"I really don't want to go." I mutter, pulling out a button down shirt from my closet.

"I know, but you have to." Shane reminds me for what sounds like the hundredth time.

"Nat isn't going." I mutter more to myself than to anyone else.

"I know, because she has a lot of work. She'll go next time. However, Sofia really wants to go out. Plus, we haven't celebrated her birthday or her making the dance team." He adds.

"I know, I know." I groan. "I'm still going, don't worry."

"Good. Because if you weren't going, I was going to kick your ass." He laughs, slapping me on the back. "Tonight is important to Sofia. I know our time to enjoy going out and getting plastered has expired, but she hasn't experienced that yet. So, we've got to do it. At least tonight."

"Yeah." I mutter.

"Trust me, I'd rather stay inside. We're old." Shane whispers, trying to keep the words away from Sofia's always eavesdropping ears.

"You've got that right." I laugh. "So I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh God." Shane says, giving me a look of uncertainty. "What is it?"

"Nothing bad." I laugh, putting him at ease.

"What's up?" He asks as he walks towards my bathroom. "By the way, I'm using this." He adds, spraying on some of my old cologne.

"That's fine." I say. "How did you ask Sofia to move in with you?"

He stops mid step to look at me, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you thinking about asking Natalia to move in with you?" He asks, holding his hands up in a pause.

"I mean..." I say, trailing off slightly.

"Oh my God, you are." Shane says, walking towards my bed and plopping down on the mattress.

"You and Sofia moved in together after like...what? Two days of dating each other?" I ask with a laugh.

"Okay, yes." He says in defense. "However, we've known each other for years."

"Yeah, but that's different. You had no idea if you guys were going to even work out." I reply. In my defense, there's still a chance that the two break up. I would never mention this, of course.

"You're right." He nods in reply.

"Is it a bad idea?" I ask, feeling unsure of myself.

"I mean...no?" He says, more to himself than to me.

"That sounds pretty unsure." I mutter in response.

"I mean...she's over here every single night, anyways. She's been practically living here for weeks now." He adds.

"She has." I nod.

"Have you guys had sex?" He asks, getting right to the point.

"I mean...no." I say, unbuttoning the shirt that I just put on and slipping on a black T-shirt.

"You guys should have sex first." He replies instantly.

"What?" I laugh, shaking my head.

"It's important to know what kind of car you're driving before you buy it." He shrugs.

"I don't drive." I reply.

"I know. It's just a figure of speech." He laughs in reply.

"I don't know if we're ready for that or not." I reply.

"So you're not ready to sleep with her but you're ready to move in with her?" He asks.

"I mean, we've done other things." I say quietly.

"Other things?" He laughs.

"She sucked my dick the other night." I reply.

"Oh did she?" He laughs, clapping his hands together in acknowledgement.

"Yeah...didn't exactly go as it should have." I mutter.

"Elaborate." He says.

"I didn't like it." I shrug.

"What?" He exclaims. "How?"

"I don't like saliva. There was way too much of it."

"Okay, well....to each their own." He says. "I'm sure she can please you in other ways."

"I like her hands." I say with a nod.

"You can spare me the details." He says, cutting me off from saying more.

"I think I upset her, though." I admit.

"Why?" He asks.

"Because...I kind of stopped her. She got pretty insecure about it. I could tell." I sigh.

"I'm sure she understood." He replies after a few seconds of thinking.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Yeah. She's pretty understanding, you know." He replies.

"You're right." I reply. "She is."

"I think she's good for you." He assures me.

"Thanks, man." I reply.

"And if you do invite her to live with you, maybe you guys can have some good Welcome Home sex." He smirks, wagging his brows suggestively.

"Maybe." I laugh. "I don't know. Kristina was the last person I was with. And that was....what? Over a decade ago?"

"Yeah, but you were young. Things are different now. She's experienced, I'm sure. Plus, she knows how to handle you. Clearly. I mean, you did say she was good with her hands." He laughs.

"God." I laugh, shaking my head. "Maybe you're right."

"What have I told you? I'm always right." He adds.

"God, don't let him think that way. His head will get so big that he won't be able to walk through the door." Sofia says, walking into the room. She walks over to the mirror as she puts on her earrings.

"Hot damn, girl! You're going out dressed like this?" Shane asks, jumping up from his spot on my bed.

"Yeah?" She asks with a laugh.

"I'm going to be fighting the men off all night." He tells her, gesturing for her to twirl .

"But do I look good?" She asks, looking down at her outfit.

"Yes. Absolutely amazing." He says immediately. "Maybe a little too good. Can't you just wear sweatpants and a hoodie?" He suggests.

"You're hilarious." She says sarcastically.

"I know." He smiles.

"Are you guys almost ready?" She asks, looking at our outfits with uncertainty.

"We're ready." I reply.

"You are not wearing that." She tells me instantly.

"What? Why not?" I ask, looking at myself in the mirror.

"Because, we're going out. You need to wear that button down that Shane picked out." She tells me.

"I hate the button down." I groan. "Since when did you turn into Mom?"

"First of all, shut up." She laughs. "If you don't want to wear the shirt, at least wear the dark blue jeans with the black shirt. Those khakis are atrocious."

"You're right." I nod, agreeing with her for the most part. I didn't really want to wear the blue jeans either, but she does have a point. I grab the jeans from the closet and begin to redress.

"Hurry! I want to go so we have time to drink." She complains.

"We'll have plenty of time to drink." Shane assures her.

"Yeah, but we're getting Grayson drunk. Like...very drunk." She informs us.

"I don't want to drink." I reply.

"You're drinking." The two say in unison.

"I'll have one drink." I offer.

"Four." Sofia replies.

"Two." I counter.

"Two and a half. That's my final offer." She says. I groan in reply and she lets out a whoop in victory.

"Come on, our Uber is waiting for us." Shane says, turning the light off in the bedroom.

I just pray that this night is over as quickly as it's approaching.