Adulting Requires Cheesecake (Book 4, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 12 - Night Out

JORDAN

The doorbell rings as I'm putting my shoes on and Michael heads to open it. Oliver walks inside and looks worried.

"Hey, where's Tristan?" Michael asks his cousin.

"He's not coming. Or at least that is my conclusion after seeing him basically unconscious in his bed. I think something is not right. He took a few days off, but I don't know where he went to. Now he comes home earlier than usual and heads straight to bed. I find the dinner I left for him untouched in the fridge."

"Maybe that's what Tristan needs after everything he's been going through," I say. "I bet those nights at the clinic were not comfortable and I've never been through a breakup, but it can't be easy for him, either. A night in bed is probably more useful right now than a night at the club."

"He seemed to enjoy it the last time we went out and the break up was fresh," Oliver says as he sits next to me. "But something has changed. He got hurt at work and came home with some stitches on his shoulder, but I don't think that's the reason. We all know this isn't the first time he comes home with an injury. I asked him how it happened and he said he fell and that Harper stitched him up. Usually he goes into a play-by-play of how he got hurt, but not this time."

"He got a bit drunk at the club and showed me his collection of scars at the bathroom." Michael chuckles. "The people entering gave us some odd looks, but he seems proud of them, even the ones he got walking into things."

"Walking into things?" I ask. "Is he clumsy? I haven't noticed."

"He's gotten better at avoiding colliding with stuff, but growing up, nothing in his path was safe," Oliver says. 

"Unbelievable," I say. "He comes across as a steady guy. For fuck's sake, he works with wild animals! How can you be uncoordinated around danger?"

"He seems to be good at hiding it from you, but it will only be a matter of time before you notice," Luke says as he walks in the living room.

"I'm not great at deep talk, but he should tell someone what's going on. He's tired the whole time and drives like that. The zoo isn't far from here, but you know what they say about most accidents happening closer to home."

I look at Luke who lets out a deep breath. "Let him be for a while," he says as he picks up his wallet and keys. "He knows he can confide in any of us. So, I'm done. Whenever you want to leave, I'm ready. Holy shit, Michael! Go easy on that! It's not a shower substitute."

Michael puts the cap back on his body spray and shrugs. "I showered. I just want to smell nice in case I meet someone."

The bickering continues in the car until we arrive at the club. I'm glad my dad saved us a spot in the back lot, because the rest of the street is busy with cars. The queue line to enter the club is long and we get plenty of insults and annoyed looks as we head to the entrance.

"Hey! Go to the back of the line! Some of us have been waiting here for an hour!" The guy waiting at the front of the line shouts as I greet Wilson with a handshake. "Is that what it takes? Do you want money to let us in quicker? I have money. How much do you want?"

The guy opens his wallet and fans a stack of money. A lady who seems to be his companion looks terribly embarrassed.

"Well, seeing he is the son of one of the club's owners that gives him the right to bypass the line at any time." Wilson opens the rope for us, and I admire how calm he stays. "But you and your money can go somewhere else, because tonight, you are not welcome here. The pretty lady can stay, though."

"You can't be serious." The guy says and even in the dimmed light, I can see the red blush spreading down his neck.

I bet he must feel frustrated at having to wait so long, so I whisper in Wilson's ear that if he lets the guy in, I will bring him cookies and coffee. He gives me a sweet smile because that's his weakness.