"She was, let's say, skilled in the oral department," Mark gushed. "I certainly miss that." He served up the levity although we knew in reality he had taken their breakup hard. This was the brave face he put on - pretending he only missed the blowjobs. He had confided before - under the haze of a few drinks - that he was left devastated and felt lonely after Sara left.
"Can't help you on that one," said Brad. "There are many things I would do for you, but time to get back on Tinder, man!" We laughed. "Sam will do it for you."
"What!?" I hollered. He was just having fun with me, but almost surprising myself I amended, "Ah, doesn't seem so bad, what're friends for after all...?" Brad and Mark both came back with slightly awkward chuckle, and we quickly reset the conversation on another topic.
"I'm good!" Mark threw his hands up as if at gunpoint.
--
The night went on very much that way, Mark, Brad and I bullshitting and laughing. They were my oldest and dearest friends; anytime we spent together was both effortless and pleasant. We just really got one another, and we had been key support for Mark after breaking up with Sara. We'd want to do anything to help him though.
"That's it, I'm falling asleep," Brad confessed. He had in fact dozed off on the couch and slept for a few minutes. We didn't resist and let him trundle off to bed, we had 20 minutes left in the movie, so Mark and I planned to finish the last few scenes. In his half-sleep, Brad had lost track of the plot, anyway.
"So," Mark piped up after sitting in silence for a minute after Brad left. He peered over his shoulder to see if Brad had gone all the way up the stairs to the rear of the house.
"So?" I replied.
"Would you, actually do that?"
I coyly said "what?" but I think I actually knew what he meant. This was not something I would freely throw out there - what if I got it wrong? But I think the thing to which he referred was the can of worms I opened earlier.
"Erm, I mean, the - what you said earlier. You know..." Mark tiptoed around the question.