Among their poker pals, Trev was closest to Titus. Everyone else, he joked around with in the group chat, but he’d never hung out with Dante, Calvin, or Miguel one-on-one. Poker night was the height of him being social, and he never hosted because why the hell would the guys want to get depressed in his basement? It occurred to him that Leanne might be okay with him inviting the guys over, though, maybe on her book club night?

Trev read the text twice. I need some advice. Want to get a beer?

Does he actually think I can help?

Leanne had said she’d be late at the campaign office tonight. She had some local media interviews lined up, so he mentally shrugged. Sounds good. When and where?

Dante: Seven Grand at 7.

Trev had sold his car a couple days ago, and now he actually had money in the bank. He hadn’t bought the electric bike yet, as he couldn’t decide between a cheap, low-speed model and a Vespa-type ride. It would make sense to go with the former, though, to pay for classes and pay down the balance on his card and bank the rest until he started earning.

Thus making up his mind, he registered for the two courses Leanne had endorsed and noted the start dates on his digital calendar. How…wild. Since moving in with her, he hadn’t spent more than a few hours here and there playing games. While he’d expected to miss it, he enjoyed having stuff to do and places to be. He spent the rest of the day tidying the condo and updating Leanne’s campaign socials. Pics from her past few talks went up, then he made some more reels, as the first ones were still spinning out there, gathering interest and responses. Before heading out, he left a note for Leanne on the fridge and texted her his plans.

She replied right away: Have fun, sweetheart. See you later.

There was no need to dress up, but if he recalled correctly from the single time he’d been to Seven Grand, the place had a business-casual vibe. So he put on a gray-and-white striped button-up and his good jeans. After checking the time, Trev got a rideshare from Howard Carruthers and arrived before Dante.

Seven Grand was a freestanding brick building toward the highway, decorated with ornate shrubberies and fairy lights. The place probably hoped to grab traffic from the freeway and from town; he wasn’t sure how successful it was. Inside, it was all burnished wood and well-dressed people with mellow music purring from the speakers. He suspected the fixtures and sconces weren’t real antiques, but they were excellent reproductions.