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But that's fine for now; I'm going to enjoy her company, get to know her better, and simply be happy I’ve found someone so amazing.
The door opens and I glance over as Hunter ambles into the bar. He lifts his chin at me, then slides onto the stool beside me, ordering his usual from the bartender, who nods, but couldn’t seem less interested in us.
“Sorry I'm late. Traffic was a nightmare.” He says the words like he's confiding some dark secret with me and I chuckle.
“I'm really hoping you didn't drag me all the way over here just to tell me you’re a lousy driver.” I lean in close and lower my voice. “I already know.”
“No need to get hostile. Damn.” He chuckles as the bartender offers him his drink, and he downs the liquid and orders another. “Make this one a double,” he says before turning to me with overly bright eyes. “So how have you been?”
I shake my head. That's not going to fly. “Don't pretend like you give a damn what's going on in my life. What did you call me here to tell me?” I know the words sound awful, but my good-natured tone and intent are clear to him and he laughs.
“Okay, okay, twist my arm why don’t you?” He takes another drink, lets out a huge breath, and shakes his head as if he’s a fire breathing dragon trying to put out the last bit of flame.
“You're really going to make me wait?” I know he's messing with me, and I'm kind of amused by his antics. As much of a pain in the ass as Hunter is, he's always good for a laugh, and he has grown up a lot in the last several years of our friendship.
“Maybe.”
I give him the side eye, and he nods his head.
“Fine, fine.” He leans in close as if he doesn't want anyone else to overhear. “I’m going to propose to Jessica.”
Jessica is the on again off again girlfriend that he's been seeing. I've joked on more than one occasion that she is far too good for him. He pulls a box out of his pocket and opens it, showing me the incredibly sparkly engagement ring.
“Congratulations, man.” I'm happy for my friend, knowing that this is a long time coming. He had a lot of growing up to do before he could find someone that he loved, and I'm glad that he's finally made it to this point in his life.
“Are you sure it's not too soon? What if she realizes she's too good for you?” I'm just joking around, and he bumps my shoulder with his.
“Oh, ha ha.” He snaps the ring box closed and shoves it deep into his pocket. “Did I ever tell you how she and I met?”
He had, but I didn't mind letting him tell the story again. “I'm not sure you did.” I finish my drink and order another as the people around us groan. I guess everybody's favorite team must have let the other guys score or something. Sports bore me.
“I met her eight months ago at a charity event. We hit it off right away. I swear we were built to be together. We stood next to one another, and she made the exact joke out loud that I was thinking, and I finished the sentence for her, and it’s like we just... saw one another. Really saw each other past all the bullshit of the event, the expensive clothing, the false fronts we all put on at those things...” His voice trails off as his mouth curves at the corners, clearly lost in those wonderful memories.
And I’m happy for him. Truly, I am. I hope that I find something as perfect and seemingly meant to be as he has. “Have you already decided how you’re going to ask?” I have no doubt he has planned every last detail, but I also know that talking out the plan will help him get rid of some of those pre-asking jitters.
Around us, the crowd begins to cheer again, and we both stay quiet for a moment. He downs his drink, I finish mine, and he glances around us as the bodies shift and tense in anticipation. I’m already not a huge fan of bars, but this reminds me why I avoid them.
When the room is mostly quiet again, other than some excited whispers, he nods his head and continues as if we weren't interrupted. “Yeah, I got us a table at Sol tonight.”
I'm actually impressed. Sol is a very exclusive restaurant and getting a seat there is damn near impossible. Not that I’m surprised. Hunter isn’t an average Joe; his net worth is exceptional, and he’s driven to succeed in every facet of life, even though he may have been a bit immature at the start of our friendship.
“Sol, huh? Good job,” I say, acknowledging his smart move.
He nods his head with a chuckle. “My dad said if she said no after I take her there, then she's clearly not the woman for me.” It's not the first hint he's dropped that his dad is a misogynistic asshole, and it makes more sense why he was who he was when I met him. I'm just glad he was able to break that generational curse and unlearn all of that toxic behavior.
“I'm sure she'll say yes if she thinks you're the right guy for her, and it sounds like you two are a great match.” I remember back in the days when I thought my marriage would last forever, how I thought I'd found my soulmate and the elation that came with that knowledge. Of course, in the end, that elation had turned to a soul crushing weight that I’m still trying to dig out from under.
All the enthusiasm and joy in his face has me feeling incredibly happy for him. Hunter’s experienced his own fair share of bad relationships and heartbreak, and he deserves to finally be happy. “You're going to keep me in the loop, right? Give me a call later on today and let me know that she said yes?”
He claps me on the shoulder with a big grin on his face. “Of course, I will. And thank you for being here.” He pats me on the shoulder before folding his arms in front of himself at the bar.
“Of course, you're going to be a great husband. And maybe an okay dad, if you guys decide to have kids.” I'm just teasing him, and he throws back his head and laughs.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself there, my man.” The crowd around us goes wild, and I'm assuming that the favorite team here won. Hunter and I finish our drinks and chat for a while longer. He tells me more about Jessica and her plans for the future.
Then he asks me if I've met anyone. I'm not really sure how to answer the question because there's no way I'm willing to put a label on what Moira and I have. “I did meet someone, but it's not serious.”
“Yet?” he asks, as if finishing my sentence.
