Page 52 of Best Friends, Tennessee

Maybe it meant Thomas wasn’t going to be barking up Ori’s tree anymore.

Thomas was a great guy, but he didn’t seem… quite right for Ori. The idea of them together didn’t sit right with me, even though I had no basis forwhy.

Ori deserved a guy that was going to treat him like a fucking king, but also keep him grounded, too. He deserved a hot guy, of course. Someone who got his sense of humor, and…

I don’t know. He deserved a whole lot.

I walked through Mason’s living room, afternoon light pouring in through the tall windows. All of the clouds from earlier had blown off, giving way to a gorgeous afternoon.

“You and Thomas, huh?” I said.

He gave me a look. “We didn’t hook up, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Wasn’t going to ask,” I said as I set up the massage table.

“He likes your boy, though,” Mason said.

“My boy?”

“Ori. Thomas wouldn’t shut up about him.”

When I got home, even a hot shower didn’t fix the tornado in my mind. I paced around my house alone, trying to shake off the sense of failure. Being late to an appointment was one thing, but being late toeverythingbecause I was too busy thinking about sucking Ori’s dick was very different.

Christ.

Sucking Ori’s dick.My brain was about 50 steps ahead of anything that was even in the realm of reality.

After I’d made the rounds of my house a few times, I knew what I had to do.

If I was overthinking shit about Ori, the worst thing I could do was to avoid him.

I was going to head into the diner.

I got ready in about three minutes flat, popped on my Stetson hat, and headed back out.

Nothing had to be weird if I didn’t act like it was weird.

Ori wasn’t attracted to me, anyway.

He’d told me that about a billion times back in high school, and he’d always made damn sure to remind me that anything country-western wasn’t his jam.

It was that simple.

So fuckin’ stop thinking about it.

I walked down to the diner instead of driving. The sun had just set and the evening was cool and clear, with a sweet smell in the air after this morning’s humidity. I made my way down through the residential streets in my neighborhood, and by the time I reached Laurel Ave, I was practically ready to pounce into the diner.

I swung open the front door, walked in, and popped a squat on one of the stools in front of the counter.

Red Fox was the right idea. The clinking of silverware, the gentle murmur of conversation, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee helped me push the reset button every time I came in.

Dani was behind the counter with the long red ribbon she sometimes put in her hair at work. She turned around with a coffee pot in her hand, nodding at me.

“Oh, hey. Fancy seeing you around here,” she said. “Let me clear off the corner booth then I’ll swing back.”

“Finn, sweetie,” Patty said, coming behind me to give me a side-hug. Ori and Danielle’s parents still treated me like their third kid, and I’d never get sick of it. “Want a BLT?”

“I’m good for now, but thank you,” I said, looking around. “How’s tonight been for you guys?”

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