‹ Prequel: These Days
More of These Days
I've stopped my gambling
Evgeni sat in a corner of their favorite bar in Florida after the Tampa game talking on the phone with Violet. Geno had become the new Matt.
"I don't like this," Max said. He spun around to face the bar and turned his face sideways to look at Sidney and Tyler. "He's doing that stupid thing that Violet and Matt do."
"You mean he's buying Violet giant stuffed sharks and throwing tuna at her? Matt's given her like five sharks already I don't think Geno needs to start doing that, too." Tyler made a face and looked behind himself at the couple.
"No, it's that baseball trick where they cover their lips while they're talking."
"It's because you're staring at them, Maxie," Sidney snorted and shook his head. "And why are you staring at them, might I ask?"
"Erin let something slip that Violet and Geno have big news but she clammed up as soon as I registered that she wasn't supposed to tell me that. And I tired asking him about it and he played the Russian oaf card, like he didn't understand my English."
"Why does it matter so much, Maxie?" Sidney asked, fully rotating to face his teammate. "Can't they have a private life that we don't have to get involved in?"
"They can have a private life when you apologize for looking at picture's of Karen's you weren't supposed to. How'd you even get on Facebook if you don't have one?"
Tyler followed this exchange for a moment and then held his hand up for a beer. He sat quietly and sipped as they men continued to argue.
"I uh, I used hers," Sidney mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Max said, raising his eyebrows.
"I used hers alright! I know I shouldn't have. But I saw what I saw. She was hiding it."
"No she wasn't. And you're a moron for thinking that she wants someone other than you."
"Seconded." Tyler said, even though his comment went mostly ignored, save a smile from Max and a side glance from Sid the kid.
"It doesn't matter. At least I don't rely on my friend's girlfriend to get me a date!"
"She wouldn't go out with me without Violet!" Max said angrily referencing Erin. "She thinks I'm a lady's man!"
"Really Max, really?" Sidney snorted again. Tyler chuckled to himself and received looks from both men.
"Sorry," He smiled. "At least you don't have a depressed Tanger to live with." All three men then looked at Kris. He was sitting at the far end of the bar surrounded by empty glasses. The one in his hand? A shirley temple. "He's pathetic."
As the guys watched Kris down his seventh children's drink and put in an order for an eighth and ask to keep them coming Geno snapped his phone shut and ambled over to the guys.
He clapped Tyler and Max on the backs and then took his seat next to Sidney.
"What going on?" He asked. As the guys were transfixed on poor Kris and his misery Max simply nodded in that direction. "Wow." Geno dragged the syllable out like a certain Weinberg might have done. It snapped his road trip roommate back.
"You're turning into Matt." Max accused Geno. Sidney and Tyler turned to look at the giant Russian wide eyed. Instead of scowling and narrowing his eyes at Max, Geno threw his head back and chuckled.
"You say like it bad thing." Geno shook his head. "It good. Mean VIolet no reliant on real Matt." Sidney nodded his understanding. Tyler shrugged. Max stared at Geno. "Oh, by way, Erin asked out by guy at work," Geno smiled wickedly as Max began to sputter.
"What...what did she say?"
"She say no, course. Dumb-ass. She not you." Geno raised his eyebrows at Max as Sidney and Tyler laughed. Once Max glared though they stopped.
"Now where did I get this reputation as a womanizer?" Max ask, almost in shock an outraged.
"Try youtube." Tyler said under his breath to Sidney who laughed, but quickly turned it into a cough. "You flirt with a lot of girls, Max. A lot of girls. A lot, a lot of girls. Erin's just looking out for herself."
"Fine." Max said. He glanced at Geno, who was beaming and and joking with the guys. Max briefly wondered what VIolet had said to make him so happy but that thought flew out the window when Tyler started singing Brittany Spears.
"Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby. You you you are, you you you are. Womanizer, womanizer, womanize-"
"You're dead." Max said, slamming both hands on the table and standing up.
"Oh sit down," Geno pushed Max down by his shoulder. "Go take valium."
"STOP BEING MATTHEW."
"I don't like this," Max said. He spun around to face the bar and turned his face sideways to look at Sidney and Tyler. "He's doing that stupid thing that Violet and Matt do."
"You mean he's buying Violet giant stuffed sharks and throwing tuna at her? Matt's given her like five sharks already I don't think Geno needs to start doing that, too." Tyler made a face and looked behind himself at the couple.
"No, it's that baseball trick where they cover their lips while they're talking."
"It's because you're staring at them, Maxie," Sidney snorted and shook his head. "And why are you staring at them, might I ask?"
"Erin let something slip that Violet and Geno have big news but she clammed up as soon as I registered that she wasn't supposed to tell me that. And I tired asking him about it and he played the Russian oaf card, like he didn't understand my English."
"Why does it matter so much, Maxie?" Sidney asked, fully rotating to face his teammate. "Can't they have a private life that we don't have to get involved in?"
"They can have a private life when you apologize for looking at picture's of Karen's you weren't supposed to. How'd you even get on Facebook if you don't have one?"
Tyler followed this exchange for a moment and then held his hand up for a beer. He sat quietly and sipped as they men continued to argue.
"I uh, I used hers," Sidney mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Max said, raising his eyebrows.
"I used hers alright! I know I shouldn't have. But I saw what I saw. She was hiding it."
"No she wasn't. And you're a moron for thinking that she wants someone other than you."
"Seconded." Tyler said, even though his comment went mostly ignored, save a smile from Max and a side glance from Sid the kid.
"It doesn't matter. At least I don't rely on my friend's girlfriend to get me a date!"
"She wouldn't go out with me without Violet!" Max said angrily referencing Erin. "She thinks I'm a lady's man!"
"Really Max, really?" Sidney snorted again. Tyler chuckled to himself and received looks from both men.
"Sorry," He smiled. "At least you don't have a depressed Tanger to live with." All three men then looked at Kris. He was sitting at the far end of the bar surrounded by empty glasses. The one in his hand? A shirley temple. "He's pathetic."
As the guys watched Kris down his seventh children's drink and put in an order for an eighth and ask to keep them coming Geno snapped his phone shut and ambled over to the guys.
He clapped Tyler and Max on the backs and then took his seat next to Sidney.
"What going on?" He asked. As the guys were transfixed on poor Kris and his misery Max simply nodded in that direction. "Wow." Geno dragged the syllable out like a certain Weinberg might have done. It snapped his road trip roommate back.
"You're turning into Matt." Max accused Geno. Sidney and Tyler turned to look at the giant Russian wide eyed. Instead of scowling and narrowing his eyes at Max, Geno threw his head back and chuckled.
"You say like it bad thing." Geno shook his head. "It good. Mean VIolet no reliant on real Matt." Sidney nodded his understanding. Tyler shrugged. Max stared at Geno. "Oh, by way, Erin asked out by guy at work," Geno smiled wickedly as Max began to sputter.
"What...what did she say?"
"She say no, course. Dumb-ass. She not you." Geno raised his eyebrows at Max as Sidney and Tyler laughed. Once Max glared though they stopped.
"Now where did I get this reputation as a womanizer?" Max ask, almost in shock an outraged.
"Try youtube." Tyler said under his breath to Sidney who laughed, but quickly turned it into a cough. "You flirt with a lot of girls, Max. A lot of girls. A lot, a lot of girls. Erin's just looking out for herself."
"Fine." Max said. He glanced at Geno, who was beaming and and joking with the guys. Max briefly wondered what VIolet had said to make him so happy but that thought flew out the window when Tyler started singing Brittany Spears.
"Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby. You you you are, you you you are. Womanizer, womanizer, womanize-"
"You're dead." Max said, slamming both hands on the table and standing up.
"Oh sit down," Geno pushed Max down by his shoulder. "Go take valium."
"STOP BEING MATTHEW."