Page 99 of What We Brave
"I'm not giving up the workshop."
"—gym it is." He gestures at the rotting walls. "Soon as we fix the seventeen thousand structural problems you keep finding."
"There are a lot of structural problems."
"Pretty sure there’s a fucking metaphor in there.."
I’m sure there is.Thwack.I sink another nail and reach for my coffee. It's cold. Been cold for an hour. I drink it anyway.
Reid's quiet for about three seconds. A record for him.
"So when are we calling her?"
My hand stills on the mug.
We'd talked about it last night. After too much whiskey and not enough sleep. We'd call Laine today. Invite her over. Sit down like adults and figure out what the hell we're doing.
That was fifteen hours ago. Neither of us has picked up the phone.
"Soon," I say.
"You said that two hours ago."
"I'm working up to it."
"You're procrastinating."
"I'mpreparing." I set the mug on the sawhorse. "There's a difference."
"There's really not." Reid hops up onto a stack of drywall, legs swinging. "What are you even going to say? 'Hey Laine, remember when you suggested the three of us date and then we all had emotional breakdowns? Want to come over and do that again?'"
"I was thinking something more along the lines of 'hey, want to talk.'"
"Riveting. She'll be swept off her feet."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"Several. All of them involve me not having to watch you stare at your phone like it's a live grenade." He pulls out his own phone, waves it. "I could just text her. Right now. 'Hey, come over, we have beer and unresolved feelings.'"
"Don't you dare."
"'Blake's been pacing for two hours and I think he might wear a hole in the concrete?—'"
"Reid."
"'—we promise not to make it weird, except it's definitely going to be weird?—'"
"I will break that phone."
He grins, but pockets it. "Fine. But we have to call her eventually. Today. We agreed."
"I know."
"So?"
"So give me a minute."
I pick up the nail gun again.Thwack.The rhythm helps. Keeps my hands busy while my brain runs in circles, trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to say to her.
