Let's Party  

"Theodore's picking up the tab today, you're free, right?" William asked Brian.

"No plans."

"Then hang tight for me, I need to swing by the office. I'll try to be back before you clock out. If you get peckish, there's some food in the office. I left some snacks with the secretary, they're savory, not sweet. If you want some, just ask the secretary."

Usually, snacks are sweet, but William had scoured every bakery and snack shop until he found a type of biscuit that supposedly wouldn't cause heartburn. He bought a big bag and left it with the secretary.

Brian agreed, but didn't ask the secretary to bring in the biscuits. A while later, the secretary came in with a plate of biscuits and a cup of hot tea.

"Mr. Liu, your husband called and asked me to bring these in."

William was clever. He had won over Brian's secretary, so he knew where Brian was at all times and could help take care of him. If anything happened to Brian, he would know, right?

The secretary found it amusing and was very cooperative with William.

Brian found it somewhat funny. William really knew how to be everywhere at once.

You had to admit, he was very meticulous when it came to these strange little things.

William arrived an hour late, rushing in. Theodore had been waiting anxiously, constantly calling him.

Theodore and William drank together, aiming to get drunk. They drank glass after glass, and when they were feeling good, they started spilling all their childhood stories. Like when Theodore chased after a girl who moved away at the age of ten, and William used all his New Year's money to help Theodore take a train to see her. But Theodore got off at the wrong station, and William had to rush to find him. Unfortunately, they didn't have much money and didn't dare tell their parents, so they ended up hitchhiking back. Their journey was so chaotic that they almost ended up on a train to Russia. Their families thought they had been kidnapped and even called the police, but they returned after about two weeks, looking like child laborers who had escaped from a coal mine.

They laughed about the time they tried to pass love letters over a girl's wall and got chased by a dog for three blocks, and how they scared the dog away by imitating Tibetan Mastiff barks. They reminisced about the time they were asked to sell newspapers for a school project and ended up shouting about a movie featuring "one woman and seven men," a film about "moaning in the sorghum field," and a mystery movie asking "who's the killer?" on the streets.

In reality, they were talking about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Red Sorghum, and Sherlock Holmes.

Their suggestive shouting attracted the attention of the local patrol ladies, who thought they were selling adult films.

Brian just listened with a smile. No wonder they were such good friends, they were both such goofballs.

William was efficient, heaping food into Brian's bowl as soon as the dishes arrived. He even arranged the cutlery, knowing Brian's right hand still couldn't use chopsticks. He made sure Brian was taken care of before he started drinking.

Theodore, a bit drunk, raised his glass to Brian.

"Brian, we didn't get a chance to bond before, but from now on, we're brothers. If my brother's not home and you need anything, just holler. I'll be there, no questions asked."

He thumped his chest in assurance.

"Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? I'm tight with William, he's my brother. His friends are my friends, his parents are my parents, his husband is my...,"

William cut him off with a playful slap, sending him under the table.

"Don't you dare covet my husband."

"Are you full, Brian? Let's go party, it's the weekend, we can party till dawn."

Brian wanted to go home, but even though it was the weekend, he had a short business trip the next day. William was still in the mood to hang out with his friends, arm in arm with Theodore, pushing and shoving each other in high spirits. Brian didn't say much, he figured he'd go along and could bring William home if he drank too much.

The nightclub was a wild scene on the weekends. As soon as they walked through the glittering doors and the booming music hit, even the most reserved person would be infected by the energy, starting to sway along with the crowd.