later, the two of them came into the kitchen.
Ben had never been happier to see anyone in his life.
“Travis!” yelled Cade, running over to give him a punch and a hug.
“We hadn’t seen him in a few days,” explained Quentin. “So I had to make sure he was still alive. He was eating a bowl of cereal for dinner.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. I tried to tell him no, but….”
“It’s true. I dragged him out of the house against his will.”
Travis looked disheveled, like he hadn’t showered or slept in a couple of days.
“What’s wrong with you, Travis?” Cade asked. “You look kind of sick.”
“I’m fine, little man. Been working a lot, that’s all.”
“Come on in,” Ben insisted. “It’s fine, really. I’m glad you came over. Meet my friends. This is Colin. We went to law school together.”
Colin eyed Ben suspiciously and then stepped forward to shake Travis’s hand.
“Ben told me you’ve been helping out with his brothers.”
“I’m trying to do what I can.”
“That’s very decent of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And,” continued Ben, “you met David last night. We didn’t go to law school together.”
“Hi, Travis,” David said, stepping around the kitchen island to shake his hand. “I hope you’re hungry?”
“I’m starving, actually.”
“Great. Then let’s sit down to eat.”
T HEY had to squeeze an extra chair in to make room for seven people. Everyone gave their compliments to the chef, who had produced a wide assortment of appetizers from around the world.
“When did y’all get in?” asked Travis as he munched on some Korean spring rolls. Ben looked at him and wondered if his tousled appearance had anything to do with their argument on New Year’s Eve and David’s subsequent arrival.
“You know,” Colin said, “I hear that all the time in movies but I never believed people actually talk that way. This is a genuine Texas moment I’m having.”
Travis looked confused.
“Colin,” Ben said. “Stop being a douche.”
“I apologize, Travis. I have never heard anyone use the contraction y’all before. I mean, not in an actual conversation. It’s not a comment about you. Clearly I need to get out of Manhattan more.” He turned to Jason and whispered, “I embarrass your brother sometimes,” which made Jason giggle. There had been some major bonding during their shopping expedition. “Anyway, to answer your question, we came in yesterday. Uninvited, I might add. Walsh has a problem asking for help.”
“Men have a problem asking for help,” said Travis.
“Amen,” agreed Colin.
“Well, I’m sure you’re gonna miss having him around New York.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.”
That’s when Jason blurted out, “We’re moving to New York City!”
Travis looked at Ben, startled.
“Not right away,” Ben explained, hesitating. “They… want to finish out the school year and then… yes, it’s likely that we’ll all be heading back to New York.”
Travis picked up his glass of water and took a large gulp.
“Boy, a lot’s changed since I’ve been gone.”
“I’m going to go to an all-boys school,” Cade told him.
“Really, Cade? That’s great.”
“Too bad you had to work today. You could have come to the basketball game with us.”
“Yeah, that’s too bad.” Travis said.
There was a long silence at the table.
“So,” Colin said, changing the subject, “what are you studying, Travis?”
Ben froze.
Shit .
He had forgotten all about the lie he told to Colin. He never dreamed the two of them would actually meet. He scrambled to think of an explanation, but he had boxed himself into a corner. He could feel Travis looking at him.
“Did Ben tell you I was a student?”
“Yes, he did,” Colin answered. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Most PhDs are six or seven years, and a law degree is only three. We’d still be in school too if we weren’t lawyers.”
David and Colin,
Ben had never been happier to see anyone in his life.
“Travis!” yelled Cade, running over to give him a punch and a hug.
“We hadn’t seen him in a few days,” explained Quentin. “So I had to make sure he was still alive. He was eating a bowl of cereal for dinner.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. I tried to tell him no, but….”
“It’s true. I dragged him out of the house against his will.”
Travis looked disheveled, like he hadn’t showered or slept in a couple of days.
“What’s wrong with you, Travis?” Cade asked. “You look kind of sick.”
“I’m fine, little man. Been working a lot, that’s all.”
“Come on in,” Ben insisted. “It’s fine, really. I’m glad you came over. Meet my friends. This is Colin. We went to law school together.”
Colin eyed Ben suspiciously and then stepped forward to shake Travis’s hand.
“Ben told me you’ve been helping out with his brothers.”
“I’m trying to do what I can.”
“That’s very decent of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And,” continued Ben, “you met David last night. We didn’t go to law school together.”
“Hi, Travis,” David said, stepping around the kitchen island to shake his hand. “I hope you’re hungry?”
“I’m starving, actually.”
“Great. Then let’s sit down to eat.”
T HEY had to squeeze an extra chair in to make room for seven people. Everyone gave their compliments to the chef, who had produced a wide assortment of appetizers from around the world.
“When did y’all get in?” asked Travis as he munched on some Korean spring rolls. Ben looked at him and wondered if his tousled appearance had anything to do with their argument on New Year’s Eve and David’s subsequent arrival.
“You know,” Colin said, “I hear that all the time in movies but I never believed people actually talk that way. This is a genuine Texas moment I’m having.”
Travis looked confused.
“Colin,” Ben said. “Stop being a douche.”
“I apologize, Travis. I have never heard anyone use the contraction y’all before. I mean, not in an actual conversation. It’s not a comment about you. Clearly I need to get out of Manhattan more.” He turned to Jason and whispered, “I embarrass your brother sometimes,” which made Jason giggle. There had been some major bonding during their shopping expedition. “Anyway, to answer your question, we came in yesterday. Uninvited, I might add. Walsh has a problem asking for help.”
“Men have a problem asking for help,” said Travis.
“Amen,” agreed Colin.
“Well, I’m sure you’re gonna miss having him around New York.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.”
That’s when Jason blurted out, “We’re moving to New York City!”
Travis looked at Ben, startled.
“Not right away,” Ben explained, hesitating. “They… want to finish out the school year and then… yes, it’s likely that we’ll all be heading back to New York.”
Travis picked up his glass of water and took a large gulp.
“Boy, a lot’s changed since I’ve been gone.”
“I’m going to go to an all-boys school,” Cade told him.
“Really, Cade? That’s great.”
“Too bad you had to work today. You could have come to the basketball game with us.”
“Yeah, that’s too bad.” Travis said.
There was a long silence at the table.
“So,” Colin said, changing the subject, “what are you studying, Travis?”
Ben froze.
Shit .
He had forgotten all about the lie he told to Colin. He never dreamed the two of them would actually meet. He scrambled to think of an explanation, but he had boxed himself into a corner. He could feel Travis looking at him.
“Did Ben tell you I was a student?”
“Yes, he did,” Colin answered. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Most PhDs are six or seven years, and a law degree is only three. We’d still be in school too if we weren’t lawyers.”
David and Colin,
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