Page 77 of Passing Ships
I roll my eyes. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, Anson said it’s like a rite of passage or something.”
A rite of passage? More like an old cliché. Being in the military, I’ve spent my fair share of nights sidled up to the stage in a dark club, watching women spin around a pole and throwing money away, feeding a fantasy that always ends in the morning with a pounding headache, lighter pockets, and an empty bed.
“I don’t think Avie would like this idea,” Sebastian groans as Anson reemerges.
He clasps Seb’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I already cleared it with your bride-to-be.”
“You did?” Sebastian asks.
“I did, and she doesn’t have a problem with it. She trusts you and said for us to have a good time. So, get your asses up. It’s time to go fund a beautiful coed’s college education.”
Donnie Dale is waiting outside the door, and he grins as he watches the five of us pile into the back of his old, faded blue Dodge Ram van.
“Are you sure this bucket of rust is going to make it to the city?” Wade asks as he settles beside me in the second row.
“She’s never let me down before,” Donnie Dale replies as he reaches for his thermos of hot coffee.
Wade cuts his eyes to me and mumbles, “That doesn’t comfort me.”
Once we’re all seated and belted in, Donnie Dale shoots into traffic like a bullet down the barrel of a gun, and I have to grab the side-door panel to keep from ending up in Wade’s lap.
“Are you excited?” Anson asks.
Sebastian shakes his head. “Nah. This doesn’t feel right,” he says.
“I told you not to worry. Avie said it’s fine. You used to love hanging out at The Hut on Friday nights,” Anson states.
“I know. But it’s different now. When you meet the right girl, you don’t do shit to screw it up.”
Parker grunts. “Yeah. I met the right girl once, and I did everything to screw it up,” he mutters.
“That’s true. He did,” Anson agrees.
“Who?” Donnie Dale asks.
He doesn’t need to answer for me to know exactly who. I caught Parker’s tunnel vision on the redhead behind the bar at Whiskey Joe’s. There was a longing and sadness hidden in those stolen glances.
“Just someone I used to know,” Parker replies.
Donnie Dale nods. “Is she still single?” he asks.
“Sometimes,” Anson says.
“Then, you know what you need to do,” Donnie Dale says.
Parker looks up at him. “What?”
Anson interrupts by throwing his arm around Parker’s shoulders, “Meet a nice stripper and screw her out of his system?”
Donnie Dale’s eyes meet Anson’s in the rearview mirror. “No, asshat. He needs to apologize to her.”
Anson scoffs. “My suggestion sounds more fun.”
Sebastian looks at Parker. “Look, I don’t know what went down with you and Audrey back in high school, but I agree with Donnie Dale. We’re adults now. We’ve all made mistakes. Just tell her you’re sorry for whatever it is. Grovel if you have to.”
“Audrey? Brew’s head bartender?” Wade asks me.