A Funny Thing Happened in Texas

Chapter 2

It was time for the first meeting of the season and the cast and crew of Impractical Jokers in Texas. Brian headed to the conference center in downtown Fort Worth. The traffic wasn't something he liked but having Sal in the passenger seat helped keep him entertained. They talked about the new neighborhood and how many amenities it had, including a church and a gym and a private pool.

"I don't know how Murr found that place but its excellent! And the grocery store- so great! Everything is so cheap here!"

Brian nodded as Sal talked. The gas certainly was less expensive, which Brian was happy about. He also liked how much space there was everywhere. He was used to feeling crammed in New York, but here even the parking spaces had plenty of space. He also liked how most people seemed friendly and warm.

"You know, Q, maybe you'll meet a nice girl and settle down."

Brian raised an eyebrow and looked at Sal.

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, New York girls haven't worked out for you so maybe a Texas girl will."

"Sal, I'm not worried about it. I have my cats, I have the beer company, and I have my podcast. Why would I need a girlfriend?"

"Don't you want to have someone to come home to?"

Brian smirked, "I could say the same about you."

"You know my situation is sensitive!"

They both laughed and Sal then unlocked Brian's phone. Brian could see Sal doing something, out of the corner of his eye, but paid most of his attention to driving. A few minutes passed in silence and then Sal started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Tinder is so gross!"

"Why are you on tinder?!"

"I'm not," Sal stated, "You are!"

Sal turned the phone towards Brian and showed a Tinder profile with Brian's photo and some information.

"SALVATORE VULCANO! What the fuck?!"

"Haha, there's so many cute ladies, Q!"

They pulled in to the parking garage and Brian took his phone from Sal so he could see the damage that Sal had done. To his surprise, the women that Sal had swiped right on were actually pretty and seemed interesting.

The meeting was fairly routine, going over schedules and locations. The first few weeks they would be filming in the Dallas/Fort Worth area before going to Austin, Houston, and San Antonio then back to DFW.  There were inquiries out to some establishments in Waco and San Antonio, but those locations would come through later. At the end of the meeting everyone got a copy of the week's filming schedule and locations.

Since it was March and St Patrick's Day was coming up, their first challenge would be at a pub in Dallas where they would have to serve patrons. The second challenge would be at the historic Grassy Knoll in Downtown Dallas, where they would be acting as tour guides. Brian was already coming up with ideas on how to stump his friends. Another challenge would be filmed at Dallas Cowboys headquarters in Frisco, where they would be trying to get people to sign up for their personal training classes at The Star.

When the meeting wrapped up the guys decided to find a good spot for lunch. They all pulled out their phones and began searching for what might be close. Murr suggested a ramen restaurant and soon they were all en route.

The restaurant was on the second floor of a building but had its own parking area and was easy to find. They guys were seated quickly and they soon placed their orders. This was the first time they'd had time alone, just the four of them, since they'd come to Texas.

"Murray, how did you find the Viridian?" Brian asked. "That place is amazing!"

Jame Murray, the organized one, smiled from ear to ear.

"Aw, I'm glad you like it there, Q! I was just looking for something that was centrally located. Once I told the Homeowners Association that we would do some social media endorsements and post about it a lot they were all in! I can't believe they got everything furnished so fast!"

Joe commented, "Have you guys seen the pool?! I can't wait for summer!"

They all agreed that they had really lucked out on the housing arrangement. The foods arrival interrupted their conversation about their individual houses.

"Oh my gosh, Murray! This place is good!" Brian said between slurps of noodles and broth. Murr was often the butt of the jokes but one thing was for sure, when it came to finding restaurants Murr usually picked good ones.

After they finished eating the guys sat around and talked for a while. They pitched ideas for punishments and challenges. They talked about how hot the summer was going to be. They even talked about learning to sail, since the Viridian had a sailing club. Then the conversation turned to Brian and his Tinder account. They all wanted to see it and they wanted to take turns swiping on profiles. As this was going on Brian didn't even try to get his phone back. He scanned the room for a bit and noted that he liked the wood tables and minimalist decor.  It was then that his eyes fell on two women across the room.

One of them had large features and glasses. She was larger and had a bright smile. Her naturally curly hair had some light color to the lower half. The other young woman was really the one who caught Brian's attention. She had long hair that was lavender. It curled as if she had used some kind of curling iron to bend to her will. She had small sections pulled away from her face. She, too, had a bright smile and laughed often during her conversation. Her smile and laughter made Brian smile. She was definitely someone he wanted to get to know.