Crew.”
“What? We all live together now. Might as well get used to each other’s habits. I’m simply letting them know that one of ours is fucking like bunnies.”
She points to the door. “Leave. You’re only making it worse.”
We go to the door, laughing.
“Seriously, though,” Crew says in the hall. “I know we’re men and all, but if you can keep any disgusting habits to yourself when Bria’s around, I’d appreciate it.”
“I don’t have any disgusting habits,” Garett says.
I give him a pointed look. “Dude, your farts are louder than a goddamn air horn.”
“Yeah, that,” Crew says.
Garrett frowns. “Are you saying I can’t float an air biscuit in my own goddamn apartment?”
“Just be courteous,” Crew says. “Get up and leave the room. We all agreed to live together, that’s just part of it. I’m sure Bria will have to make some adjustments too.”
“What kind of adjustments?” I ask.
He thinks. “For one, she likes to walk around naked.”
Garrett and I both raise our eyebrows. “Some guys have all the luck,” he says. He closes his eyes tightly, like he’s thinking hard.
Crew hits him. “Quit picturing my fiancée naked.”
Out on the street, we look both ways. “Where should we start?” I ask.
Garrett points right. “We’ll stop at every bar for one drink, working our way down the street and back. That way, we’ll get a feel for which ones are the best.”
Crew says, “Sounds like a plan.”
I couldn’t care less about finding the best bar. I just want to get drunk, sleep in my new room, and forget about my miserable fucking past.
~ ~ ~
We wait in line at the fourth bar of the night. “Whiskey still?” Garrett asks. “Or should we switch to beer?”
“You pussies do what you want. I’m having whiskey.”
Garrett gets our drinks while Crew and I find a table.
“How long do you think it will last?” I say. “You and Bria living with a couple of certified bachelors?”
He shrugs. “I guess I’ll leave it up to her.”
“Would you have done things differently? Knowing we’d be raking in money like we are now?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But I’m excited about it. I’ve only ever lived by myself. I think it’ll be fun, all of us together. As long as Garrett can keep his farts to himself.”
“I’ve only ever lived with my uncle, my mom, or, well, you know. I’m pretty happy about it too.”
“You’re stoked to be out of Dirk’s house, huh?”
“You have no fucking idea.”
“Earlier today, when you said there are other ways to get out from under Dirk. Were you talking about the video? You still have it, right?”
I nod. “Locked in a safe deposit box.”
“Maybe it’s time to use it.”
“It wouldn’t be enough to make any arrests. It’s only of Dirk blackmailing my mom.”
“Dirk the politician. If you want to hit him where it hurts, release the tape. No way would he be elected governor then. He’d be ruined.”
“Maybe, but then everyone would know what happened.”
“To Luke, yes. I’ve seen the video. It doesn’t clearly say anything happened to you.”
“But it’s implied. People aren’t stupid, Crew. They’d know. Plus, I’d be betraying Luke.”
“You wouldn’t. I know why you’re getting shit-faced. I saw you reading the letter earlier. You showed it to me when we were sixteen, and you were drunk out of your mind. Luke wrote the letters to protect you. He’d be okay with it. I know he would.”
“Dude, I came here to forget about the past. Not relive it.”