When my cell buzzed, I accepted Lucky’s call. “Yeah?”
“Dude, you hung up on me.”
“I know. I was there. You’re my best friend, right? Aren’t you honor bound to counsel me through shit?”
“Okay. If you really want me to. Hang on a second.” Something banged, and then the TV went silent. “All right. So, the thing is, the rhythm method only works so well. I mean, I’m kind of an expert at it, but you’re playing Russian Roulette when you time your thrusts in a town like the Cove. Of course I have exemplary staying power, so I can go much longer than you probably can. Nothing to be ashamed of. But that means—”
I laughed so loud that I worried I’d popped a blood vessel in my temple. The one that had been throbbing since I’d eagerly clicked on Luna’s text.
Before I’d realized she was putting me on ice.
“She’s on birth control. We used condoms every time.” There was once or twice that some slippage could’ve happened though.
Whatever. The kid was planted. I wasn’t going to Monday night quarterback the ins and outs of how it had occurred—literally.
“Huh. And you’re sure it’s yours.”
“Lucky,” I warned.
“I’m just making sure. You were right not to have sex for ages. It was like you had a premonition or something that the Cove egg dropper was hovering over your head.”
“Premonition? Where did you pick up that word?”
“Macy saw a movie. Then she made Gideon watch it. Then the whole crew watched it. Some fucked up shit, man. Like this chick was married, right?”
I closed my eyes and prayed for deliverance while he blathered on about cheating husbands and funerals and Sandra Bullock. Typically, she would’ve triggered my interest all by herself, but I was in a bind. I was pretty sure she could’ve appeared naked in my classroom, and I wouldn’t have so much as blinked.
Love was crap.
When he finished, he let out a breath. “So, anyway, Luna’s knocked up. Congratulations?”
“Thanks.”
“You don’t sound overjoyed. I don’t blame you. Friday beer fests are now basically cancelled forever.”
“Not because of that, you dolt.”
“Harsh.”
“Sorry. It’s just a lot. And now Luna’s gone.”
“Define gone.”
“Not in the area.”
“Did she go shopping in Syracuse?”
I explained it to him in a brief, semi-manly fashion. How she’d told me. How I’d reacted. How she’d reacted.
“So, that’s why you ghosted me for dinner that night after inviting me. I had to sit with people I didn’t even know. Hella awkward. And my date decided she didn’t like guys before I even got to her place. I don’t know what that was about.”
“I can’t begin to imagine.”
“That Preston dude is with Ryan. She’s Luna’s chick, right?”
I reached up to undo the top couple buttons on my shirt. “Yeah. Her best friend.”
“Ryan’s guy is a lawyer. He’s smart. I was shocked he didn’t wear a pocket protector with his fancy suit. Complete opposite of Ryan. He was pretty funny though. Ryan kept calling him PMS. I’m sure they have a kinky sex life. They had that glow.”