The Men Next Door

Ch 20 - Luca

I was sitting on the floor in my living room, fully engrossed in a wooden brainteaser puzzle, when the distinctive sound of my ringtone snapped me back to reality. Seeing Addy's name pop up on the screen caught my attention for just long enough to answer the call.

"Hey. Is everything okay?" I put my phone on speaker, then sat it down on the coffee table with a clunk.

"Yes," she said slowly. It was more of a question than a statement, and I could practically hear her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Why do you sound so worried?"

"I don't know; I didn't expect you to call me," I explained, still fiddling with the interlocked pieces of wood in my hands. "I thought maybe there was something wrong with Bella."

"Oh," she said in realization. "No, nothing like that. Sorry to call you out of the blue. But are you busy today?"

"Not really. Why? What's up?"

"Want to come hang out with me, Walker, and our other friend, Ben?"

"Mother of fuck," I murmured as I hit a dead end with the puzzle.

"What the hell are you doing? I keep hearing something clinking." The display on my phone shifted as she requested to FaceTime me.

I ignored it and focused on the task at hand. "Nothing, sorry. Ben's the one with the dog, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Bella never shuts up about how cute the damn thing is," I said, imagining the easygoing border collie that she'd told me about a million times before. "She has like, two pictures of it that she shows me on repeat."

I heard Addy's bright laugh through the speaker. "Sounds like her. I tried to get her to come too, but she had plans. Anyway, I think you and Walker would get along. I've been trying to get you guys in the same room since Campbell first introduced us."

My head tilted thoughtfully as I finally unhooked the first piece of the brainteaser. I didn't know how I felt about Addy trying to set up a bromance between me and her boyfriend, but my friendship with Brooks was on the fucking rocks — some slippery ass, moss-covered rocks, at that — so maybe it was for the best. "Alright, send me the location. I'll be there soon."

It turned out 'soon' was an understatement, because the first winds of winter cut through my clothes like ice-sculpted knives. I should've ran back upstairs and grabbed a scarf, a jacket, a fucking blanket — anything to keep me warm. But instead, I put my head down and set out on a record-breaking speed walk.

My nose was as red as Rudolph's by the time Addy ushered my shivering ass inside her apartment. I cupped my hands over my face and blew hot air into them while my eyes drifted around the front room.

"Ben, Walker — this is Luca," Addy introduced. I gave them a nod. "He lives next door to Campbell."

"Ah yes, one of the famous men next door," Walker observed. It wasn't hard to guess what he was referring to, especially after his girlfriend hushed him with a pointed look. "Sorry, dude. That was supposed to be a joke. It wasn't a very good one."

"I see why Campbell calls you Crosswalk," I jabbed back playfully. "Anyone who makes a joke that bad the second they meet someone deserves an equally bad nickname."

Walker smirked. "I knew I'd like you better than the other one."

I shook my head, ignoring the obvious implication that he'd already met Brooks, then extended my hand to Ben. "Hey man, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about... your dog." I was going to say I'd heard a lot about him, but that wasn't exactly true.