Dave. Part of why we hooked up is I wanted him to feel good about himself. That was his first anything ever.
Henry: I hope he appreciated it.
Me: He did.
Me: I don’t know. The thing between him and me is so weird. I look at him, and it’s like my heart is getting pulled out of my chest. I just want to protect him. We’ve known each other for a while, and he’s never quite gotten there, never quite found his place.
Me: Part of me thinks he’s what I could’ve been. If Avani hadn’t picked me. If Pothan hadn’t brofriended me. If I hadn’t learned I was worth something.
Henry: You two are pretty different. Dave just seems shy and quiet.
Me: I feel bad. His thing with Mari is falling apart. He really likes her. It’s crazy. Like love-love. And he’s so close. That’s the worst, when you’re almost there, but for some reason, they won’t quite see you that way.
Me: I want this to happen for him, but I need your help. Avani won’t invite him if I ask, but she will for you.
Henry: I don’t get it. All this angst over Dave.
Henry: But I’ll do it.
Henry: You owe me now! Someday I’ll ask you for something, and if you refuse, well, there’ll be no real punishment. But you better not refuse!
Me: I won’t.
My heart beat faster. Even though it’d be incredibly sleazy, and Hen wasn’t that kind of person, part of me thought he might want me to, err, do things to him. And I wasn’t certain I’d say no.
Henry: All right then, I suppose we’re on for another caper.
10
ON THE DAY OF THE party, Pothan showed up at my apartment wearing one of his absurd getups: a white vest on a white shirt, wool pants, and lizard-skin shoes topped with white spats.
He threw himself into our love seat. “Ken’s gonna drive separate. He’s got practice today.”
“Uhh . . . sure.”
Pothan slumped down on the couch and spread his legs, as if his junk was so heavy it needed to rest directly on the cushion.
“Okay if I just leave my stuff outside?” Pothan said. “Or we gonna be here for a while?”
He hopped to his feet and paced the room. This was his pre-party “getting worked up” routine. He stretched his arms a few times, then smiled and relaxed his face and smiled again.
“So we’re here to get Dave laid? That’s the plan?” Avani was so happy that Hen had accepted the party invite that she hadn’t batted an eye when I told her Dave and Mari were coming too.
“No, I’m just gonna nudge things in the right direction. It’s really not your problem.”
“Dude, of course it’s my problem. The bro of my bro is my bro. That’s, like, that’s science. That’s genetics, bro.”
“Not necessarily, I mean if Dave and I were stepbrothers and you and I were stepbrothers, then you might not even know Dave and—”
“I didn’t say stepbro or half bro or bro-in-law. I said bro.”
“That’s a good point, actually.”
“So what’s the game plan? Carrie’s a lesbian now, and I guess her girlfriend is too. Dave’s bringing his girl. Avani’s yours. So probably Ken and me and Hen’ll be having a threesome.” His eyes glinted.
“Avani isn’t mine. She is so far from mine. And you forgot Jessie!”
“Oh yeah! So now the numbers really work. Ken and I arm-wrestle. Winner gets Hen and loser gets Jessie.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Hen is hot.” Pothan made a fist like he was gripping a hard cock. “If I swung that way, he’s the branch I’d swing from.”
“It’s true. And he’s looking for somebody. Maybe you—”
Pothan barked a laugh. “That’d be so great. Can you imagine? No drama. My cousin is gay, and he says it’s, like, sex always, all the time, everywhere, with strangers, people you meet on apps, in clubs, on the street; you just lock eyes and get right down to fucking.”
“Yeah . . . I don’t know if that’s been Hen’s experience.”
Dave rolled up a few minutes later, and we ran through the rain to his car. We picked up Hen around the corner from his house. He had just a backpack, and he gave us an automatic eye roll as he climbed in next to Pothan in the back.
“Are you absolutely sure we won’t make it home tonight? If I don’t come home, I do have an excuse prepared, but it’s bound to be flimsy—I’m an awful liar—my parents always just think I’m telling a joke.”
“I don’t know .