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“Awesome sauce.”
My eyebrow arches slightly. “Listen, sauce man, can I buy you a drink?” I blurt instead, trying to be friendly. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone to chat with, and to be honest, I’m feeling a little pathetic. And the way this guy is wearing a ripped white t-shirt and blue jeans is kind of reminding me of the man I have back at home.
“Hell yes, I’d love a drink. That’s real nice, dude.”
I side-eye the man, with his blond hair and blue eyes. He’s very attractive in a redneck kind of way. What he’s doing here in this bar on the beach is beyond me. Then again, that is very biased of me.
“Sure thing. Dude,” I reply and then wave down the bartender. As this man orders his drink, I sip on mine.
“I’m Caleb, by the way,” the guy says, holding out his hand.
I stare at it and then shake it. He grips me far too roughly, and for a moment, I wonder what he’s trying to prove before shoving that thought away. This guy doesn’t scream toxic masculinity. Just an oblivious dude-bro.
“I’m Coop.”
“Nice to meet you, man. Love the earrings. You buy them at Costco?”
I stare at him and then shake my head. “No, these are real. I got them at a boutique in France.”
His eyebrows rise. “Yeah, my bad. Sorry about that.”
“No problem, happens all the time. So what brings you to town?” I ask.
“Who says I’m not from this town?” he asks, his eyes twinkling and then shoves me a little too roughly with his elbow. Kind of hurts, to be honest. “Just kidding, I’m not from here. I’m from the high desert. My husband is from here though. Kind of.”
Just as he says that, a man in all black appears, looking sleek and very put-together. The two of them couldn’t be more different, and yet when I watch them melt into each other, I realize they just work.
Like me and Matthew.
We don’t make sense at all, and yet here we are.
Well, here I am, at least. Not sure where Matthew is, to be honest.
“Did you get all the sand off you, babe?” Caleb asks the man, who I assume is his husband.
“I did not. God, I hate the beach,” the man grumbles, and I watch as Caleb nuzzles his face into the man’s neck, pulling him into his side and kissing up his jaw. Kind of like what Matthew does to me when we’re alone. What we could be doing right now, if he hadn’t kicked me out of my place so he could pretend I don’t exist.
“Are you mooching off people again?” the man asks Caleb and then eyes me.
I shrug and sip noisily on my drink. Hm, these are stronger than I thought.
“It’s fine, Mr. Mysterious Man In All Black. I just wanted a friend to chat with.” When the man’s dark brows meet, I wave my hand in the air. “Not trying to pick him up, I swear. I have my own husband at home.”
“Hm,” he huffs just as Caleb grins widely.
“This is Coop, Whit. Whit, this is Coop. Wait, I already said that, didn’t I?” He scratches at his head and laughs. “Coop, Whit. Whit, Coop. There.”
We both nod at each other, and then I ask Whit, “Would you like a drink? On me. I have more money than I know what to do with so it would be my pleasure.”
Whit thinks about it a minute before giving me a small nod. He waves the bartender over and orders an expensive glass of whiskey.
The most expensive, almost as if to make a point. Not sure what that point is, but I like him already.
What makes me giggle is that him and Caleb couldn’t be more different. Whit and his top-shelf whiskey and Caleb with his generic beer.
“So, you’re married to a dude too, huh?” Caleb says, not paying any attention to my giggles.
Whit’s hand settles on Caleb’s lap and squeezes. I wish Matthew was here to squeeze my leg.
