Page 20 of When You're Home
“Wheeler!” Jake exclaimed in his best Mike impression, sounding equal parts annoyed and amused. “Chop chop… literally!”
Rhett washed his hands, then set to his task, expertly chopping long stalks of celery for Clinton's bottomless Bloody Marys Sunday special. He fell into a natural rhythm beside his best friend, relying on muscle memory to go through the motions of brunch prep.
“Alright, man, so what’s going on?” Jake pulled down glasses from above the bar as he spoke. “Why are you home this weekend?”
Rhett bristled in response to the million-dollar question he just couldn’t seem to escape. If this weekend had taught him anything, it was that he could not, should not, would not show up in Hampton unannounced ever again.
“I just needed a break,” he grumbled, testing out the line he tried to use with Tori on Friday night. “It feels like the semester is flying by, and I honestly don’t know how many more weekends I’ll even be able to make it home.”
Jake stayed quiet for a few beats, but he knew his friend well enough to know he had something on his mind.
“So what’s been going on around here?” Rhett prompted, willing the conversation forward rather than waiting for Jake to pry.
“Same old same. Work. Sleep. Work out. Fuck. Repeat.” Jake grinned as he ticked off his routine.
“And does all that fucking have anything to do with why Lia was riding your ass yesterday?” Lia was usually chill and even-tempered. Jake must have done something diabolical to earn her anger.
“What can I say? You and Tori aren’t the only ones who know how to make good use of the walk-in fridge.” Jake raised his eyebrows suggestively, leaving Rhett to fill in the blanks.
“Okay, Tori and I only ever made out in the walk-in, and that was in high school,” Rhett objected. “Please don’t tell me you and Lia boned by the produce? That’s not sanitary, man.”
He finished chopping and stacking the celery, then reached for the cans of tomato juice stashed under the bar. He methodically started opening them and dumping the contents into two different tubs.
“Well, Lia decided I wasn’t worth her time anymore after New Year’s Eve. She ghosted me, which is impressive considering we work together and I have to see her at least five times a week. I guess casual hook ups aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.” Jake shrugged.
“So yesterday morning I was in the back doing inventory when Lia walked in unexpectedly. In my defense, she wasn’t on the schedule when I checked it the night before, Tori was, so I had no idea she was coming in…”
Jake at least had the decency to cast his eyes down to the glasses he was rimming with black pepper and celery salt.
“And who, exactly, were you doinginventorywith?” Rhett asked, knowing damn well his friend must have been caught in the act.
“Cory,” Jake responded sheepishly.
“You’re such a manwhore!” Rhett laughed then smacked him with his free hand. “Of course Lia’s pissed if she caught you sucking face with one of her best friends at the place where you all work together.”
“Like I said, we can’t all be so lucky as to find ourselves in a no-strings-attached friends-with-benefits situation.” Jake shot him a knowing glance.
Rhett scowled back at him. Jake knew damn well that he considered Tori so much more than a casual fling. But he also refused to explain their current relationship to his friend, hence the judgement in his tone. Jake was always trying to get a rise out of him about it.
They used to share all the details of their hookups, but the girl talk (and sometimes guy talk from Jake) came to a halt once Rhett and Tori started their current arrangement. Discussions about Tori were now strictly off limits, and he knew it.
“Don’t go there, man. We’re not talking about Tori. I know I always say that, but I really mean it today,” Rhett implored.
Jake must have picked up on the desperation in his voice. He nodded once then changed the subject.
“Fine. We can talk about something else. Something way more important. A momentous occasion that we will both remember for the rest of our lives.” Jake paused for effect—he could always escalate the drama in any situation. “Our grand finale Spring Break Bros Trip.”
Rhett grinned at his best friend. He was also eager to make plans for next month. They had spent almost every spring break together since middle school, traveling with each other’s families when they were younger, then setting out on their own adventures once they had access to a car. Over the years, they had road-tripped to Myrtle Beach, flown out to Vegas and Colorado, and just kicked it in Hampton and partied every night of the week when Rhett’s parents went out of town. After last year’s low-key trip to the Wheelers’ cabin in Michigan, they made a pact that they would go all out this year for their final trip together.
“Alright, so let’s nail down the timeline for that week. I want to make sure I put in my time off now.”
He set the rimmed glasses aside and reached for one of the tubs Rhett had already filled with tomato juice. “You making spicy?” he asked.
“Oh, come on!” Rhett shook his head in disbelief. “As if Mike would let me back here without the unspoken vow that I’m in charge of the spicy Mary mix.”
“You’re such a cocky ass.” Jake ribbed him in the side, then gathered up the ingredients for the mild Bloody Mary recipe. “Okay, so what’s your schedule that week?”
“So there’s a chance I won’t have class the few days leading up to break, but it’s not a guarantee. I have to meet for my practicum on Friday afternoons, so it’s up to the professor if we meet that week or not. But,” Rhett lowered his voice before continuing, “I’m taking Tori to the Karta Stella concert in Ann Arbor that Friday night for her birthday. She doesn’t know yet.”
