Page 33 of The Bartender Special

Her red-rimmed smile pulled wider somehow, words still managing to escape.

“So if he's not heard darling, what little nicknames do you like to call him?” she asked. “Or are you still going with Guy?”

Benny's attempt at confidence stalled out before it ever got traction.

They hadn’t even been together a week. Nobody locked in a nickname after a week. Did they?

Was that normal?

Was it a trap?

What did he call Jack?

What could even fit?

Honey?

Sweetie?

Pookie?

What was it that he'd called him earlier?

“Sweet cheeks,” he blurted out.

Carol’s eyebrow went high at that.

“Sweet cheeks,” Carol repeated.

Benny leaned in.

“Yep, sweet cheeks is what we call each other. You know, a one-size fits all nickname.”

Jack, bless him, nodded.

“We're all about equality over here,” he confirmed. “He slaps my ass just as much as I slap his.”

Benny nodded too. Solemn in his fake sincerity.

“Equality,” he repeated.

Mathematically, it only made sense to strengthen the one revelation by expressing a second one. That’s why Benny—and math—flicked his hand out and slapped Jack’s ass, like it was a Pavlovian reaction and the bell had been rung.

Math and science, right there.

And absolute surprise from the one who’d done the slapping.

Benny felt like he had reached his own internal boiling point as Carol channeled the correct response to such a scene.

Her eyes widened in complete contrast from Jack’s utter lack of batting his.

“Well…I'm sure your audience will appreciate that progressive stance.” She turned on her cloth-topped wedges and motioned to the now-paved path that led deeper into the garden. “Why don't y'all go ahead and take a look around while we wait for the rest of the guests to show up? Not everyone has your punctuality.”

“Everyone?” Benny echoed.

“Oh, you know, just the usual suspects.”

Benny realized too late that he'd been so wrapped up in his fake romance drama that he'd forgotten to ask who their audience was supposed to be. Jack led him down the path and out of sight from the socialite before he could ask her for a list of the new characters.