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CHAPTER SEVEN

"Everything okay, Sarah? You're kinda tense."

Kate still wore her suit from work, though the jacket was already loosened up. Out of the entire movie group, she was always the most talkative and energetic, and she was always willing to probe. Often it felt like an investigation. This time, the meerkat seemed genuinely concerned.

They were hitting a small, independent theater on the east side, its marquee featuring what it called "recent classics." This time, it was No Country for Old Men, one of Sarah's favorites. There was a dull excitement for the movie within her, buried beneath some unspoken stress.

"I guess. A little." She was buying time, working out for herself where the mood might've truly come from.

"How'd things go with Alex?" Sean asked.

"Oh. It was okay."

"Usual?"

"As usual as he ever is."

"C'mon, details!" Kate said. Her stance perked up fully, in classic meerkat fashion. "How weird was it? See any cool stuff? Did he try to hit on you?"

"No, he was - he's been good about that."

"He still not over things?" Sean asked.

"Seemed like it." She shrugged lightly. "Thought he was months ago, so I hope so by now."

"True."

Sarah and Alex were a light couple; it was more of a casual thing than any serious dating. They were both single, Alex found Sarah attractive, she was willing to give him a try. Inevitably, the romance wasn't very strong. It fizzled out well before Sarah found the movie group, but they were a tight group. They shared.

Kate overshared. Sarah knew more about Kate's personal life than she was interested in ever knowing. She could name most of her boyfriends, even the ones she had never met in person. She knew more gossip about the real estate world than she knew about her own office.

In a way, Kate was a balance to Lee. While she was large in stature and personality, he was a meek and small ferret. He had been standing with the group in the lobby without saying much of anything.

The four made a balanced core group, a kind of four-man band. Many others would join in regularly, but this evening was just them. Sarah was okay with that.

"So, Lee." Kate eagerly broke the silence. "What's new with the whole job situation?"

He shrugged. "Boss is a dick."

"Fair," Sean said.

There was an awkward pause. Nobody volunteered to continue the conversation.

Eventually, Lee continued. "And, like... I guess nobody really needs chemical engineers around here. I've looked; there's not really anything around. It's all coding stuff."

"Sorry," Sean said.

"Not your fault. Just means he thinks he can get away with shit."

"Or," Sarah said, "he could just be a dick naturally." She shrugged to offer the idea. Lee shrugged back, slinking into his jacket.

"Well," Sean said, "if you want to do coding stuff I could help. It sucks that you can't find anything as it is, but I'm sure you could do it if you had to. You're pretty smart."

Lee shrugged again. Sean stopped pressing the issue any further. Sarah wanted to, though; she knew how badly stuck Lee was with his current job. She didn't want any of her friends in that position, but she didn't know the first thing about writing code. It never appealed to her. Even though she wanted to help, she knew she couldn't.

The group made their way into the theater, already debating what would be next week's movie. The movie choice was ultimately Sean's decision, but he picked it knowing full well who would like it. This week was a slow drama for Sarah's sake; the next would probably be a horror movie more to Lee's taste. He seemed to like making sure that everyone knew why they were the movies he picked. It was as if he was reminding his subjects how kind a leader he was.

They sat down as Sean entered the self-congratulatory phase of the conversation.

"Sean, is it okay if I just throw something out there real quick?" Kate asked, sitting a few seats away.

"Proceed," he said, keeping up the playfully haughty tone.

"You're kind of an obnoxious twerp."

Sarah laughed and joined in. "You kinda are, dude."

"I know." Sean nodded confidently.

Kate failed to hold in her laugh. "That's not supposed to be a good thing!"

"Well, hey," Sean said, "I know I'm annoying. I'm okay with that. You guys are the only ones that put up with me, so really it's your fault for sticking around."

"Now, you're not that bad," Sarah said. "There's annoying, and then there's like..."

"I know what you mean. I'm like annoying-lite."

"Still annoying," Lee said.

"We got him to talk!" Sean said with an enthusiastic snark. He always did a small celebration when Lee jumped in without a prompt. "See, being annoying can be helpful."

Sarah enjoyed that about him. He was annoying, but it was a playful annoying. More importantly, Sean was aware of it. When the two of them were alone, he was much more willing to tone it down. He'd even talk about his flaws. It was private, off the record. That seemed to put him at ease.

"Well, you could always try to, like... not be," Kate said, grimacing at her own language.

"It's who I am, though," Sean said. "I'm just gonna be a little annoying, no matter what."

"Naw. You can still be you and just keep that stuff quiet, I guess. I mean, if you know it's going to annoy someone."

"Yeah, but that's not me."

"It's still you," Sarah said. "Just like if Kate shut up, she'd still be Kate."

"And I'd be concerned," Sean said.

"So would I, why am I shutting up here?"

"I don't know," Sarah said, "maybe someone stabbed you in the larynx or something?"

Sarah smiled. She was getting snide. The group had a way of drawing a playful mood out of her.

Kate played along. "Okay, so I've been stabbed in the larynx. I didn't seek medical attention, why?"

"No, I would think you did, and they patch you up, but it's like, you have to heal for a bit."

"What if they gave her one of those voice box things?" Sean loved the hypotheticals. He relished the chance to work something out logically, even if it was one of the ridiculous situations that Sarah came up with as a joke.

"Wait, like Stephen Hawking?" Kate sounded concerned.

"Well, a different voice," he offered. "You could get the navigation lady voice."

"Then she'd be more annoying than you," Sarah said.

"Exactly!"

Meanwhile, Lee sat at the end of their row. He checked his phone periodically, waiting for the show to start. Sarah could see his expression occasionally shift as though holding in a laugh or trying to avoid rolling his eyes.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The sky was already dim when the group entered the theater. It was pitch black and cloudless by the time they made their way across the street to a small, candlelit bar in the middle of a block of storefronts. The space was sparse and warm, lined with oak accents, smelling of beer and grenadine. A sharply-dressed ocelot stood behind the counter; he was changing the record on a turntable.

"This is such a hipster place," Sean whispered.

"Oh, bah," Kate said. "It's comfortable. And Matthew is a wizard with bourbon."

And she had say over the evening. She was absent from the group's events for weeks, her time consumed by a major real estate deal. The deal finally finished, and she wanted to celebrate with her friends. As much as Sean acted as if he ran the show, he would freely concede control on such an occasion.

But it wouldn't prevent him from cracking wise about it.

"Seriously, this is just-"

"It's not your style, I know," Kate said. "I thought you liked to explore?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Kate scoffed. "Fine, what is your style? You a dive kinda guy? Snooty wine bar?"

"He's a Red Mast guy, totally," Lee said.

"Hey! Those are fighting words." Sean seemed legitimately offended, surprising Lee.

He recoiled. "Sorry man."

"No, it's..." Sean sighed. "Sorry. I know you were joking." He shuffled his feet. "You're not even that far off, honestly. I guess I like something more... anonymous? I mean, I'd love a sports bar that just didn't do sports. You know?"

"Think so," Sarah said. "More the restaurant, tavern sort of thing?"

"Yeah, I guess." He turned to Lee. "What's your kind of place? We can do that next time."

"Divey. Small, cheap, no frills. And you don't have to."

"We can try it, at least."

"You don't have to." Lee was insistent this time.

Sean paused. Rather than keep arguing, he asked Sarah, "What about you? I know you have a coffee place."

"Which becomes a bar at night."

"Which you never go to. Doesn't count."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Fine. I guess..."

She looked around. It did feel like a hipster bar, but it felt like it had been there long before "hipster bar" was a thing. It was well-worn but well-maintained, its wooden stools comfortable with showing their age. Using vinyl records for background music felt a bit much, but she was on Kate's side. It felt like a good bar.

"I guess I'd be okay with this, honestly."

"Well good!" Kate claimed a booth with her purse. There were plenty of options available. "First round is on me!"

There was only ever one round. Typically, it was at a place that seemed more like Sean's style - taverns and pubs meant to be unassuming and inoffensive, along with the occasional microbrewery. They made for good venues. Everyone could handle one drink without complaint and could talk without distraction.

Kate wasn't interested in discussing the movie at all. She immediately started on about the deal, and how much work it took, and how great it was going to be for the whole Buckman neighborhood. Everyone else was willing to oblige; they hadn't seen her for at least a month, after all.

She must have made an arrangement with Matthew beforehand. Sarah had only come close to finishing her beer before a second round appeared unprompted.

"I guess we're properly partying at this point?" Sarah asked.

"What, is two in one night too many?" Sean replied.

Sarah gave him a flat look. "I can do, like, three before it's a problem. We just usually keep to one."

"Well, hey, it's a big night!" Kate said. She was one Old Fashioned in and already sounded loose. "I get to celebrate a big deal with my best friends! I love you guys."

"Aww," Sean said. "We love you too."

Kate took it as an invitation to lean on his shoulder, her thin tail wagging slightly. Lee gave Sarah a concerned look, but neither said anything. They knew what was going to happen next: Sean would pat her head with a platonic kindness, completely missing that when Kate said she loved "you guys" she meant him. She had admitted as much, outside of his company.

The group kept things going throughout the evening, each round followed by a fresh one. Matthew seemed to appreciate their presence, engaging in small talk as he came by. Sarah could even see him back behind the bar, chuckling at some of Sean's better jibes. Other than Sarah's group, the place was quiet.

As the night carried on, conversations began to avoid crossing the table. Lee and Sarah discussed movies more than anything. Observations about cinematic techniques, trivia around Kubrick and Carpenter. Sarah felt herself get more talkative with each round. Lee might have been doing the same, or he was just appeasing her constant conversation. Either one was fine. It was idle, friendly chatter, more intellectual than emotional.

The tone on the other side was more romantic. Kate and Sean weren't a couple - Sarah couldn't even think of a time he had a girlfriend - but they were acting as if they had been for ages. At least, Kate was. Her cheeks were flush with liquor and infatuation, her playful kicks under the table occasionally nicked Sarah's leg out of carelessness.

Sarah assumed it was just how she behaved when drunk. She had never seen it before. Some of the loving tones were even lobbed carelessly across the table. They made Lee blush, clearly embarrassed.

They'd either make a great couple or a terrible one. Now, Sean... Sean and I would work. Totally.

She had nothing but a year of social events to base the idea on. Sure, they had movie nights alone, tended to sit next to each other in theaters or at soccer games, and were occasional confidants when the situation demanded it. But Sean never expressed interest. Even here, he didn't seem to be reacting to Kate's attempts. He seemed more groggy than cuddly.

It was nearly midnight when Sarah finally called a cab, five drinks in. She had paid for none of them. Kate made sure of that. She tossed the driver more than enough to cover the fare before they set off and slouched into the back seat. The streetlights blurred.

Must be what it's like to be rich, Sarah thought, gradually, the evening's activities clouding her mind. Throwing drinks at your friends all night like it's nothing. Must be nice.

The radio was playing oldies; Styx, The Eagles, and the like. She hated oldies. Having to listen to them felt like a deserved punishment. All her drinking would be a bad idea come morning. Accepting this, she righted herself in the seat, trying to avoid falling asleep.