All The Best Men

Katie giggled.

“I don’t think there are any ‘juicy parts,’ or at least not what you’re looking for,” she laughed. “But I’ll try. Let’s see, where to start? I’m an only child for one thing.” She paused, trying to figure out where to go next.

“I bet you were a cute kid,” was Kane’s remark. “Real cute.”

That comment made her blush while shaking her head.

“Hardly. More like I was awkward and unfortunate-looking. In school I was picked on and bullied all the time. But,” she said taking a deep breath. “All that’s over now. I hope, at least. I’m an adult, it’s in the past.”

Somehow, I wasn’t so sure. The girl’s pretty face still had some shadows, but I wasn’t going to push.

“If we’d been there, we’d have made sure no one ever made you feel bad, sweetheart,” I growled reassuringly.

“We would have been your knights in shining armor,” added Kane, half in jest, but half-serious too.

“Trust me,” rumbled Tyler. “My bros and I would have whipped all those fucking punks into shape.”

Katie smiled a little, taking a deep breath, boobs rising up and out.

“Thank you guys for saying that. I appreciate it. Because Elaine was actually the one who became my defender, my bodyguard. I know you think she’s crazy, but she’s stepped up more than once. That crazy blonde kept the kids from going to hard on me.”

Our expressions were probably priceless. Really, Bridezilla did all that? No way. It seemed impossible. Elaine was all about her, and no one else.

But the brunette nodded slowly, confirming the incredible.

“Yes, Elaine is a good person once you get to know her. I agree, the wedding wasn’t her best moment,” she said wryly. “Even I wanted to strangle her that day, but trust me. She has her moments, and she’s been a good friend for years.”

If Katie felt that way about her pal, then maybe, and it was a big maybe, we needed to give the girl a chance. Maybe Bobby wasn’t doomed after all to a life of screeching invective and ear-splitting complaints.

But Katie wanted to know about us too.

“What about you guys, what were you like growing up? I’m sure you weren’t just born billionaires, charismatic and commanding. Once upon a time, there were three little boys up to no good.”

A shout of laughter rose from the table.

“You’re right on the money, sweetheart. We were a bunch of fucking troublemakers growing up,” grunts Tyler. “This fucker,” he says, nodding at me, “practically went to juvie but dodged it at the last minute. And this fucker,” he says, nodding at Kane, “was cited for drunk driving, but got off scot free. Wonder how that happened,” he drawls.

The three of us shared a look. Clearly, the female police officer left happy as a clam, her lady parts sated once Kane worked his magic.

But then the mood turned serious.

“But we went to college and got straightened out. College does that to you, you know?”

“Oh really?” asked Katie curiously, small chin resting on her fist. “How did that happen? My college years were boring,” she admitted. “I didn’t do much but study,” she said with a blush.

Of course. Katie never would have looked at us back then, we were wild animals roving on campus, banging girls left and right. This sweetness wouldn’t have touched us with a ten-foot pole.

But the answer was easy.

“It’s simple,” I stated, shrugging my shoulders. “Our parents cut us off. We were living the high life on Mom and Dad’s dime, going buck wild because there were no consequences. Money solves a lot of problems, but after one too many fuck-ups, they cut the lifeline.”

Katie looked between us curiously.

“All three of you? At once?”

“All four of us,” corrected Tyler. “Bobby too. Although he didn’t deserve it, he was more along for the ride. The voice of reason so to speak, if he could get through to our ham brains. We weren’t too good at listening those days.”

Katie nodded, eyes wide.

“So what happened once you guys were cut off?” she asked quietly. “Did you start studying like crazy to get scholarships?”

A shout of laughter rang out again.

“Study? Hardly honey. Can you imagine us in the library?” I asked, gesturing to my buds. “Nothing could make us sit still back then. No sweetheart, we got jobs. We got jobs doing anything that would pay for food and shelter, not to mention books and tuition. I started working construction, and then going to school at night. Tyler was an intern at some Mom and Pop accounting shop. And Kane,” I said, smirking at my friend. “Worked in the cafeteria. That’s why the food today is so good. This asshole started cooking twenty years ago.”

Katie’s eyes were wide, but the neurons were firing now.

“So that’s how you began your careers, isn’t it?” she asked slowly, gaze flitting between our big forms. “That’s how you got started in property development, right Mason? By doing construction, working with your hands. And Tyler’s a CFO now, working at some international accountancy, while Kane owns a chain of restaurants, head of a major food conglomerate. That’s how you did it, isn’t it?” she asks, tilting her head.