a shower and a kitchenette. It’ll be just like an apartment.”
“I don’t know.” Ben picked up his knife and fork again, slicing into his steak.
“It’ll be great. There’s even an entrance through the game room. You can come and go as you please.”
“It’s tempting,” Ben admitted.
“Look, Benny, if it makes you feel better, I’ll charge you rent.” Derek offered a sincere smile.
“Wow.” Ben tried to think of any valid reason to not accept the offer. He couldn’t. “I’ll have to think about it, but I might actually take you up on this.”
“Take your time. The offer stands.” Derek sliced off a piece of steak and jabbed it into his mouth. “How about another beer?” he asked.
B EN AND Derek drank the better part of a case over the afternoon and discussed a variety of topics including the films of Tarantino, Ben’s desire to open a bar, and the last time Derek ran a marathon and shat himself. Ben laughed uproariously. “Wait. So you were three miles into a 5K marathon and you shat yourself?”
“No. Fucker,” Derek slurred in mock offense. “I didn’t actually shit myself. I had to duck into a building and drop a deuce.”
“Did you manage to finish the race?” Ben asked still smiling.
“Nah. It turns out the building I ducked into was a strip club. I decided to stay.”
Ben laughed again. “That’s classic. But why stay at a strip club with no money?”
“Who said I didn’t have money?” Derek asked.
“You carried cash in a marathon?” Ben drained another beer.
“Hell no. But I stuck my bankcard in my jock, ’cause you never know.” That earned more laughter from Ben, and Derek joined him.
Maybe the roommate thing with Derek could work out. “You know what, Derek?”
“What?”
“I think I will take you up on your offer,” Ben announced.
“Awesome,” Derek answered. “Beer me!” He tossed another empty bottle to the ground. Ben happily obliged, lobbing his new roommate a full bottle.
“I have to figure out how to get my stuff,” Ben said, opening another beer for himself.
“That’s easy. I have a company truck. I’ll send some of the garage kids over tomorrow to help you pack stuff up and move it.”
“Really?” Ben asked.
“Yeah. The cars are clean enough for one day. What time should I send them by?” Derek asked.
Ben thought about it. Could this really be happening? He’d been with Chance for years. Could it really change this drastically this quickly? Did he really want it to? He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or his anger, but he knew the answer was yes. “They’ll have to come by after Chance goes to work. Say elevenish?”
“That’s the spirit, Benny!” Derek slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m planning to be nursing a hangover, so the later the better.” Derek laughed loudly at his joke, and the laughter infected Ben as well. Halfway through their fit, Ben realized he was suddenly very scared and apprehensive, and his laughter died in his throat. What he really felt like doing was crying. Derek noticed Ben’s silence and stopped laughing too. “Benny. What’s wrong?”
Ben choked back the sob that fought to escape his throat. “Nothing. Everything.” Ben couldn’t speak at first. He just didn’t want to cry in front of Derek. He took a deep, steadying breath. “This is just a really big step.”
“It’ll be okay, man.” Derek squeezed Ben’s shoulder. “Sometimes you just have to take your life by the balls and fuck the consequences. Do what’s right for you.”
“What if I find out it’s not right?” Ben asked. He could feel tears in his eyes but refused to let them spill over.
“That’s life, dude. Sometimes the shit you do is awesome and sometimes you fuck up. God knows I’ve fucked stuff up enough to know. But I’m still here.”
“That’s a fair point,” Ben said.
“I mean, my life is shit right now. Not just regular shit but like end-of-the-world, zombie apocalypse, raped
“I don’t know.” Ben picked up his knife and fork again, slicing into his steak.
“It’ll be great. There’s even an entrance through the game room. You can come and go as you please.”
“It’s tempting,” Ben admitted.
“Look, Benny, if it makes you feel better, I’ll charge you rent.” Derek offered a sincere smile.
“Wow.” Ben tried to think of any valid reason to not accept the offer. He couldn’t. “I’ll have to think about it, but I might actually take you up on this.”
“Take your time. The offer stands.” Derek sliced off a piece of steak and jabbed it into his mouth. “How about another beer?” he asked.
B EN AND Derek drank the better part of a case over the afternoon and discussed a variety of topics including the films of Tarantino, Ben’s desire to open a bar, and the last time Derek ran a marathon and shat himself. Ben laughed uproariously. “Wait. So you were three miles into a 5K marathon and you shat yourself?”
“No. Fucker,” Derek slurred in mock offense. “I didn’t actually shit myself. I had to duck into a building and drop a deuce.”
“Did you manage to finish the race?” Ben asked still smiling.
“Nah. It turns out the building I ducked into was a strip club. I decided to stay.”
Ben laughed again. “That’s classic. But why stay at a strip club with no money?”
“Who said I didn’t have money?” Derek asked.
“You carried cash in a marathon?” Ben drained another beer.
“Hell no. But I stuck my bankcard in my jock, ’cause you never know.” That earned more laughter from Ben, and Derek joined him.
Maybe the roommate thing with Derek could work out. “You know what, Derek?”
“What?”
“I think I will take you up on your offer,” Ben announced.
“Awesome,” Derek answered. “Beer me!” He tossed another empty bottle to the ground. Ben happily obliged, lobbing his new roommate a full bottle.
“I have to figure out how to get my stuff,” Ben said, opening another beer for himself.
“That’s easy. I have a company truck. I’ll send some of the garage kids over tomorrow to help you pack stuff up and move it.”
“Really?” Ben asked.
“Yeah. The cars are clean enough for one day. What time should I send them by?” Derek asked.
Ben thought about it. Could this really be happening? He’d been with Chance for years. Could it really change this drastically this quickly? Did he really want it to? He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or his anger, but he knew the answer was yes. “They’ll have to come by after Chance goes to work. Say elevenish?”
“That’s the spirit, Benny!” Derek slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m planning to be nursing a hangover, so the later the better.” Derek laughed loudly at his joke, and the laughter infected Ben as well. Halfway through their fit, Ben realized he was suddenly very scared and apprehensive, and his laughter died in his throat. What he really felt like doing was crying. Derek noticed Ben’s silence and stopped laughing too. “Benny. What’s wrong?”
Ben choked back the sob that fought to escape his throat. “Nothing. Everything.” Ben couldn’t speak at first. He just didn’t want to cry in front of Derek. He took a deep, steadying breath. “This is just a really big step.”
“It’ll be okay, man.” Derek squeezed Ben’s shoulder. “Sometimes you just have to take your life by the balls and fuck the consequences. Do what’s right for you.”
“What if I find out it’s not right?” Ben asked. He could feel tears in his eyes but refused to let them spill over.
“That’s life, dude. Sometimes the shit you do is awesome and sometimes you fuck up. God knows I’ve fucked stuff up enough to know. But I’m still here.”
“That’s a fair point,” Ben said.
“I mean, my life is shit right now. Not just regular shit but like end-of-the-world, zombie apocalypse, raped
Similar Books
