job.”
“Thanks,”
Ryan said proudly. “I had it done at Midwest Craft Motors…you know the place
that has the TV show? They actually featured it on one of their shows.”
Lexi
rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah. That was Ryan’s fifteen minutes…or should I say
fifteen seconds of fame. He actually got to be on television when he went
to pick it up.”
“Really?”
Dylan said. “That’s pretty awesome, mate. They did a great job. I’ve never seen
anything like it.”
“Ten
coats of clear over that baby,” Ryan added proudly. “And the engine’s bored
thirty over, so she rides like a dream.”
“Sometimes
I wonder if he loves that car more than me,” Lexi smirked. “But hey, I look
good in it, so I don’t complain. Not too much, anyway.”
Tia
pulled out her phone. “I’m going to text Sean and have him meet us at the
kitchen entrance around back,” she said as she tapped out the message. “I want
him to “meet” Dylan first,” she said making air quotes with her fingers, “and
maybe let him do one big introduction on the mic so we can get that out of the
way and just mingle.”
Lexi
shrugged. “We’ll go in the front, then, and meet you inside. We’re on the list,
right?”
Tia
nodded. She’d asked Sean to close the place for a private party, telling him
that she had a surprise for him and that she wanted to be surrounded by her
friends when she shared it. She really wanted the night to be just about the
people she cared about, and he was happy to oblige. It wasn’t like the usual
crowd wouldn’t pack the place, anyway.
“Hey,
it’s about time you showed your face again, my friend,” Sean said as he opened
the back door. “About damn…” He stopped short when he saw who was standing
there, his mouth still forming the next word and his eyes widening.
“Sean,
you remember Dylan,” Tia said slyly.
“Great
to see you again, mate,” Dylan said smiling.
“Oh,
fuck me man!” Sean exclaimed, blinking his eyes to make sure that what he was
seeing was real. “No way!” He grabbed Dylan’s hand in an enthusiastic shake and
pulled him into a tight embrace. “Seriously?” When Tia told him she had a
surprise for him, he’d been sure that she was going to announce that she and
Dylan were engaged. He was thrilled for her; knowing how hard it had been to
recover after the loss of his cousin, Nick. Tia had shared a lot of information
about their relationship over the past few months, but had never hinted that
her new love was Dylan Miller. Oh yeah, this was a surprise, alright.
“Holy
shit,” he said again. “Dylan effing Miller. I knew there was something…I knew
you looked familiar…I should have known!” He shook his head and raked his
fingers through his hair. “I’m such an idiot. You even told me you worked in
the entertainment industry, but I never put it together…” He punched his fist
into his open hand. “This is just so crazy…you and Tia…”
“Sean,”
Tia said, a warning in her voice. “Chill out. You’re the one I’m counting on to
stay grounded with this whole thing.”
Sean
shook his head vigorously, as if trying to make the pieces fall into place. “Of
course. Absolutely. Just let me have my little freak-out minute of shock here,
will you? It’ll be cool in a sec. I mean, you can’t spring something like this
on me and not expect a reaction.” He turned to Dylan. “Am I right?”
“Take
your time,” Dylan teased. “We’ll just stand here and wait for you to get your
head out of your ass.”
“Screw
you,” he teased back, giving Dylan a friendly shove. “This is just…completely
unexpected. I can’t believe…”
“Believe
it Sean, and shut the hell up already,” Tia joked. “You’re making an ass of
yourself. Not that that’s any different from a normal day, but still…” she
grinned.
Sean
put his hand over his mouth in an exaggerated gesture of self-imposed silence.
Before Tia could say another word, he parted two
“Thanks,”
Ryan said proudly. “I had it done at Midwest Craft Motors…you know the place
that has the TV show? They actually featured it on one of their shows.”
Lexi
rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah. That was Ryan’s fifteen minutes…or should I say
fifteen seconds of fame. He actually got to be on television when he went
to pick it up.”
“Really?”
Dylan said. “That’s pretty awesome, mate. They did a great job. I’ve never seen
anything like it.”
“Ten
coats of clear over that baby,” Ryan added proudly. “And the engine’s bored
thirty over, so she rides like a dream.”
“Sometimes
I wonder if he loves that car more than me,” Lexi smirked. “But hey, I look
good in it, so I don’t complain. Not too much, anyway.”
Tia
pulled out her phone. “I’m going to text Sean and have him meet us at the
kitchen entrance around back,” she said as she tapped out the message. “I want
him to “meet” Dylan first,” she said making air quotes with her fingers, “and
maybe let him do one big introduction on the mic so we can get that out of the
way and just mingle.”
Lexi
shrugged. “We’ll go in the front, then, and meet you inside. We’re on the list,
right?”
Tia
nodded. She’d asked Sean to close the place for a private party, telling him
that she had a surprise for him and that she wanted to be surrounded by her
friends when she shared it. She really wanted the night to be just about the
people she cared about, and he was happy to oblige. It wasn’t like the usual
crowd wouldn’t pack the place, anyway.
“Hey,
it’s about time you showed your face again, my friend,” Sean said as he opened
the back door. “About damn…” He stopped short when he saw who was standing
there, his mouth still forming the next word and his eyes widening.
“Sean,
you remember Dylan,” Tia said slyly.
“Great
to see you again, mate,” Dylan said smiling.
“Oh,
fuck me man!” Sean exclaimed, blinking his eyes to make sure that what he was
seeing was real. “No way!” He grabbed Dylan’s hand in an enthusiastic shake and
pulled him into a tight embrace. “Seriously?” When Tia told him she had a
surprise for him, he’d been sure that she was going to announce that she and
Dylan were engaged. He was thrilled for her; knowing how hard it had been to
recover after the loss of his cousin, Nick. Tia had shared a lot of information
about their relationship over the past few months, but had never hinted that
her new love was Dylan Miller. Oh yeah, this was a surprise, alright.
“Holy
shit,” he said again. “Dylan effing Miller. I knew there was something…I knew
you looked familiar…I should have known!” He shook his head and raked his
fingers through his hair. “I’m such an idiot. You even told me you worked in
the entertainment industry, but I never put it together…” He punched his fist
into his open hand. “This is just so crazy…you and Tia…”
“Sean,”
Tia said, a warning in her voice. “Chill out. You’re the one I’m counting on to
stay grounded with this whole thing.”
Sean
shook his head vigorously, as if trying to make the pieces fall into place. “Of
course. Absolutely. Just let me have my little freak-out minute of shock here,
will you? It’ll be cool in a sec. I mean, you can’t spring something like this
on me and not expect a reaction.” He turned to Dylan. “Am I right?”
“Take
your time,” Dylan teased. “We’ll just stand here and wait for you to get your
head out of your ass.”
“Screw
you,” he teased back, giving Dylan a friendly shove. “This is just…completely
unexpected. I can’t believe…”
“Believe
it Sean, and shut the hell up already,” Tia joked. “You’re making an ass of
yourself. Not that that’s any different from a normal day, but still…” she
grinned.
Sean
put his hand over his mouth in an exaggerated gesture of self-imposed silence.
Before Tia could say another word, he parted two
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