"Let me get this straight," Venti said, toweling off his bare pecs in the locker room. "You want Art and myself to go out on a double date with you?"

Otis buttoned up his shorts, nodding. "I think it'd be fun."

"I'm still wondering when you went on a first date with this guy."

Otis grinned, shrugging. "It happened. Did I forget to tell you?"

Venti put on his shorts, then his tank top. "You did," he muttered, rummaging through his locker for something.

"I'm sorry, Venti. You know I didn't do it on purpose, right? I mean, I don't keep too many secrets from you."

"I know you keep one secret from me."

"Which one's that?"

"You have my little brother's phone number."

Otis gaped. "Hey, that's not a secret. He told you he gave it to me."

"And how would you know that unless you've been talking to him?"

Otis rubbed his temples. "Venti. I'm not datin' your brother. I'm just being friends with him."

Venti grinned. "It's so good to know I can still make you squirm after all these years."

Otis threw a punch at Venti's arm. "Jerk. You had me thinkin' you were mad."

Venti kissed his palm, then smacked his rump. "I can't help it if you're easy to fool, Otis."

"Takin' advantage of my youthful naivety. That ain't fair, old man."

"Oh, like you're so young." Venti put on his sunglasses and grabbed his duffel bag.

"So you gonna go out with me and my man this weekend?"

"You still haven't told me anything about your man."

"Well, he's an otter."

Venti nodded. "No surprise there."

Otis went on, ignoring Venti's observation. "He's got a swimmer's build, about five-seven, a nice shock of blonde headfur."

"In other words, he's a surfer."

"Pretty much. We met at a singles group, and hit it off."

Venti patted Otis on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, man. I knew you wouldn't stay single for long."

"Well, I'm still single technically."

"You'll be cured of that soon enough."

Otis snorted. "Venti, only you would make being single sound like an illness."

Venti nodded. "It is. We're social animals. Loneliness sucks."

"True."

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