Ruiz, Maddox, Barnes, Duval, Domenick, and me were at a Bar.
"So- So, he's all amped up after we knocked down the fire right? And he's all- He starts strutting around, walking around like- Like he won a Super Bowl or something, right? You know what I'm saying? Flexing. Flexing. Flexing. And out of nowhere- Bam! - Maddox disappears into the open septic..."
Maddox and his friend, Jeremy returned.
"Which had not been emptied yet." Ruiz continued the story.
"Oh!" All of us commented.
"Oh, what are we talking about?" He questioned.
We were both cracking up.
"Hey, guys. Uh... Cap, Ruiz, this is Jeremy. We were in the- The Academy together. But now he's a big shot at 42 in Oregon." Maddox introduced.
"Hey, man." Ruiz greeted.
"Yeah. Thanks for letting me crash the commiserating."
"Hey. Uh... Herrera's buying tonight. So, you picked a good one." He told him.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's the first round. The first round." I corrected.
I heard the song playing.
"OH, my God. This is my song."
"Same." Duval agreed.
"Come on. Girl."
"Hey!" I yelled.
We were dancing.
I ended up bumping into Jeremy.
"Ooh. Sorry."
"Sorry." He apologized.
We both chuckled.
"Jeremy."
"Andy."
He leaned closer.
"Andy."
I chuckled.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
I laughed.
"Whoo!" Jeremy cheered.
"I love you, man!" Maddox yelled.
"I love you too!" He yelled.
"I love you, John!" He yelled again.
"I love you!"
"Whoo!"
I laughed.
Jeremy and me danced on the dance floor.
I joined Ruiz at the Bar.
He chuckled.
"What?!"
"It's just dancing." I pointed out.
"Uh-huh. Yeah. It's never just dancing."
"Oh. "It's never just dancing." Mm."
I took a sip of my Beer.
I sat it back on the Bar countertop.
Ruiz cleared his throat.
"Ugh. This stupid no sex pact."
"Yeah. Well, you realize you only have yourself to blame for that."
"Well, you know what?" I questioned.
"Sadly, it's actually given me so much clarity. Like, without any entanglements and complications, I see what I want and need so much more clearly now. Like, if I had tried talking to Chief Ross before the pact, it would've been even more disastrous."
