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armwrestling. “Hows the shoulder?”
    “A lot better.” I rolled it as if for emphasis. “That shits amazing.”
He grinned, raising his beer bottle in a mock toast. “Told ya.”
“Yeah, yeah, you were right. Come on.”
Seth followed me past the bar and down the hall by the restrooms. I pushed open the door marked Employees Only, and we continued up the metal stairwell to the roof where we always hung out when he came by Lights Out.
More than once, Id considered opening this up as a terrace level for the club, but the liability made me break out in hives. What if a drunk went over the side? What if a cigarette didnt make it into the designated place and the whole place went up? No, no, no. This was, and would be for the foreseeable future, the outdoor break room.
Seth leaned against the railing, idly tapping his beer bottle against the bricks. “So he helped, then. Glad to hear it.”
“More than I expected, thats for sure.” I threw him a pointed look. “You could have warned me he was hot.”
Seth laughed. “Well, I didnt want to ruin the surprise.” Bringing his beer up to his lips, he added, “Too bad hes straight.”
I scowled. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”
“Damned shame he doesnt play for our team. I mean, I thought he did a few times, but…”
“What do you mean?”
“In high school, Id have sworn he had a thing for this kid who was in the band with us.”
“Did he, now?”
Seth nodded. “Michael and I were both first chair trumpet players. He was a super talented, amazing musician back then. Probably still is. Anyway, junior year, this kid Charlie Turner moves to town. I swear, the day Charlie sat next to us, Michael couldnt remember a damned scale.” He laughed, his expression taking on a distant, nostalgic look. “I thought for sure Michael was gay after that. Or at least bi. Curious. Something.”
“But he isnt?”
“Nope. There wasnt a varsity cheerleader in our school who didnt date him, and Im pretty sure he banged his way through two sororities in college before he met his wife.”
“Damn it, hes married too?”
“ Was married.”
“But still bats for that team.”
“As far as I know, yep.”
“Bastard.”
“You know how it is,” he said with a shrug. “All the good ones are taken or straight.”
“Gee, thanks.”
He laughed. “Hey, Im single too, so…”
“Yeah, but were talking about the good ones.”
“Oh, fuck you.”
I snickered. Then I rested my elbow on the concrete railing and faced him. “So, you guys went to high school together? How the hell did you both end up in this godforsaken town?”
“You know my story,” he said. “But Michaels kid has a lot of problems with asthma, that kind of shit. I guess the smog in LA wasnt doing him any good, so Michael and Daina wanted to move him somewhere with cleaner air.” He gestured up at the night sky, which was dotted with stars that even the faint city lights couldnt dim. “I suggested Tucker Springs, and here they are.”
“You?” I raised an eyebrow. “You who is forever complaining about being stuck here, and how theres nothing here? You persuaded someone to move to this town?”
He laughed. “Okay, so its boring as fuck and Id love to leave, but I could see how someone with a kid would live here. Especially if it makes a difference with some health problems.” “I suppose that makes up for the dullness, doesnt it?”
“It does. And, hey, it means I have my old friend nearby. Dont see him as much as Id like, but its more than once a year now.”
“And the acupunctures a bonus, right?”
“Youd better believe it.”
“Speaking of which, thanks again. I dont know what the fuck he did, but…”
“Helped, didnt it?”
“God, yes.”
“Glad to hear it,” he said. “You gonna see him again?”
“Id like to, believe me.”
“Money?”
“Always.”
“If you need it, I can—”
“No way, Seth.” I put up a hand. “I cant let you pay for this. Its just too much.”
“And we both know its too