The City Lake

IV

Jeremy was waiting outside the door for Caleb, and was irritated to see Lucas walk out first and stop beside him with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Hey," Lucas said, leaning against the building's wall.

"Um, hi," said Jeremy, uncertain where he stood with this guy. He was familiar with Caleb's colleagues to a degree but rarely had any contact with them without Caleb nearby. "How'd your adventure go? Caleb hasn't had a chance to update me."

"Oh, uh, nothing really happened, no, but well, what happens by the lake stays by the lake, you know?" Lucas provided, very unhelpfully.

Jeremy checked his phone. Caleb should've been off work and out by now, and he wasn't at his usual cashier's position. "A three-way romantic venture is not something I thought my friend would get up to, but I've been wrong about him before," he said. He wasn't sure what else could've been so unmentionable, though Lucas immediately laughed it off.

"I'm not interested in anyone like that," Caleb's coworker replied.

"Isn't everyone interested in someone?"

Lucas shrugged. "Not everyone. You don't have to believe me, Mr. Eye Hearts for Caleb."

"We've been friends a long time, of course I like him," Jeremy responded easily. He'd gotten many comments about his lengthy and strong friendship with Caleb and learned that denying the feelings he didn't have only made them disbelieve him more. "If I wanted to date him then I'd ask him out."

Lucas considered his response. "Then why all the flirting?"

"The what? I do what Caleb'd call friendly banter. It's fun and I look smart for once."

"Ah." Lucas seemed to make a connection Jeremy couldn't. "Here, give me your phone, I'll give you my number."

Jeremy narrowed his eyes at Lucas but handed his phone over anyway, watching as the other male texted himself. Then Lucas went back to his old phone and tapped away at the screen. A minute later Jeremy received a link through his texts.

"In case you want to know more," Lucas said, going back to his phone as if it were more interesting than a human in front of him.

Jeremy had nothing to do while he waited for Caleb and clicked the link. It brought him to a webpage through the coffee shop's free internet about a lack of romantic interest. He bit his lip. It really was a thing?

Caleb fought the heavy front door and Jeremy immediately knew something was off with his friend. "Bad day at work?" he tried.

Caleb collapsed into him, going straight for the hug. "I've been fired. I did the right thing and it got me fired."

Jeremy wasn't sure what to say so he kept on hugging Caleb until his friend was completely relaxed in his arms, solid and warm. Lucas, while looking sympathetic, also raised his eyebrows.

"Should I leave you two alone for a moment?" he asked, gesturing to their continued embrace.

"No, um, no, I'm good now." Caleb reddened and pulled away, much to Jeremy's dismay.

Noah came out of the building and nodded to them. "Let's go."

"You're coming?" Jeremy asked. "Where are we going? The lake?"

"Unlikely," Noah said with distaste. He shuddered. "I'm never going back there again, right Luke? Caleb?"

"Well," Caleb began, "I have to go back, and I might as well since I don't have a job anymore."

Lucas waved his arms around wildly. "You can't be serious! You want to go back there? It stinks!"

"Smell or not, I promised."