“Okay,” he says hesitantly. I kick at his feet and he laughs, scooting away. “I’m coming by in the morning with breakfast.”
“Panny-pan-pancakes please.”
“Yeah, silly drunk, all right,” Maddox mumbles as he walks away.
I hear the door to my apartment shut and I strip down right there at the base of my bed. When my phone falls out of my jeans, I pick it up and stare at the screen.
Who wants to be called?
I sit on my bed completely naked and consider calling my moms just to give them a heart attack, but it’s not New Year’s so they probably don’t want to celebrate penises I think, looking at my dick.
Who likes my dick?
Who likes . . .
I smile to myself, scroll through my contacts, and press the FaceTime button.
It rings a few times and then she answers.
“Hello?”
“Naked party,” I say out loud, shaking the phone. I stand up, point the phone at my crotch and then dance. “Naked party.”
“Oh my God, Lincoln. Is that your dick?”
I move the phone to my face and say, “Who else’s dick would it be? And you should know, you’ve had your mouth on it enough.” I give her a big grin and her sleepy eyes roll.
“You’re drunk.”
“Not just drunk—”
“Silly drunk,” she says, sitting up in her bed. Her covers are cut right above her breasts exposing her bare shoulders.
“Indie, are you naked?”
“What do you think, Lincoln?” She presses her palm to her forehead.
“I think you need to drop the comforter and join the party.”
“I haven’t talked to you in months. Do you really think I’m going to join your naked party?”
“I don’t think you are, I know you are. Come on, drop the blankets. Let’s see if those boobs are sagging yet.”
“Oh my God, what is wrong with you?”
“Tequila. Tequila’s what’s wrong with me.” I set the phone on the bed, propping it against the headboard, and then step away so she can get the full view. “Look, I got my balls waxed.”
She laughs louder and then shakes her head, mumbling, “I’m not getting naked for you. But congratulations on getting your balls waxed. Are they smooth?”
“Very. I bet you would like rubbing your cheeks against them if you were here.”
“Why are you like this?”
“Probably because my moms designed porn sites for a living. A boy doesn’t recover from that.”
“Fair.” She laughs and then yawns. “As much fun as this is, I need to get to bed, and I think you should too.”
“But I miss you,” I say. The filter’s gone.
“I miss you too, Lincoln. You’re back in Chicago, right? Maybe we can meet up when I get back.”
I step closer to the phone so it’s just my torso and up. “Promise? You’ll really meet up with me?”
“Promise. Okay?”
“Okay.” I flop on the bed, taking the phone with me. “I miss you so much, Indie. I can’t wait to see you.”
She smiles softly. “Can’t wait to see you either.”
“Dude, you brought pancakes . . .” I say, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and letting Maddox into my place.
“Don’t get too excited. They’re protein-packed pancakes, no syrup, just peanut butter for topping.”
“Still, you love me.”
“Are you still drunk?”
I bring my hand to my mouth and huff on it before taking a sniff. Mint and tequila. “I think so.”
“Figured.”
Maddox brings the takeout boxes to the dining area and looks around. “I forgot you don’t have furniture.”
“Floors are clean,” I say, flopping onto the ground.
Maddox rolls his eyes and joins me, but leans against a wall. “Did you make any drunk phone calls?”
“Aw, you remembered that I do that.”
“Hard to forget when I used to be the recipient.”
Maddox hands me a box and I pop open the top. The smell of pancakes and protein powder wafts toward me. I’ll take it. “Yeah, I called Indie. Pretty sure I shook my dick in front of her.”
“Indie?” Maddox’s brow raises. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I shrug.
“Care to elaborate on that decision?”
I pierce the pancakes with my fork and take a large bite. “Miss her, that’s all. Plus, I know she likes my penis, and I had to show my waxed balls to someone.”
“Obviously. Can’t let that go unnoticed.” Maddox chuckles. “So how was it?”
“Good. She laughed.” I shrug. “Kind of made me nostalgic.”
“I could see that. You going to follow up?”
I take another bite. “Yeah, I think I am. We’re both in different places now. She’s coming back to Chicago after her season. It would be cool to meet up with her. Maybe see where her head’s at.”
“Oh shit, like . . . start things up again?”
I shrug. “So, when are we training?”
“Today. Which means, eat up, you’re going to need it to keep up with me.”
I laugh. “Please, you’re going to be the one struggling to keep up with me. Fine-oiled machine over here, man.”
He smirks. “We’ll see about that.
Lincoln: Remember the time Rusty walked in on us?
Indie: OMG, why did you bring that up?
Lincoln: He just texted me, and that’s what he opened with. Figured it was a good opening text and wanted to try it out on you.
Indie: I’m still mortified.
Lincoln: Because you were deep-throating my cock?
Indie: Uh . . . yeah.
Lincoln: I mean, I wasn’t mad about it.
Indie: Because you’ve always been a pervert.
Lincoln: Rusty’s high-pitched scream is branded in my head.
Indie: I wish it was my ringtone.
Lincoln: Hat trick today? Damn, Mayhem.
Indie: You looking me up, Castle?
Lincoln: Just need to make sure you’re not making an embarrassment of our friendship.
Indie: Speaking of embarrassment, heard you had a 50 Cent pitch off the mound the other day.
Lincoln: Wow, I congratulate you and you bring that up? For your information, my ankle twisted. And I’m fine, thanks for asking.
Indie: I watched it on replay for at least ten minutes, crying laughing.
Lincoln: I’m craving banana bread.
Indie: Is this going to lead you to saying how I fucked up the banana bread I tried to make for you?
Lincoln: Isn’t it fun to reminisce?
Indie: Sure is. Remember the time a pea snorted out of your nose because you laughed too hard . . . and then you ate it off the counter?
Lincoln: I did not fucking eat it and you know that.
Indie: It just happened to disappear so quickly?
Lincoln: In the trashcan!
Indie: Sure . . .
Lincoln: Thoughts on a cronut?
Indie: Are you speaking of a croissant-donut combination?
Lincoln: Precisely.
Indie: I had one at this small place in Austin, and it was as if angels were floating around in my mouth.