Cherry Pop (Mercury Rising Book 3) Read Free

supervisors in the conference room. “Hello,” he answered the phone, hoping his firm voice disguised his nervousness.
    “Hey there, Ben,” Tripp said. “How’s it going?”
    “Fine, fine,” Ben said, moving off to the side of the overcrowded room seeking a little privacy. “And you?”
    “Same old, same old,” Tripp said. “Look, a bunch of us are going out tonight. You want to come?”
    “Who? Where?” Ben asked in surprise, glancing over at the others in the room. They were all chatting or checking their phones, and a few had left the room, presumably to go to the bathroom or get snacks. No one was paying attention to him. He felt relieved, which made no sense because he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Taking a phone call from a friend in the middle of a meeting was something people did all the time, right? An acquaintance, actually. He barely knew Tripp.
    “Just a few guys. A bar over in Lumberton,” Tripp said. “Not too far.”
    “I’m not much into the bar scene,” Ben said quietly into the phone, his back to the room, shoulders hunched, arms crossed. He knew his body language screamed “keep away”, but he didn’t care.
    “Me neither,” Tripp said. “It’s more a sports bar, games on TVs, darts and pool, that sort of thing. Not a big pick-up spot or anything. We’re just gonna hang out.”
    “Oh,” Ben said. “Well, I guess that sounds good. I can meet you there.”
    “No, sir,” Tripp said with a laugh. “I don’t want you to get lost. I’ll come and get you. Where do you live?”
    “What time?” Ben asked. “I’ll be here until at least seven. I’ve got a crew of new people here from California, and I’m in meetings all day.”
    “I can pick you up there,” Tripp said agreeably. “The new site, right? We’ve still got some people doing work over there.”
    “Yeah,” Ben said. “Okay. At seven?”
    “As close to it as I can get,” Tripp said. Ben heard voices in the background. “See you.” Tripp hung up without waiting for Ben to say goodbye.
    Ben tried not to think about his new plans for the evening as he turned back to the room with a nervous smile. Only five more hours to go. What had been a pleasant, productive meeting suddenly seemed like a wasted day. As soon as he had the thought, he felt like an idiot, the new kid in school getting all excited about his new friends and hoping they’d like him. He was pathetic.

    * * *
    A t exactly seven o’clock , Tripp stepped into the doorway of Ben’s office. “Ready?” he said.
    Ben shut down his computer and stood up. “I was just waiting for you,” he said. “I hope I’m dressed all right.”
    He had on his typical work outfit, dressy jeans with a white button down, and a black tie. He’d taken off his suit coat. Tripp was wearing faded jeans and a plain, light blue polo shirt with Lanier Construction embroidered on the left in navy blue. Ben had seen guys wearing that shirt all over the building site for months and he hadn’t given them a second glance. But on Tripp it looked hotter than hell.
    Not for the first time Ben wished he had the sort of looks that Tripp possessed, or Brian or Trey, or even Connor. When they walked into a room, people stopped and stared. When Ben walked into a room, someone usually walked into him because he faded into the background so well.
    He gave Tripp a self-conscious smile. “When I got ready this morning I was thinking meetings with computer programmers all day, not night out on the town.”
    “It’s Lumberton,” Tripp said. “I don’t think there’s a dress code.” He laughed, and Ben was amazed again at how effortlessly appealing he was. He seemed to laugh his way through life, which seemed a good way to do things.
    Had Ben ever been that young and confident? Tripp looked like he had the world by the tail, or whatever that saying was. Ben had never felt that way. He’d met Roland while he was still in school, and it seemed as if every minute of his adult life