“You’d lose.”

“Zeke?” Stavros said. “Now that makes sense.”

“I know, right?” Watts said. “He’s headed down. We just got back earlier this afternoon.”

“How was it on the mountain? Slowing down, yet?” Stavros asked.

Watts shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Hey,” Zeke said from behind me. I didn’t have to see his face to know he was shocked to see me.

“Didn’t you know, buddy?” Watts asked. “She joined the welcome committee.”

“Not funny,” Zeke said, sitting on the other side of me. “You here to see Trex?”

“What’s the welcome committee?” I asked.

Zeke shot Watts a scowl. “You don’t wanna know.”

“I do actually. That’s why I asked,” I said.

Watts leaned onto the bar with his crossed arms. “It’s a group of women who naturally start forming at the hotel during political fires.” He nodded toward a corner of the room with a dozen women smiling and chatting with hotshots.

Zeke rubbed his face. “Christ, Watts, you make us look like douchebags.”

“I’m here to meet Trex if he can quit being a twelve-year-old boy with a crush for two seconds,” I said. “And I don’t think you’re a douchebag.”

Zeke grinned, cautious. “Good.”

I pointed to him, looking at Stavros. “Get him whatever he gets.”

“What about me?” Watts asked.

“No,” Zeke and I said in unison.

I chuckled, and we met eyes.

“I was uh…” he trailed off, still staring at me. “Going to pick up some food. You hungry?”

I looked around him at Trex. “I was supposed to eat with Trex, I think.”

Zeke held up his finger then jogged to the front desk. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and Trex and Darby both looked at me. Trex waved, looking sheepish.

Zeke nodded then jogged back. “I got their order. Let’s go.”

“We’re going?” I said, chugging my beer and setting it on the table with a twenty.

“Good night,” Stavros said.

“Have fun, kids,” Watts said.

Zeke flipped his middle finger, then grabbed my hand, leading me out to his truck. He opened the passenger door and waited, making a face when I didn’t sit.

“What?” he asked.

“This isn’t a date.”

He shrugged. “I know. Why do you have to make everything so complicated? I’m starving, babe, let’s go.”

Babe? We’re not together, why is he calling me pet names? And why am I not pissed about it?

I rolled my eyes then sat, checking my cell phone just as Zeke closed my door. He jogged around and sat behind the wheel. He dug into his console and handed me a brochure menu, then called ahead to Oka Ramen and placed everyone’s order but mine. “And one more, hold on…” He looked at me, patiently waiting.

“The Spicy Tan-Tan Noodles,” I said, placing the brochure back into his console.