Best Friend

"What have you gotten yourself into, Ace?" 

I lifted my gaze to my best friend, warily battling whether to feel deliberately annoyed or concerned by the hidden warning on his tone. Lucas Nicholas Alexander, my loyal best friend sat on the bar stool beside me, arms folded across his chest, a can of beer remained untouched at the top of the bar counter in front of him. Irritation irked his aristocratic face while impatiently waiting for my response. I didn't say an immediate reply. Instead, I lifted the half-consumed bottle of beer, brought it to my mouth, and drank its contents up to the last drop.