“What do you mean you ain’t got time?” Warren questioned as he leaned up against the fence. “You weren’t out here much last week. Seems to me you’re getting your priorities screwed up. What are you doing, letting work interfere?” He loved to tease Jack about their differing philosophies as to what was important in life.

“I have to meet Laurie across town at eight-thirty,” Jack said.

“We’ve got winners,” Flash said. He had a particularly deep, rich baritone voice. “It’s going to be me, Warren, Spit, and Ron. We got room for one more if you could get your ass down here in record time. It’d be a killer matchup.”

“You’re tempting me,” Jack admitted.

“We’re going to sweep this team that’s winning at the moment,” Warren said. “It’s going to be a new dynasty. But, hey, we shouldn’t keep you from your shortie.”

Jack glanced at his watch and then over at the game in progress. He was tempted, but there was no way he could do it without arriving late at Elio’s, even if he played only one game. Ultimately he had to shake his head. “Sorry, not tonight.”

“Natalie’s been ragging me about getting together with you and Laurie,” Warren said. “You guys have been making yourselves scarce.”

“I’ll say something to Laurie,” Jack promised, although he couldn’t be optimistic, not without knowing her current secret, especially if she was moving to someplace like the West Coast. The thought of Laurie leaving made him wince.

“Hey, man, you okay?” Warren asked. He leaned forward and regarded Jack through the fence.

“Yeah, sure,” Jack said, yanking himself out of his momentary worry.

“Are you and Laurie cool?” Warren questioned. “I mean, you people aren’t having words, are you?”

“No, we’re cool,” Jack fibbed. The truth of the matter was that he and Laurie had not spent much time together over the last month or so.

“I think you’d better get yourself out here for a run as soon as you can,” Warren said. “You look all wound up to me.”

“You’re right! I need a run,” Jack agreed. “Tomorrow night for sure.”

Jack said his goodbyes and then rode diagonally across the street to his building. Knowing he would be going right back out, he locked his bike to the railing on the building’s front steps. Then he went up to his apartment and climbed into the shower.