his handsome
face.
“Jeez, before we know it,” Henn says. “We’ll be forty and in the middle of our mandatory midlife
crisis.”
“Jesus. Who knows what fucked up shit Faraday will
do then?” Reed says. “He’ll probably get himself a midlife-crisis
car like a fucking Lamborghini or some shit like that. Oh, whoops.
Already did that.”
“He’s got a Lamborghini ?” Carmen whispers to
me, her eyes wide.
I nod and she mouths, “Wow.”
“Hey, might as well have the douche-car to match the
douche-tattoos,” Josh says, clearly not the least bit offended by
Reed’s jab. “Like I always say, ‘Go big or go home.’ Right,
Kat?”
I lean into Josh and put my head on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I feel like an idiot.”
He kisses the top of my head. “We’re just teasing
you, babe,” he whispers back. “It’s what we do if we like you. No
worries—never worry in this crowd. We’re just playing.”
“So how about forty, big guy?” Henn asks Josh. “Can
you imagine that?”
Josh shrugs but doesn’t reply. He takes a bite of
his food.
“Well, I can picture all of us at forty,” Henn says.
“We’re all exactly the same as we are now—strikingly handsome,
fucking geniuses—only difference is we’re married and driving
minivans full of screaming kids.”
Reed makes a scoffing noise. “I think your crystal
ball’s got a loose wire, bro—at least relating to me.” He swigs his
drink.
“No ‘married with children’ for you?” I ask Reed.
But, really, I’m indirectly asking Josh—hoping maybe he’ll join in
the conversation. Why has he gone suddenly mute?
Reed shakes his head emphatically. “No, thanks. I’m
gonna be like George Clooney. That dude’s got the right idea.”
“Oh, I bet even George Clooney will get married one
day,” Carmen says. “When he meets the right woman.”
“I think so, too,” I agree.
“No way,” Reed says. “Not George. He’ll be the last
man standing.”
“I’m with the girls on that one,” Henn says. “When
George finds the right woman, he won’t wanna let her go. I’d bet
anything on it.”
“Oh, you’d bet anything on it?” Reed asks
slowly, rubbing his hands together.
“Just a figure of speech,” Henn says. “Don’t even
try your Jedi mind tricks on me.”
Josh laughs.
“Hey, Carmen. Why do you say that about George?”
Reed asks. “What do you see that I don’t?”
Carmen shrugs. “Oh, I dunno. I don’t know the guy.
He just seems like a passionate person. And passionate people are
always the ones who fall the hardest.” She looks at Will
lovingly.
Will’s face is absolutely adorable right now. He
leans in and kisses Carmen on the cheek.
“I agree with Carmen,” Henn says. “When a man finds
the right woman, it’s a game-changer.” He shrugs. “So I hear.”
“Aw, it sounds like you’re a diehard romantic,
Henn,” Carmen says.
“Maybe I am. All I know is I’d love to be married
one day to the right girl and maybe even have a little baby. A
little daughter maybe. I think that’d be really nice.”
“Really?” I say. “That’s so sweet, Henny.” I feel
myself blushing. I sneak a peek at Josh—he’s sipping his drink, not
saying a word—and my cheeks blaze even hotter.
“What about you two?” Henn asks, and my stomach
seizes—but when I glance at Henn, ready to deflect his question,
he’s looking straight at Will and Carmen, not at Josh and me.
Will and Carmen look at each other for a beat. “Um,”
Carmen finally says. “Well, I’d love a family one day. But I think
that’s a loooooong way off.”
Will laughs. “Good answer.” He wipes his brow
comically. “Phew.”
I can’t bring myself to look at Josh right now and
I’m not sure why. My skin feels electrified. “So what about you,
Will? What does your future hold, ya think?” I ask, trying to
deflect attention from my hot cheeks.
“Oh, I can answer that,” Reed says. “Will’s gonna be
a
face.
“Jeez, before we know it,” Henn says. “We’ll be forty and in the middle of our mandatory midlife
crisis.”
“Jesus. Who knows what fucked up shit Faraday will
do then?” Reed says. “He’ll probably get himself a midlife-crisis
car like a fucking Lamborghini or some shit like that. Oh, whoops.
Already did that.”
“He’s got a Lamborghini ?” Carmen whispers to
me, her eyes wide.
I nod and she mouths, “Wow.”
“Hey, might as well have the douche-car to match the
douche-tattoos,” Josh says, clearly not the least bit offended by
Reed’s jab. “Like I always say, ‘Go big or go home.’ Right,
Kat?”
I lean into Josh and put my head on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I feel like an idiot.”
He kisses the top of my head. “We’re just teasing
you, babe,” he whispers back. “It’s what we do if we like you. No
worries—never worry in this crowd. We’re just playing.”
“So how about forty, big guy?” Henn asks Josh. “Can
you imagine that?”
Josh shrugs but doesn’t reply. He takes a bite of
his food.
“Well, I can picture all of us at forty,” Henn says.
“We’re all exactly the same as we are now—strikingly handsome,
fucking geniuses—only difference is we’re married and driving
minivans full of screaming kids.”
Reed makes a scoffing noise. “I think your crystal
ball’s got a loose wire, bro—at least relating to me.” He swigs his
drink.
“No ‘married with children’ for you?” I ask Reed.
But, really, I’m indirectly asking Josh—hoping maybe he’ll join in
the conversation. Why has he gone suddenly mute?
Reed shakes his head emphatically. “No, thanks. I’m
gonna be like George Clooney. That dude’s got the right idea.”
“Oh, I bet even George Clooney will get married one
day,” Carmen says. “When he meets the right woman.”
“I think so, too,” I agree.
“No way,” Reed says. “Not George. He’ll be the last
man standing.”
“I’m with the girls on that one,” Henn says. “When
George finds the right woman, he won’t wanna let her go. I’d bet
anything on it.”
“Oh, you’d bet anything on it?” Reed asks
slowly, rubbing his hands together.
“Just a figure of speech,” Henn says. “Don’t even
try your Jedi mind tricks on me.”
Josh laughs.
“Hey, Carmen. Why do you say that about George?”
Reed asks. “What do you see that I don’t?”
Carmen shrugs. “Oh, I dunno. I don’t know the guy.
He just seems like a passionate person. And passionate people are
always the ones who fall the hardest.” She looks at Will
lovingly.
Will’s face is absolutely adorable right now. He
leans in and kisses Carmen on the cheek.
“I agree with Carmen,” Henn says. “When a man finds
the right woman, it’s a game-changer.” He shrugs. “So I hear.”
“Aw, it sounds like you’re a diehard romantic,
Henn,” Carmen says.
“Maybe I am. All I know is I’d love to be married
one day to the right girl and maybe even have a little baby. A
little daughter maybe. I think that’d be really nice.”
“Really?” I say. “That’s so sweet, Henny.” I feel
myself blushing. I sneak a peek at Josh—he’s sipping his drink, not
saying a word—and my cheeks blaze even hotter.
“What about you two?” Henn asks, and my stomach
seizes—but when I glance at Henn, ready to deflect his question,
he’s looking straight at Will and Carmen, not at Josh and me.
Will and Carmen look at each other for a beat. “Um,”
Carmen finally says. “Well, I’d love a family one day. But I think
that’s a loooooong way off.”
Will laughs. “Good answer.” He wipes his brow
comically. “Phew.”
I can’t bring myself to look at Josh right now and
I’m not sure why. My skin feels electrified. “So what about you,
Will? What does your future hold, ya think?” I ask, trying to
deflect attention from my hot cheeks.
“Oh, I can answer that,” Reed says. “Will’s gonna be
a
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