It’s kind of funny watching Lucas keep coming to the wrong conclusions. At least to me.

…

What happened after dinner? Well, I took a nap. And no, not because I’m old. Older. A little older. I just didn’t see the need to lose sleep.

Lucas begged to differ. “Macrae’s found this spot that’s got crazy jazz,” he told me. “Trumpets and flutes, and a drumbeat that just won’t quit. You should come along, bring a date. Gotta keep that heart rate up.”

“Since when do I need help with that?” I grumbled. “And I got a perfectly good date planned already. With my bed. Trust me, when you get to my age, you’ll see the appeal of a good pillow.”

Lucas laughed, the little bastard. “Ha! Nice try, Tom. You just don’t want to have to explain to Betty or Delores why you took the other one dancing.”

I didn’t bother asking how he knew Delores and I had been seen in public. I mean, it was in public. I obviously wasn’t gonna explain just how wrong he had gotten things, either. Instead I said, “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You’d just bring along both?”

“Yes,” Lucas admitted, with more hesitation than I expected. “But…”

“But?”

“Ah, well, how do I put this, Tom? …It’d be because I can.”