Page 73 of Tanner

“Yeah, me, too.” Chris rises from his chair.

Ryan walks forward and puts a hand on my shoulder. “We care about you. That’s all. We just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“You’re a good guy, Tanner,” Chris chimes in.

When I came to New York four and a half years ago, I didn’t know a soul. I came from a prep school where everyone had money and knew your worth. Then, I sat at orientation beside these clowns.

Ryan was a nervous wreck, memorizing his schedule, while Chris asked if I had a joint to calm his friend’s nerves. Ryan slapped him on the side of the head and then proceeded to tell me how they’d been friends since grammar school in Kennebunkport, Maine. We had lunch that day and went to a party later that night.

They were cool kids, not into too much trouble and pretty funny. As the year went on and I found I wasn’t crazy about the typical college scene, they never gave me a hard time. We went out for the occasional beer or to meet women, but mostly, we hung around in diners and talked on campus. Good friends are like that. They just hang. There are no expectations or ultimatums.

During the summer before sophomore year, I told them about my upbringing and my family’s less than healthy dynamic. They never treated me differently, and they were supportive when Austin was injured in Afghanistan.

I’m not surprised they’re concerned about me. I’m surprised it’s Harper they’re questioning.

“She’s bringing Willa with her.” I try to change the conversation.

Ryan’s face lights up. “Really?”

“Their school is a few blocks away.”

“Are they bringing a friend for me?” Chris asks, and I shake my head. “Why do you always bring the women for this guy?”

“I can’t help it if they find me desirable.” Ryan opens his arms as if to show himself off.

Chris grabs a blue chalk square and lobs it at Ryan’s head, smacking him straight on his forehead.

Ryan lets out a curse and rubs his head. The front door to The Den opens, and in walks Harper and Willa.

Just the sight of her, and my chest tightens. She’s hands down the most beautiful woman in this room, and when I approach her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and bringing her into me for a quick hello kiss, I feel like the luckiest man on the planet.

Willa heads straight to Ryan. “Why is your forehead blue?”

Ryan rubs a hand to his head where the chalk left a mark. He glares at Chris, who smirks.

I pull out a chair from the table and motion for Harper to sit on my lap. Tucking a hair behind her ear, I ask, “How was your day, sweet Harper?”

She places her forehead against mine. “Someone kept me up all night, so I’m a little tired, but it was good. How about you?”

“Better now that you’re here,” I say and nod toward my friends. “These guys are giving me a run for my money in pool.”

“Hi, Chris.” Harper waves a hand toward my friends. “Hey, Ryan.”

Ryan looks over from where he’s standing with Willa. “Will you be staying tonight, or will you be playing the infamous ghost again?”

My eyes pop out of my head.

Harper places a hand on my cheek and turns me to her as she whispers, “It’s okay. I deserve that.” She kisses the side of my face and turns to Ryan. “I’m glad to see you’re looking out for your friend, but you don’t have to worry. I’ve learned my lesson.” She turns back to me with a grin on her face. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ryan seems pleased with her response. Especially since Willa has nudged him, forcing his attention back to her.

“I have a question for you guys.” Chris saunters over to where Harper and I are sitting. He walks like a badass, but his Ron Burgundy shirt with the words I’m kind of a big deal make him look anything but. “I met this girl last night, and I don’t really know anything about her. I was thinking of Googling her to find out more intel. Maybe she’s … I don’t know … rich or something.”

I speak through a clenched jaw, “Chris—”

“Harper, what do you think?” he asks.

She tilts her head with a grimace. “I don’t know. Isn’t the whole point of dating to get to know someone? If you look them up, then you’re taking away the excitement of it all. It’s like sex without foreplay,” she says, and Chris nearly chokes on his swallow of beer. “Talking about shared interests is like heavy petting, and divulging your most intimate secrets is as good as oral. No, I wouldn’t want to learn anything about someone without experiencing it through them.”