Tyson eyed Eric with an affectionate exasperation. “She’s a dog. She didn’t need the perfect white noise setting and six blankets to be alone for a couple hours.” He looked to Jake for support. “You’re with me, right?”
Jake held up his hands. “I am not getting in the middle again.”
“I think I read somewhere that white noise can help puppies relax in new environments,” I offered. “What’s her name?”
“Bandit.” Eric beamed like a new father, pulling out his phone to share photos of the little golden fluff ball. I’d wanted a dog since I was a kid, but my mom was allergic, and then I’d stayed so busy with work, it never seemed like an option. My heart lurched looking at photos of the puppy as some people’s did looking at baby pictures. I still didn’t have time, especially since I’d committed to a long-distance relationship less than twelve hours earlier, but maybe I could start volunteering. To do: Check out the humane society website.
“Anyway, we’re celebrating,” Tyson said, draping an arm across the back of Eric’s chair.
Jake raised an eyebrow, peeking up from his menu. “Celebrating?”
Eric’s energy was contagious, and I liked him immediately. “The first time in forever you brought a woman with you to brunch.”
“I brought my sister that one time.”
“That doesn’t count, Romeo.”
I tried to jump into the conversation. “Do you all work together?”
“I see you’ve been talking about us nonstop, Jake,” Eric said after the waitress returned with coffee and a tray of mimosas.
Jake shrugged. “How could I do justice to meeting you in person?”
Tyson’s assessing glances made me want to double-check I’d combed my hair or that I hadn’t accidentally put my shirt on backward.
“I actually work with his dreaded ex, and these two met in college.” Eric glanced between Tyson and Jake expectantly, using his hand to motion for them to begin speaking. “Tell the story. You know you want to.”
“We were roommates freshman year, but we became friends when Tyson lost a bet,” Jake began with a laugh.
“A bet?”
Tyson’s expression softened. “With a guy on our floor. We bet we could beat him and his roommate in Mario Kart.”
“You bet a guy on our floor and sprung it on me when I got home from class one day,” Jake added. The telling of this story seemed choreographed, as if they’d told it hundreds of times before, like an old married couple.
“Long story short, Jake didn’t tell me he sucked.”
“Mario Kart and basketball, huh?” I said, turning to Jake.
“You’ve seen him play basketball and you still like him?” Eric asked.
Jake shot his friend a playful glare. “I’m good at badminton. Does that count for anything?”
I was, again, struck by Jake’s comfort with having his shortcomings out in the open and his ability to joke about them. I couldn’t help but spend a moment making the comparison to Davis, who would go to any lengths to make sure he didn’t look bad, including throwing me under the bus.
Jake’s smile was easygoing before he shifted his gaze to Tyson. “Anyway, we lose and then I learn the terms of this bet—”
Tyson shrugged. “Losers had to join the ballroom dance club for a month. I really didn’t think we could lose. I didn’t realize Jake spent so much time playing because he was trying to figure out how the controller worked.”
“After I threatened to kill him, we became good friends . . . and decent dancers.” Jake squeezed my shoulder.
I turned to Jake. “So that’s where the sweet moves come from, huh?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “It was actually fun. I stuck with it for a while.”
Eric closed his menu and beamed. “I wish Tyson and I had a story that cute.”
“Our story is fine.” Tyson rolled his eyes again but stretched to plant a sweet kiss on Eric’s cheek. “Jake and Gr—” Tyson stopped, eyes flashing to Jake. “We met through Jake.”
“You met at Thomas’s wedding?” Eric leaned forward on the table.
“Same trip,” Jake said after returning Tyson’s pointed look with a slight head nod.
I took a drink from my mimosa, as I did my best to ignore the exchange between Jake and Tyson. “I was waiting to meet friends who ended up having to cancel. I found myself talking the ear off a stranger in a bar.” I reached for his hand. “Enter, Jake.”