Page 61 of For the Boys
Mitch clapped him on the shoulder, a broad grin splitting his face. “Damnit, Jean. You really have changed.”
Brent couldn’t help it; he laughed. “I’m a work in progress, at the very least.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Mitch said sincerely. “I feel honored to be around to witness it.”
Brent hooked his arm around Mitch’s neck, and the two moved back into the hallway and through the ballroom door. “Have you ever thought about settling down?”
Mitch snorted. “I’m not quite there yet,” he said. “I’ve still got a few random hookups and crazy stalkers showing up at the loft left in my system.”
Now it was Brent’s turn to snort. “Better you than me, man.”
His phone beeped in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a text from Berkley.
It was a screenshot from the Warriors Instagram stories, showing Brent standing with his back to a camera, talking to Mitch and Chase.
Berkley: Not gonna lie, you look even better from this angle ;)
Brent laughed and typed out a quick response.
“What’re you laughing at?” Mitch asked. Brent held out his phone.
“I like that girl,” Mitch said. “But why did she send you the eggplant emoji?”
“You and me both. And honestly, I have no idea.”
“Maybe she wants that eggplant,” Mitch said with a suggestive glance at Brent’s crotch. Brent laughed and punched him in the arm. “When does she come back?”
“Not until after the new year,” Brent said sadly.
Mitch whistled low. “That’s like three weeks, bro. It’s even more impressive you were able to hold Anna off.”
“Despite the fact that my dick was very much interested in what she was offering me, I’m not attracted to her like that. All I want is Berkley.”
“You should surprise her!” Mitch said. “Head up to TC for New Year’s Eve or something.”
“She did tell me on the phone earlier that she and her friends were planning on going out to celebrate. Maybe I should figure out where and show up.”
“Exactly,” Mitch said. “Show her you’re serious about this thing between you two.”
“Well, I would hope the party I threw her and the date I asked her on were proof of that, but it’s never a bad idea to lay it on a little thick, right?”
“Definitely not,” Mitch agreed. “Especially since we both know Berkley has a mind of her own.”
Brent nodded. “She definitely does. But she also hates surprises. And I promised her I wouldn’t make a habit of it.”
“Think of it like this,” Mitch said. “You’re surprising her with yourself, not with something else like a party or a gift. She can hardly get mad at that.”
“That’s true!” Brent said.
“What’s true?” Parker said, walking up to join them.
“Brent’s going to surprise Berkley up in TC for New Year’s,” Mitch told him.
Parker rolled his eyes. “Can we go one night without talking about your girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Brent said, turning toward the bar to get another drink. Mitch and Parker followed.
“She’s definitely something close to one,” Mitch said. “You just turned down a sure thing because of her.”
