Nick looked at Lauren as Brian's voicemail outgoing message clicked on. "He's not answering," he muttered, frustration bubbling under his voice. Lauren scowled. "Hey this is B-Rok, leave me a message..." "Aw hell no," Nick said into the phone as it beeped in his ear. "You're answering your phone, Littrell." He hung up the cellphone and quickly hit resend on the call. It started ringing again.
"Is it really going to help calling him again and again?" Lauren asked.
"Yes," Nick answered firmly. "Eventually, he'll get sick of listening to it ring. And I ain't gonna be the first one who caves." He settled himself down onto the chair. "I have all night."
"I don't think he's going to give up," Emma said as, once again, Brian's phone vibed in the ash tray.
"He'll give up. Nick doesn't have the patience to out wait me."
"Why are we avoiding his phone call again?" Emma questioned.
Brian hesitated. He wasn't really positive anymore. The ringtone was slowly but surely wearing on his nerves. At this point, though, it was more to do with winning and the principle of beating Nick than it was about anything else.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. Zzzzzzzzzzzt.
"You should probably answer it," Emma suggested quietly, "What if it's an emergency?"
"Nick doesn't have emergencies. Nick has blonde moments. Nick has hand-stuck-in-a-pickle-jar moments."
"Stuck in a pickle jar?"
Brian nodded. "Like I said."
"How does one --" Emma paused, "Nevermind. He sounds... unique. But isn't he watching your son?"
Brian paused.
"What if it has something to do with Baylee?" Emma asked.
Brian whipped the wheel to the side of the road and put the car into park, the emergency lights flashing and snapped the phone out of the ash tray as it vibed yet again. He held it to his ear. "What's going on? What's the matter?" he demanded.
Nick's voice was flat from the boredom of having sat there waiting for him to answer the phone for so long. "I knew you'd pick up."
Brian frowned. Neither of the two boys were very good losers. "What. Do. You. Want."
"Lauren informed me you're thinking about gettin' hitched."
Brian glanced at Emma. "Not... exactly," he said.
"Not exactly?"
Brian shifted to look out his door window and whispered, "It's not like that, you know?"
"Uh huh..." Nick paused. "What is it like?"
"Nick."
"Brian."
Brian sighed. "You know what it's like." He could feel Emma's eyes on the back of his head. He reached for the door handle and climbed out. Cars rushed by, the air ruffling his hair. He ducked to the back of the truck and leaned against the bed.
"What the hell is all that racket?" Nick demanded.
"I was on the highway," Brian said.
"And now where are you? The sideline of the Indy 500? Jesus."
"I'm outside the truck," Brian said, "I didn't feel like discussing this with you with Emma listening to me. Look, ultimately this isn't really your choice, you do know that right? And it's not really your business....really."
"How is it not my business?" Nick questioned.
"Because it isn't," Brian answered.
"Dude. Since when is my best friend getting hitched not my business?" Nick demanded. "I'm pretty sure that, as your best friend, I should be, like, your best man or whatever."
"I told you, it's not like that, Frack."
"How can you get married without a best man? What about a bachelor party?" Nick questioned, "You realize you're ripping me off a perfectly good stri---" he stopped mid-word. Brian heard the mouthpiece get covered by Nick's hand. "No, I'm not talking about strippers," he said. He uncovered the mouthpiece. "Dude you got me in shit with the woman."
"I don't need a bachelor party or a best man, Nick," Brian said, "It's not a real wedding."
Nick sounded annoyed, "Of course it's a real wedding. Aren't you in love with the chick?"
"Nick."
"Brian."
"I'm not marrying her because I love her. I'm marrying her because she needs insurance and I have insurance and it's a crying shame if she dies because she didn't have insurance when I have plenty of insurance."
"But you love her."
"I used to," Brian said.
Nick sighed. "Plus, you didn't talk to Baylee about this. Don't you think it's kind of important for Baylee to be aware of the fact that he has a stepmother?"
"Nick, it's not like she's moving in with us, okay? This isn't going to be conventional. Basically, I'm a signature on an insurance form, that's it." Brian rubbed his forehead.
"If he finds out," Nick said slowly, "And you aren't the one to tell him, the shit is gonna hit the fan and it's gonna explode all over you."
Brian rolled his eyes, "There is no shit, and there is no fan."
"Oh there's shit," Nick said in a reassuring voice, "And there are plenty of fans."
Brian's eyebrows furrowed, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Just -- I'm --" Nick stammered. "Ugh. Forget it. Where the hell are you anyways?"
Brian rubbed the back of his neck. "On the highway."
"The highway?"
"Uh-huh."
There was a long pause while Nick figured out the implications of the highway. Brian waited for it. He could feel the explosion impending. He bit his lower lip. Finally, it came. "Jesus you aren't on your way to Vegas or some shit like that are you?" Nick crowed.
"Tennessee," Brian corrected, "We're going to Tennessee."
"Oh motha-fu----" Nick cut himself off and Brian heard a muffled thumping, followed by Lauren's voice on the other end of the line.
"Brian? Where are you?"
"Lauren?"
"Where are you?"
"On the way to Tennessee to get married," Brian replied.
Lauren was silent for a long moment. "Are you sure you're making the right choice?" she asked.
"Yes," Brian answered, "I am. It's the right-est choice I've made in a long while."
"Okay." Lauren took a deep breath. "Then good luck."
"Thanks."
When Brian got back into the cab of the truck, Emma was turned in her seat to look at him. He put his phone back into the ash tray and he gave her a tiny little smile - not really forced, but not truly natural either - and started the truck back up. "Next stop," he said, "Tennessee."
