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“Don’t forget,” Rey’s text message read. “Pick you up at 8.”
You’d never met Finn- or any of Rey’s other friends- but he sounded fun from the little anecdotes she’d tell you between restocking the new titles or ringing up customers at the bookstore. And she had insisted, practically begging and twisting your arm until you agreed to come along to this stranger’s birthday celebration. Supposedly, it was going to be a small gathering of her personal buddies. Chill. You weren’t so sure.
A bit nervous, you reminded yourself that it would be nice to meet some people outside work or school. Hell, to do anything at all outside of work or school, since your studies were devouring all of your personal life. Even in a worst-case scenario: if Rey’s friends were insufferable you weren’t forced to interact with them again. Nothing much to lose but a few hours that would’ve been spent buried in a text book anyway.
“Wear something cute- Remember the pilot I was telling you about?” she had added, along with a winking emoji.
Your answer contained one of a smiling pile of poo. She knew how you felt about this already.
“Just trust me”
Rey was the first person who truly befriended you since moving here and even though getting set up usually turned out to be a nightmare, you agreed to come along. With a tinge of anticipation, you redid your eyeliner and changed out of a faded t-shirt, just in case.
—
“Happy Birthday, Peanut!” Rey exclaimed, as the door burst open, loud music and Finn pouring out.
“Aaaaaaaay, my Reeeey!” Practically a ball of energy, he was immediately endearing. “Get inside! Rose made her famous white chocolate strawberry cupcakes.”
“This is my good friend from the bookstore.” Rey gestured, then spoke out of the side of her mouth as her elbow poked into his ribs, “The one I was telling you about.”
He blinked for a moment then startled with the realization. “Oh, yes! Of course!” Finn offered a brief but warm hug, enveloping you completely in bulky arms. “Good to meet you! Food and beer’s in the kitchen, please help yourself to anything.”
A small group of people chattered around the couches and coffee table. Lifting a Yeungling out of the fridge, you heard a little click, click, click across the kitchen tile.
“Get HIM!” A girl cried out from the living room and the group erupted into hysterics. A white and red Jack Russel Terrier sped past you triumphantly, a half-eaten pizza slice in his mouth. His tiny nails clicked against the floor and his collar pinged. You bent down to grab him but he raced past you down a hall.
Scooping the small dog, a guy in a white Henley emerged from a bedroom and stepped into the kitchen. “I don’t think so, B.B.” he crooned, then lifted the partially-chewed slice over his head of onyx curls. Was this the friend Rey had told you about? If so, she could’ve at least warned you he was… so…
“Rose, you wanna finish this?” he teased. Rose and Rey made gagging expressions from over a Jenga tower being razed on the coffee table.
Finn volunteered, “I’m still hungry!” while raising his hand like a schoolboy.
“Of course you are.” The little dog was still in his arms as he chuckled and stepped forward.
A jolt of electricity shot down your legs when your eyes met and he paused for a moment in front of the counter. “Hi.”
“Hello.” With a smile, you scratched behind the creature’s ear. He was apparently the owner of the richest espresso-hued eyes ever. Rey hadn’t told you that, but words couldn’t have possibly given them justice anyway.
“I’m Poe, welcome. This is B.B. Sorry, he’s a… fan of pepperoni. And he’s way too excited with all the attention. Wait- that wasn’t your slice, was it?!”
After sniffing your knuckles, the wiggly Terrier gave them an experimental lick. You might as well have just drank a shot of sawdust. “Oh no! Not mine. I just saw him take off with it. Little guy’s surprisingly fast.”
Rey’s voice rang out from the living room again as Poe tossed the gnawed slice into the trash, “He’s a thief! And he only listens to you! If he wasn’t so cute—“
“He’s the best boy, my B.B.” Poe came to the dog’s defense, lifting him up as his tail became a wild blur. “Best boy in the world, aren’t cha?”
“Guess I’m gonna have to take your word for it,” you decided to try his name out, “Poe.” It felt soft in your mouth.
“He does listen to me, though. Watch this: Get him, Beebs! Get Finn!” Soon as he was set back down, B.B. flew toward Finn in the living room like a wind-up toy and covered the birthday boy in sloppy kisses. “See. Only the finest training.”
“Uh-huh.” By this time, your cheeks were beginning to sting from being pulled into a genuine smile since he’d stepped into the kitchen. His must’ve been also, because for a moment you simply stood in front of the stove, silent as voices, laughter and music flowed from the surrounding rooms. Was he closer? He seemed closer without carrying the dog and it definitely wasn’t a bad thing.
“Now that my hands aren’t full of pizza or puppy anymore.” Poe extended his hand. Though it wasn’t exactly clean, his touch was tender. “It’s nice to meet you. Let me just ask now: Did Finn and Rey…?”
Letting out a giggle, you shrugged, grateful your new friend brought the subject up. Pretending it wasn’t a set-up made the whole thing much more awkward. “She certainly did. …For a loner herself, she sure likes to meddle.”
Relief dropped his shoulders slightly. “Tell me about it. Finn keeps trying to get me to try Tinder- no thanks. Rey didn’t tell me anything about you, actually, I asked her not to. I prefer to learn who someone is from them.”
“Well,” you introduced yourself then ventured, “for what it’s worth, she wouldn’t even show me your social media or anything. She only said you’re a pilot, and to trust her.”
“Do trust her?”
“Sure.”
“Me too.” Leaning against the counter, Poe pushed his sleeves farther up the olive skin of his forearms. “But I’m not a pilot quite yet. I’ve done some civilian classes and passed the Initial Flight Training, but still have more undergrad work to do before I can really call myself that. For now, I’m officially an engineer.”
“Bet that must be amazing, flying.”
The mischief in his smile told you this one chased more than just the clouds, but that faded away for a moment. “All I’ve ever wanted to do, actually. Both my parents and my tia were in the service. My whole life has been Air Force. But how do you know Rey? You have a class together?”
Peeling at the bottle label with your fingernail, you explained at the two of you worked at the campus bookstore together, on campus at University of South Florida where Rey was studying botany. “I’m working on my Masters in Biochemistry. I think I wanna help develop better diagnostic techniques.”
“Biochemistry? Hmmm… Beauty and brains, gotta say I’m impressed.”
A tingle spread over your cheeks at the compliment, which Poe noticed without a doubt, and you made a mental note to thank Rey.
—
A flatscreen mounted in the living room played some of Finn’s favorite movies as thumping music droned over the dialogue, no one paying much attention to it as the conversation flowed and games- both the board and drinking variety- were started, cheated at, and ultimately gloated about. From the couch, you listened to stories about Poe and Finn’s open mic nights at a bar close to MacDill Air Base, where they were stationed. Everyone agreed Poe had a great voice. Finn was ribbing his roommate for never playing for an audience anymore, imploring him to do a quick birthday performance with a little flattery. “Come on! You’re like a young Dylan…”
“Pfffft,” you countered, leaning toward Poe, “more like a young Johnny Cash. Look! You just need a little pompadour action. A baby pompadour.” When you tried to puff up the front of his wavy hair, Poe playfully smacked your hand away. Rose and Rey dissolved into more snickering.
Poe slipped away to the kitchen under the guise of fetching another drink, because he was starting to blush from all the attention. He could definitely dish out the flirting- he’d been charming you all night- but didn’t really know how to be on the receiving end with all of his closest friends staring every time you interacted.
Finn pointed toward the TV with a bottle neck pinched between his fingers. “I just love his part.” On the screen was Dark Helmet from Spaceballs and two cross-eyed laser gunners.
“How many assholes do we got on this ship, anyhow?!” Finn and Poe both quoted in unison.
Leaning closer, Rose explained her boyfriend’s annual tradition, “They always watch Spaceballs on his birthday. It’s not my thing, but it makes him happy.” She grinned as she watched them adding, “…and they get a little tipsy. Those two are cute together when they’re tipsy.”
Smugness accenting her voice, Rey flicked her gaze over toward Poe’s back in the kitchen, then back to you. “You two seem to be getting on.”
Rose was reclined with her legs across Finn’s lap. Wordlessly, they had a brief exchange through brow twitches before Finn said, “I think Poe likes someone.”
“Called it!” Rey folded her arms across her chest and sighed with satisfaction.
Knowing you were in for merciless teasing on the way home, you rolled your eyes in defeat. “He’s very nice.” Understatement of the year.
“Who’s nice? Me?” Anxiety immediately squeezed your chest, in sharp contrast from the relative comfort of your buzz. Poe’s gaze bounced between you and the rest of the group playfully. “Isn’t it a rule that you’re not allowed to make fun of someone in their own house?”
“It’s my birthday and I say everyone’s allowed to make fun of Poe,” Finn declared as Poe handed him another amber bottle. “You get to go first.”
“Hmmm,” you began. Poe stood biting his lip, fighting off a shit-eating grin as he slid next to you on the couch cushion awaited a brutal roasting. “Should I be nice?”
“Yes.” Poe laughed, “Don’t make me sic B.B. on you!”