Page 5 of Evading Fate

“Sure is. You want me to grab him for you?”

I smile and nod at him. “Yes, please.”

“You got it, darlin’. You need something to drink?”

I eye the tap for a second before deciding against it and shake my head. “Naw, I’m good.”

He nods, disappearing into the back as I grab the towel and start drying glasses for him. Trey comes sauntering out of the same door a couple of seconds later and starts laughing when he sees me.

“He put you to work?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. I smirk and shake my head.

“No. Just thought I was gonna die of boredom waiting on your slow ass.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, your highness. It must have been awful having to sit here for a whole minute.”

“Truly the worst, Trey. Why would you do that to me?”

He just laughs, shaking his head at me as he takes the glass and towel from my hands. “So, what’s up? I haven’t heard from you since the wedding. Three days without a word from you is unheard of.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I was having a moment,” I say, and his brow arches as he waits for me to continue. When I don’t, he sighs.

“You good now?”

I flash him my most convincing smile. “Yep.”

He studies me for a minute before nodding and placing the glass on the shelf with the others before grabbing another and drying it.

“So, can I kidnap you?” I ask, batting my eyes like that might actually work on Trey, and he chuckles again as he places the glass on the shelf.

“Ad, I don’t think you understand the concept of kidnapping if you’re asking me.”

“Right, well I can’t exactly throw a bag over your head and haul you out of here on my shoulder now can I? So, will you pretty please come with me?”

He eyes me skeptically. “Where are we going?”

Wincing, I say, “See, I can’t tell you that.”

“Yeah, that’s a good way to get me to agree,” he says, laughing as he places the next glass on the shelf and grabs another.

“Please, Trey? Pretty, pretty please.” I do my best puppy dog expression, and one look at his face lets me know I’ve got him. He sighs and sets the glass and towel down on the bar.

“Let me go tell Moe, and I’ll meet you in your car.”

“Yes!” I hiss, jumping off the bar stool and pumping my fist in the air. “Thank you!” Shaking his head, he goes to the back to talk to Moe and I go out to my car to wait for him with a big grin on my face.

* * * *

“Laser tag?” he asks, giving me a hefty dose of side eye from the passenger seat of my car. The whole way here, we were laughing and joking around but the moment he saw the arcade, his mood fell. And while I may not know what’s bugging him right now, I hope that if I can get him in there, he’ll start to feel better.

“Yes, laser tag. We need to get out and have some fun. Remember how much fun it is?” I flash him an encouraging smile and hope that I can pull him out of his own head.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, maybe when I was fourteen, Ad. I’m a grown ass man.”

“So?” I ask, arching a brow.

“So, grown ass men do not go running around, playing laser tag with a bunch of kids like a creeper.”

“Okay, first of all, stop saying ‘grown ass man’. I get it – you’re a big boy. Second, says who?”