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fosterfunk · 5 years ago

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ring shopping | foxter

fox meets up with foster to buy the engagement ring for lori

Foster had to be honest; he felt a little weird about lying to Lori. She’d been the only consistent thing in his life for nearly a decade, and he hadn’t really ever lied to her. But he knew they were lying for good reason, and he couldn’t be too bothered by that. He was so happy for her and Fox. They were so perfect for each other, and he was thrilled to be part of them spending the rest of their lives together. Plus, Fox had helped him a lot back when he’d proposed, so he was happy to help now. They’d agreed to meet at the store. He’d arrived early, propped against the outside wall and smoking a cigarette as he waited.

Fox didn't know why he was a little nervous. He was only going ring shopping. He wasn't proposing yet. Still, he felt like he was looking over his shoulder to be sure Lori wasn't following him. Not that he expected her to be but for some reason he felt a little stressed. He just wanted this to go smoothly. He needed it to. He needed everything to be perfect because that was what Lori deserved. He was just thrilled he had Foster to tag along and provide him with help. He walked up to the store and spotted Foster leaning against the wall. "Hey," he greeted. "Thank god you're already here. Let's go inside before someone I know drives by and tells Lori or something."

Foster looked up as Fox greeted him, putting his cigarette out. He laughed a bit and shook his head. “You’re paranoid, man. You think someone’s gonna tell on you? C’mon, who would do that?” he teased, popping a piece of gum in his mouth. Despite his talk, he held the door open for Fox and then followed him. He didn’t think anyone would say anything, because it would be pretty obvious what was happening, but it didn’t hurt to be careful, either. “So, do you have anything in mind? Like, I don’t know, the shape, or the metal, or whatever?” he asked curiously, glancing around at the cases. “What about budget? That feels like a good question.”

Fox rolled his eyes a little bit, though he knew Foster was right. He was paranoid. "I don't know! Students! They gossip about us enough!" he said exasperatedly. "Or, like, I don't know, someone. I just want to keep this a secret. It has to all go perfectly, you know? Lor deserves a proposal and not someone being like hey, Fox bought you a ring. What a horrible thing that would be," he said seriously. He followed him into the jeweler, a little bewildered as he took in all the expensive pieces. "Um," he started. "Well, probably a white gold. Something delicate and not gaudy. How much are you supposed to spend on rings?" he asked, eyes wide. Maybe he should have researched more first but what if Lori saw his search history?

Foster shrugged. He supposed that was technically true, but he also was pretty sure they wouldn’t go blabbing to Lori about it. What did he know though? “Hey man, I’m with you. I want it to go perfectly and be a secret and all of that, too. I’m just saying, relax. You’re a little tense!” he said, patting his back. He nodded a bit. “Yeah, that sounds like something she’d like,” he agreed. He frowned a little, thinking. “They used to say, what is it, like, two months of your income? I don’t know. I think that’s outdated. Seems like a lot on a ring.”

Fox was more than a little tense. He was downright stressed. He just needed this to all be perfect and special. It needed to all go exactly right. "Like you weren't stressed when we did this for you," he remarked before instantly regretting it. He coughed a little to cover it up. "Two months income? Should I spend that much? Do you think she'll be mad I spent that much on one piece of jewelry? Or like, should I spend more because she deserves the best and most beautiful ring I can afford?"

Foster nodded a little. That was fair. He’d been pretty stressed, he wasn’t gonna deny that. “Yeah, that’s true. But this is like, just, so right. It’s the start of you guys having a life together forever. Try to relax a bit and enjoy it,” he said. He shrugged a bit as he looked over the jewelry. Everything was really gorgeous. “I don’t know. Do you guys like, have a shared budget? Or is it like you both have your money and split like utilities and rent and groceries and shit? If you have your own budget, you could do whatever you want, but if you share, she might not appreciate you spending a lot. I don’t know, though. I feel like you can find a balance of getting her something really nice without going overboard.”

Fox thought this was right too. It couldn't be anything but. Lori was the love of his life. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to tie himself to her until he took his last breath. "Yeah, yeah. You're right. I'm so glad you're here," he admitted. He looked at the cases and cases of jewelry, still a bit overwhelmed. What if he picked the wrong one? Should he just propose without a ring and let her pick it? "I mean we share and we have our own money. Like most of our money is shared, I'd say. I've been saving up for this, though, and for a wedding for a while," he admitted. He had a separate savings account for it. "Alright. This is fine. I can do this. We can do this. Let's look around first before we ask anyone for help."

Foster flashed Fox a smile. He was glad he was here, too. “I’m glad you invited me,” he said with a smile. He hummed a little. He didn’t think that he could fuck this up too bad, honestly. “I think splurge a little, but not too much,” he suggested. “How long have you been thinking about marrying her?” he asked curiously. He walked with him, looking in the cases. “Are you thinking about a diamond ring? Does she wear jewelry much?” He figured he could try to make a pick based on what she already wore.

Fox couldn't imagine doing this without him honestly. Foster was his best friend. He was also Lori's best friend, aside from that Evie girl but he didn't know her. And maybe she could be helpful but he didn't know her enough to be sure she wouldn't spill the secret. "Pretty much since you introduced me to her but I didn't take it seriously until we started dating and then I started saving for, well, today," he admitted. He looked at all the shiny jewels and wondered how he was supposed to pick. "Yeah, well, it depends. Like if she's doing a dissection in class that day she's not showing up in jewelry," he shrugged. "I kind of want something that feels like... like delicate but also strong. Something that feels like us."

Foster widened his eyes a bit. He was sort of surprised by that. He was kind of blown away, actually. He’d never been so instantly connected to anyone, except, well, Evie. “You really liked her, huh?” he said. He hadn’t realized that, honestly. After all, he’d dated in college after he knew Lori. He hummed a bit as they looked. “That one is kind of pretty, but it’s a bit too flashy, I think,” he said, pointing to a ring. “I don’t like the ones with lots of color, either,” he said, mostly thinking out loud. “These are way nicer than the ones I looked at,” he laughed.

Fox waved it off a little bit. "I just knew. Sometimes you just know that someone is going to be an important part of your life. I knew Lori was. It just came down to timing and, well, working up the nerve to make a move," he admitted. And then Lori had made the first move anyway. He nodded a bit. "Too flashy. It needs a smaller stone, I think," he agreed. "You know, I don't either. I feel like she wouldn't. I think she's more classic than that." He chuckled a little at that. "They are pretty nice. Do you want me to buy you one too?" he joked as he continued to look. "I like this style more," he pointed it out. "It's still not right. And it's yellow gold. That won't do."

Foster thought that was wild. He did feel like they were right for each other. But he hadn’t foreseen them becoming a couple. Maybe he should have. “I’m glad you guys figured it out. You bring out something in each other,” he said honestly. “Yeah, I agree,” he said with a nod. She did feel more like the classic type. He laughed a bit and nodded. “Yeah, actually, if you’re offering,” he said playfully. He looked at it, frowning a bit as he nodded. “It feels almost right, but not quite,” he agreed.

Fox smiled to himself. He thought so too. He thought they balanced each other out perfectly. Everything was right when they were together. Even if sometimes things got heated, it was because they loved each other so much. "I'm glad you approve. It means a lot to me. I mean, you are responsible for all of this after all," he added. He laughed a little. "Just pick out something cheaper than whatever I get for Lor or she'll be jealous," he teased. He moved farther down the cases, biting his cheek.

Foster didn’t really think he was responsible. He’d introduced them, but they didn’t get together for three more years. “I think you and Lori are responsible for this,” he said with a smile. He laughed a bit and nodded. “Can do,” he teased. He moved to a different case, looking over the different rings. “Man, there sure are a lot. And they kind of all look the same, but also are all so different,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He moved onto another one, pausing. “Fox. Fox. This is it. I think this is the one,” he said, reaching his hand into the air behind him to signal for him without taking his eyes off the ring.

Fox shrugged slightly. Maybe that was true but Foster had been the one to bring them together to meet. He wasn't sure if he ever would have talked to Lori otherwise. He might have had his head too far in the clouds. "You lit the spark," he insisted. "Joining your two best friends into one magical couple. You're a real life Cupid," he teased. He didn't know much about jewelry and he was pretty sure his strategy of knowing the right when he saw it was actually not going to pan out after all. He was starting to question himself when he heard Foster and he walked over to see it. "Which one? Oh."

Foster thought he had a point, but laughed a bit at that. “No offense, Fox, but you weren’t my best friend when I introduced you two. It was like the first month of freshman year! You’re lucky she let you hang out with the two of us, because she wasn’t happy about it at first,” he teased. He didn’t think he deserved the credit like that. He watched Fox’s expression change when he saw it. “That’s the ring, right? That’s gotta be the one, right?” he asked, nudging him a little.

Fox rolled his eyes. "Well, you were my best friend! My only friend but my best friend," he grinned at him. "I'm sure she wasn't but I charmed her same as I charmed you. Now you both love me," he said playfully. "I don't know how I got so lucky getting such a two for one here." He looked at the ring, knowing that was the one for Lori. Nothing else would compare to it. It was the right ring. She was the right girl. "It's it. I don't care how much it costs. That's the ring. You're a genius."

Foster gave him a look, but he was smiling. He didn’t really think that he was his best friend yet, but maybe he was. Fox wasn’t like a lot of other people. “Your best friend because I was your only friend,” he teased. “We do both love you. Though she might have me beat,” he teased, winking at him. “Honestly, you can thank Evie for tying us together,” he said with a shrug. He smiled, feeling proud that he’d managed to find a ring that Fox liked so much. “Alright, let’s get someone over here to get it out for us,” he said.

Fox waved a hand a little. "Now you're talking semantics. I probably could have had other friends if anyone else talked to me or if I talked to anyone else. I was just the weird kid still," he grinned. "Maybe by a little bit. She love me an awful lot," he agreed with a smile. He raised an eyebrow slightly, having not thought about that. "Well, I'll be sure to thank her when I meet her." He nodded a bit, his eyes still on the ring. It was so beautiful. He waited while Foster got someone's attention and then held the ring in his hand. "Wow. This is it. Don't you think?" he asked Foster.

Foster rolled his eyes. This wasn’t going to go anywhere. Fox was never going to back down on this. “Oh, I know. I’ve been around the two of you. You’re both definitely love sick, and it is sickeningly sweet,” he said playfully. “She’ll appreciate that, I’m sure,” he said honestly. He looked it over once it was in his hands and nodded. “Yeah. It feels like a ring that she’ll have on her hand for the rest of her life,” he promised. “That has to be it. I can’t imagine there’s a better one here for her.”

Fox didn't really think the word sickeningly needed to be used but he was going to let it slide. He was too focused on the ring and the thought that it was finally coming together. After he'd purchased this, he'd be one step closer to marrying the woman of his dreams. His heart was pounding. He turned the ring in his hand, inspecting it from every angle. He could just picture it on Lori's finger already. "It does. It feels like fate," he said mostly to himself. "I don't think there's a better one anywhere."

Foster could tell how much Fox loved that ring. He was so enthralled with it. It was beautiful. And it was representative of the future he was going to have with Lori. He was so happy for him. “Well! Let’s get them to box it up and all of that, and you can buy it, and then we can go back to my place and drink on what a great find it was,” he suggested with a smile. He was so excited. He wondered how many plans Fox had. He couldn’t wait to help him even more.

Fox nodded a little bit. He thought that was a great idea. This was worth celebrating. "I might have to hide the ring at your place for a while. I don't want to risk taking it home and having Audrey find it on accident and having everything go south before I can even get on one knee," he admitted. He handed the ring to the worker with a smile. He was ready to buy it. He didn't even have to know the price. "We should have some fancy alcohol."

Foster nodded, waving a hand. That was no problem at all. “Yeah, of course. I’ll keep it safe for you,” he promised. It was no trouble, and he was so happy to be of any help in any way. He didn’t think things would go south just because she found the ring, but he would still help. He was amazed at how prepared Fox was to buy this ring. It was so mature of him. What a grown up. He admired that a lot. Maybe it was silly, but he did. “We’ll have to pick some up then, because I don’t have anything fancy,” he said with a laugh.

Fox was so glad he had such a good friend in Foster. He'd really been there for him ever since they'd met. He was one of the most important people in his life. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it." He handed over his car to the salesman, making polite conversation. "Should we save the fancy for after she says yes?" he wondered. "Is that how this works? Or do we just celebrate that I was brave enough to buy a ring in the first place?" he chuckled.

Foster shook his head. “No, because then you’ll be celebrating with her, not me,” he said with a playful grin and a chuckle. “Let’s just celebrate that you’re brave enough to be planning on spending the rest of your life with this woman, that you bought the ring, and that you still have money for a wedding,” he said, smiling at him. He smiled at the salesman and waved as they left. “How does it feel, knowing you have the ring with you?”

Fox considered that for a moment before laughing. "Yeah, okay, fair enough. You've got a point." Everything was coming together so well, he thought. He could see his future already. "Yeah, that's a good thing to celebrate, I think. I've done some serious planning in my life to save this money, I deserve a celebration," he joked. He tucked the ring box into his pocket, liking the way it felt. "It feels surreal. I can't believe it's finally happening."

Foster was glad Fox was on board. It was probably selfish, but he wanted to be part of this celebration. He was sure there’d be more celebrating later with Fox and Lori, but he liked this, too. “I think you do!” he said honestly, nodding a little. He thought that was pretty impressive, honestly. He smiled over at him, nudging him a little with his elbow. “You’re gonna get married. Can you believe that?” he said, a bit in disbelief himself.

Fox was glad Foster agreed. It'd be nice to get to celebrate with his best friend now. It was what they deserved. It had been a long time coming to get to this point. He couldn't be happier. "I really can't believe it," he admitted. "It feels so strange to be another step closer to actually asking. Like. It's more real now that I have the ring. It's so close now," he told him. "I have so much to plan."

Foster walked down the street, spotting a liquor store down a bit. They could get a cab from there. “It’s very surreal, even for me. I’m so happy for you, though. Like, really. You two are so good for each other. I feel so honored to be a part of any of this,” he said honestly. He was so excited, and it wasn’t even his proposal. He opened the door to the liquor store, letting Fox go in first. “After you,” he said.

Fox was really pleased that Foster believed in them so much. It really proved to him that he had a chance at actually marrying Lori. Foster knew them as a couple better than anyone else. He was lucky to have him around. "I'm glad you're a part of this. I don't think I could do any of it without you," he admitted. He went into the liquor store and started looking for the fanciest thing he could find. "You'll be my best man at the wedding, right?"

Foster was sure that wasn’t true, but he appreciated the compliment. He liked to think that he was helping out. He felt like he was, anyway. And he liked being involved in this. “I’m happy to help,” he promised. He walked with him as he looked over the different liquors. He didn’t really know what he had in mind, so he’d just let him pick. “Uh, yeah. I’d be offended if you asked anyone else. Except River. I suppose I could let that slide,” he teased.

Fox picked up a bottle and inspected it before he set it back down and moved onto the next. "I'm really grateful you came with me. I never would have found that ring without you," he told him. He chuckled a little bit, trying to imagine his little brother as his best man. "Yeah, I wouldn't have asked him. He wouldn't be up to the task and he'd probably lose the ring the day of. Besides, you're the one who's been there throughout all of this. I need you by my side." He selected a bottle and took it to the check out. He was excited to celebrate with his best friend.

Foster was happy he could help. He couldn’t wait to help even more. “I’m sure you would’ve come across it eventually, but I’m glad I could find it for you,” he said with a smile. He laughed a little and shrugged. “Maybe he’s more groomsman material, then,” he said playfully. “What can I say? I’m an excellent wingman,” he said with a smile. He did think, of all the things he couldn’t say about himself, he was a really good friend. “We can start planning once we crack that open and have a drink,” he suggested.

Fox shrugged a bit. He wasn't so sure. It kind of felt like fate that Foster had found it. He'd brought them together in the first place and then he'd found the ring. There was symbolism there. "I think you were supposed to find it," he said simply. He made a slight face. "Yeah, he can probably pull off being a groomsman. Don't let him wander off and get lost at the ceremony," he joked. "That sounds like a good idea. I can't wait." He paid for the bottle and turned to Foster again. "Let's go."

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fosterfunk · 5 years ago

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brunch | evster

foster and evie meet up again and continue catching up, this time over brunch

Foster was excited to meet up with Evie again. He was really enjoying her company. It wasn't like he didn't have other people he'd spent time with, or like he wasn't good at spending time by himself, he just really liked being around her. She was nice and fun and he liked that he knew her and didn't know her. It was like getting to meet someone new that you knew you'd like. He got there and got them a table, ordering mimosas as he waited for her.

Evie had had a wonderful time with Foster the other night. It was just nice to be able to fall into something familiar. New York was more or less the same but the only two friends she had here were Lori and Foster. And she hadn't even known she'd bump into him so quickly. He just made things fun with his energy. He made her laugh. That was enough for her. She wandered into the place and looked around before she spotted him. "Hey Foster," she grinned as she walked to him.

Foster kept an eye towards the entrance to make sure he caught Evie when she came in. He noticed her and caught her eye, waving her over. He was so happy to see her again, even though it hadn't been that long since they'd last talked, especially in comparison to the years they had apart. "Hey! How was your night out with Lori?" he asked with a smile.

Evie liked how bright his smile was when he aimed it at her. His happiness was just infectious. "It was so great," she grinned as she sat down. "We went to this fancy French place that Lori made a reservation for and then we pretended to be celebrating our wedding anniversary for special treatment," she laughed. "We had a special tasting menu and free dessert. How was your night? Did you do anything fun?"

Foster laughed a bit when Evie said what they'd done last night. A bit of him couldn't help but think how ironic it was that they'd pretended to be married while he and Fox found a ring for them to become married. Wild, really. "That's a fantastic idea. I should use that," he teased. "I love free stuff," he added, though really, who didn't? "I hung out with Fox. We didn't do much, but it was a fun time."

Evie grinned at him. "Yeah! You should! We had amazing service. It's such a cool perk. You just have to know how to play it right," she shrugged with a smile. "Oh yeah? Well, that's still fun. You don't always have to be doing exciting things to have a good time." She looked at the menu in front of her for a moment. "So, what do you usually get here?" she wondered.

Foster could imagine that. For some reason, staff cared about stuff like that. Maybe they were hoping the emotions of the night would lead to generosity if they played their cards right. He found it kind of funny. "Oh yeah, I can see that. Probably easy enough in this city. You wouldn't run into the same people twice," he said with a laugh. It was ironic, really, because they had definitely done something exciting, but she didn't need to know that. "Very true!" he agreed. "Well, if I order off the menu, I get the platter. But, I prefer the buffet. They have everything you could imagine."

Evie hoped she had a night like that with Lori again. Foster was right thinking it'd be easy in this city. They could get away with whatever they wanted food wise. "It was pretty thrilling too. It was a lot of fun messing around like that," she smiled. She paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Okay, let's do the buffet then! That sounds like a good idea to me. Are their waffles any good?" she wondered.

Foster hadn't done anything like that in a really long time, but it was always fun pulling shit over on people and messing with them. "I'm sure it was. We should do that sometime," he said playfully. He was glad she was on board with the buffet idea. "Yes! I'm glad you agree. Hm, yeah, definitely. I like to watch for when they bring out a fresh new batch and then go snatch up like two or so," he said with a grin.

Evie would definitely be down for that. She had a feeling it'd be ridiculously easy. "We should. Next time we grab food," she suggested with a grin. She laughed the tiniest amount when he appeared so excited. He radiated happiness sometimes. "Mm, sounds perfect. I love brunch," she admitted with a laugh. "All my favorites are available for me in one place," she grinned. "I used go to a lot in college."

Foster thought that sounded like a lot of fun, honestly. They could go on about being high school sweethearts and all of that. It'd be so easy to be believable because they'd done it all before. "Sounds like a plan," he grinned. "I do, too. A genius meal idea, really," he said, laughing himself. "Because that's when you woke up, or because brunch is a thing?" he asked curiously. He never woke up early enough for breakfast in college, honestly.

Evie could already tell they'd have a blast doing that. Then again, it was always fun to be around him and everyone loved free stuff. There was really no downside to it. "Eh, a bit of both. I feel like it was more of a weekend thing, like the morning after a party when we'd wake up hungover and stumble down the road to the brunch place," she laughed. "But we went on the weekdays too when we could."

Foster laughed at that image, having a clear image of that from his own college days. They would've still been friends all through college, he was sure of it. It was a shame she hadn't just come back for college, but nothing could be done about it now. "Yeah, I definitely feel that. We always got brunch on weekends, though not always here. It can be pricey," he said with a laugh. "But I don't think I was ever awake before ten in college."

Evie liked that they'd had a similar experience. It was crazy to think of what could have been had she stayed in New York. "Oh yeah? I feel like brunch is like, such a thing for college kids," she laughed. No one wanted to get up early to make it to breakfast. "I loved sleeping in. I remember accidentally signing up for an 8 AM class and being devastated every time I had to wake up," she laughed.

Foster nodded in agreement. He was sure other people did brunch as much as college kids, but it was such an easy thing for them back in the day. "God, me too. I still love sleeping in when I get the chance," he said with a laugh. "Oh no. That would've resulted in me skipping class more often than not," he laughed. When the waiter brought their drinks, he thanked him, and let him know they'd be going for the buffet. "I hope mimosas were good for you. You can get something else if you'd like, of course."

Evie laughed; she could definitely picture him skipping early classes. "It was such a dumb mistake. I was miserable. I fell asleep in that lecture more often than not," she laughed. "It was too much for me." She looked up when the waiter appeared and smiled. "Oh, I love mimosas, thank you." She picked it up to take a sip. "Mm, it's perfect. Let's go get our food," she grinned as she stood up.

Foster couldn’t help but laugh at that. She didn’t seem the fall asleep in class type, but it happened to everyone. “At least you learned your lesson and then didn’t have to go through that again,” he said with a smile. “I fell asleep in some classes that weren’t even that early, so I feel your pain,” he added. He was glad she liked mimosas. He realized he didn’t know much about what kind of drinks she liked, but he was glad this one was a success. He took a sip of his and nodded. “Oh good. Bloody Marys felt like too bold a choice for me to make for you,” he smiled. “Let’s go!” he said, standing up and walking towards the food with her. “I’m kind of starving, I just realized,” he said with a laugh.

Evie let out a laugh. "Yeah, I definitely learned it the hard way. I really had no discipline. I'd stay up way too late knowing I had to be up so early. It was a rough time," she admitted. She grinned. "Why does that not surprise me much?" She took another sip of the mimosa before they stood to get the food. "That would have been bold. I would have drank it but I'm much happier with a mimosa. I like Bloody Marys more when I'm hungover," she admitted playfully. She took two plates, handing one to him. "Everything looks so good. Wow, the waffles are huge!"

Foster shrugged a little and laughed. “I think that’s just the norm for college,” he said with a grin. “Because you know me too well,” he said with a laugh. He grinned, happy to learn another little tidbit about her. “Now I know if I’m ever with you while you’re hungover to make sure you have a Bloody Mary,” he said. He took the plate from her and thanked her. “They are huge! You could eat them with sweet or savory things, too. What fun. I love buffets.”

Evie was sure he was right. Kids were on their own for the first time, of course they weren't super disciplined. "After all these years," she grinned. She nudged him with her elbow slightly. "You'll be my absolute best friend if you provide hungover me with a Bloody Mary," she smiled. She took a waffle for her plate and considered all of the toppings. "If I end up eating, like, four of these I don't want to hear a word about it," she joked.

Foster smiled warmly and nodded a little. “After all these years,” he confirmed. He liked that a lot of the basics about him were still there enough for her to still know who he was. “The next time you are or suspect you’ll be hungover, let me know and I’ll do what I can,” he said with a playful smile. He laughed, grabbing one himself. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about! I didn’t see anything, and I don’t judge anyway,” he added with a wink.

Evie loved how easily he'd fit back into her life. She regretted not trying harder to keep in touch with him. She'd managed to stay best friends with Lori; why hadn't she done something to ensure the same with Foster? She couldn't change it now. "What, like you'll deliver me a Bloody Mary personally?" she asked with a laugh. She added a mix of toppings to her waffle and grinned at him. "That's the kind of energy I need around me," she grinned.

Foster let out a half laugh, half scoff. “Uh, yeah. What else would I do? Buy you the ingredients in advance?” he asked with a laugh. He smiled a bit, getting some stuff for himself. “Only good energy around here,” he said with a smile. He got a fair amount of food and waited for her. Once she was good, he went back to their table, sitting down. “Hey! Our drinks are here!” he said with a grin. He took a sip, then took a huge bite of bacon.

Evie pushed his arm gently. "Hey! That's a very real possibility," she laughed. "I'll gladly take you hand delivering me a Bloody Mary in the morning, though. What a treat. It'd probably help cure the hangover," she teased. She knew that. He just radiated good energy. It was so refreshing to be around. He made everything feel better. She'd missed that. She finished filling her plate and followed him to the table. She tried the mimosa and hummed. "Okay, this is delicious. This has to be a cuvee champagne," she decided.

Foster made a face and shrugged a shoulder a little. “I feel like having to make your own drink when you’re hungover just is too much work,” he said with a little laugh. “I know I’d just end up drinking vodka from the bottle and then the tomato juice and be like cool,” he said, laughing some more. “I can even hang out and make sure you get water and medicine, too,” he said with a smile. He shoved the other half of bacon in his mouth, frowning a bit when she talked about the champagne. He moved his hand to cover his mouth. “What champagne?” he asked.

Evie figured he had a point there. "Yeah, it is a lot of work. My brain usually can't keep up when I'm hungover enough to need one of those," she admitted. It'd been a while since she'd been that drunk. She laughed. "That isn't the worst idea, I guess," she teased. Her playful smile turned softer at that. "Aw, look at you being my hero," she smiled. She took another sip of the mimosa and then smiled again. "A cuvee. It's a type of champagne. Well, it refers to a specific pressing of the grapes but they're usually sweeter. It's great for events. I took a class on champagnes and wines at a winery," she added, hoping that explained it.

Foster nodded in agreement. He hadn’t been drunk enough to be hungover in a little while, but he knew the feeling well. He was never awake and focused enough to do much when hungover. “It works,” he said with a laugh. “I do what I can,” he said playfully. He nodded a bit as she explained, paying attention to what she said but continuing to eat. He swallowed and washed it down with water, turning to smile at her. “That’s really cool. I don’t know that I could tell a champagne from another on its own, let alone in a mimosa.”

Evie definitely wouldn't mind having him around to look after her when she wasn't at her best. He was just as thoughtful and she'd remembered him. "This is almost too tempting of an offer. I'm seriously considering getting drunk just to have you come over with a Bloody Mary for me," she joked. She cut a bite of her waffle and tried it as he smiled at her. "I've worked a lot of events that required champagne and it's always important to be sure what they pair best with in case someone asks. Plus, you make enough mimosas, you find your favorite champagne to pair with them."

Foster couldn’t help but laugh at that. He wasn’t trying to encourage her to drink or anything, but if she wanted to get drunk he’d be there for her. “If you want to, I’ll drive you home and be there for your care in the morning,” he said with a comforting smile. He nodded a bit, thinking that made sense. He just didn’t know nearly that much about champagne. He honestly didn’t know anything about it, really, other than knowing he liked it. He took a drink of his mimosa, smiling as he set it down. “That makes a lot of sense. It’s also really interesting.”

Evie thought he was really sweet. He'd always been so caring to her. It was refreshing to see that he hadn't changed. So many people did. "Maybe," she laughed. "Or maybe we should stick to other ways of hanging out unless it happens on accident," she decided. She felt like it'd be a bit of work to get drunk. She'd have to get Lori in on it because she wasn't going to just get trashed alone. She took another bite of her waffle and smiled at him. "It's not really all that interesting. I'm no expert by any means."

Foster laughed a little and nodded. “Yeah, it might make more sense to just keep hanging out, and then when you do get drunk, I’ll be there with the Bloody Mary,” he said with a grin. He did think it would be nice for them to maybe all drink together one day, but considering Evie still hadn’t met Fox, maybe that wasn’t bound to happen yet. One day, though. It’d be like old times, but with all four of them and not three. He was excited for the groups to collide. He shrugged a shoulder. “I find it pretty interesting. I really don’t know much about stuff like that.”

Evie smiled at him before taking another sip of her mimosa. "That's a solid plan. And a much better one than just getting drunk for no reason except to have you come by with a cure," she laughed. Maybe it would happen eventually. Maybe it wouldn't. It was a fun thought, though. She thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, if you think it is then I guess it is!" she smiled. "I could probably teach you some things but I don't think I'd be a very good teacher," she admitted.

Foster couldn’t help but laugh in agreement. He knew it was pretty silly to get drunk just to have him come by in the morning. But he would be there if she ever really needed him. “Definitely a better plan,” he said with a smile. He thought it was so interesting, and he didn’t understand how she didn’t, other than it was just such a normal part of her life that she didn’t even think of it. “It seems useful to me,” he admitted with a laugh. “You’re welcome to, though I think it’d probably go in one ear and out the other. I’m not great at that sort of thing. That’s probably part of why I think it’s so cool that you know it.”

Evie didn't really know how useful it was except for work purposes or if she wanted to drink alone. It was nice that he was impressed, though. It made her feel good. "I mean," she laughed, "I just hung out at a winery and had people hand me wines and stuff and explain it. I had to go a lot because I'd drink too much and forget what I learned. Or maybe I just used that as an excuse," she admitted with a laugh. "But I'm glad someone finds it cool," she smiled. "Oh, hey, my mom asked about you, by the way. I told her we'd run into each other again," she smiled.

Foster laughed at that. He could imagine that would happen, but he loved her sense of humor about it. She was so much fun. He really liked hanging out with her again. “Excuse or not, I think it makes sense to go more than once! What if you forgot something vital?” he asked playfully. He wanted to go to a wine tasting with her. Or better yet, one with food pairings. Did people do that? He didn’t really know. “Of course,” he said with a smile. He raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh, really? That was so nice of her. What’d she ask?”

Evie grinned widely at him. His laugh was just infectious. There was something about him that had always just made her happy. He still had that effect on her after all these years. Something about that just brought her a sense of warm comfort. "Well, exactly! How do they expect you to retain all the information after feeding you so much wine? Impossible, I say," she laughed. "We should go to a winery. It's super fun," she told him. She nodded with a smile. "Well, she asked if you were getting enough to eat first," she teased him.

Foster laughed and nodded in agreement. “I don’t know if I would even remember all the details without any wine, let alone with it,” he said with a laugh. Plus, what if someone said something a little different on a different day? Who would want to miss out on details like that? He smiled a little, letting out a sort of chuckle. “Funny you mention that, because I was just thinking I wanted to go to one. We should definitely do it,” he agreed. He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I think I’m getting enough to eat, yeah. Sweet of her to ask. How is she doing?” he asked curiously, smiling warmly at her.

Evie shrugged a little. "I mean, you can remember details about other things. It's just like, a study system for a very, very niche skill. I don't think it's really important most people can identify wines. I don't even think I really needed to be able to. I just really liked going to get drunk and calling it research," she admitted with a laugh. She felt her smile brighten when he agreed and she made a mental note to look for the best in the area. They'd make a day out of it. "She's so embarrassing," she laughed. "I used to be mortified when she'd try to, like, force more food on you when you'd be over. She just loved you. Still does, actually. Told me to pinch your cheek but I won't embarrass either of us by doing it," she promised with a laugh. "She's good. She's really happy as usual. Hasn't changed a bit."

Foster thought that was fair, but he was also just, really dumb about some things. “Getting drunk and calling it research sounds great. That should just be a job,” he said with a laugh. He shrugged a little, smiling fondly. “Nah, I don’t think so. She’s just good and caring and has a big heart,” he promised. He’d been a lot skinnier back then. He didn’t know how he made it through high school. “I always needed more food back then. I love her, too,” he promised with a smile. “Thank you,” he said, laughing a bit. “Your mom’s really great. I’m glad she’s still so happy,” he said with a bright smile. He cleared his throat a little and paused for a moment. “I uh, I haven’t seen my parents in five years. I told them I was going to college in California and then disappeared.”

Evie laughed at the idea. "I'm pretty sure that'd be pretty dangerous after a while but I'm sure there's like, alcohol testers for companies. Or wineries," she laughed. She smiled at the way he spoke so fondly of her mother. It brought her back to such a more innocent time. It was going back in time. "She was so happy when you finally let her pack you a lunch too. It like, seriously made her year probably," she laughed. "She is great. Maybe you can see her when she comes to visit me which I'm sure she will eventually. She'd really like that." She sensed a change in him suddenly and felt her smile slip. She reached across the table for his hand without really thinking about it. "I'm sorry, Foster. That must have been really hard even if it was the best choice to make," she said quietly.

Foster hadn’t really thought about alcohol testers being an actual thing. He wanted that job. But not really. It’d be easy for him to develop a drinking problem, and he didn’t really want to go there. “Yeah, I’m sure it could get dangerous,” he laughed and nodded. He smiled fondly, nodding a bit. “I felt so bad doing it. It felt like such a burden. I really appreciate that she did that for me, though. Who would’ve looked at a kid like me, coming from money, and thought, hey, maybe he’s not getting enough food, except for your mom?” he said, shaking his head as he smiled. He nodded. “I’d like that a lot. Is your dad doing well, too?” he asked. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah. It was hard. I was so scared for a while that someone would find me. And I hadn’t really thought about how much I was giving up, you know? Like, during the summer I had nowhere to go. Lori’s family let me stay with them for a while. I’m glad I did it, though,” he said, nodding.

Evie shook her head a little bit. He'd never been a burden. Not to her or to her family. "Foster, seriously, my parents adored you. I mean you were part of our family. We were always more than happy to have you around. It was just natural. You fit in so well. And you were always the picture perfect example of politeness. So charming. I mean, no wonder we loved you," she smiled warmly. "He's doing well. Still working the same job we moved for but he's been promoted. He's practically running the place now and he has more time off," she explained. She squeezed his hand a little bit, trying to be comforting. "I'm so sorry. I wish... I wish I could have been there for you. I should have tried harder to keep in touch." Maybe she could have helped somehow. "I bet they always loved having you around. And you had Fox by then, right? So you weren't alone?" she asked quietly.

Foster smiled fondly, trying not to get choked up. Her family had been his saving grace. “I adored them. My family was never like yours. I loved being surrounded by the warmth of your family. Oh, thank you. I would never have dreamed of not being polite to you and your parents,” he promised. He nodded as she spoke. He was happy to hear that. “That’s excellent. Good for him. That should help him time to come visit you,” he said with a grin. He squeezed her hand back, smiling at her and shaking his head a bit. “We were kids. Keeping in touch is hard for adults in longterm relationships. How could we have been expected to do better?” he said, trying to be reassuring. “Yeah, they did. Cameron especially loved having me around,” he said with a small laugh. “Yeah, but, you know, during the summer he usually went home, at least early on. It was okay, though. I found myself eventually.”

Evie knew they weren't. That's why she was so glad hers could be the one he needed for those two years. She laughed a little bit. "You wouldn't even let me break the rules when you slept on the couch. You were like, the model example of a good guy. You were a part of the family," she said with a smile. She nodded a bit, hopeful that her family could visit soon. She might have needed space from Arizona but she did miss her parents already. "Hopefully! Hopefully not until I'm more, like, established and my place looks better for visitors and all," she laughed. She shrugged a bit. She'd kept in touch with Lori, hadn't she? Why had it been so hard to do the same with Foster? "I don't know, I just. It doesn't sit well with me. I hated leaving you behind and then, I don't know. I just wish I'd been here for you in whatever way you needed me to be," she said honestly. "Not surprised by that one bit," she laughed. "I'm glad you found yourself. You seem to be doing really well for yourself. You look good. Happy, I mean," she corrected. "I'm really glad to see it."

Foster laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “How could I risk making them upset with me? Or not trusting me there? There was always somewhere else for us to fool around,” he teased. “I appreciated that a lot,” he promised. He laughed a little and nodded. “You wouldn’t want them to see it until it’s perfect. I get it.” He let out a soft sigh. He’d been so resentful that they’d left. He understood, but it hurt him that they’d gone. “I don’t know that there was anything you could’ve done on the other side of the country. It was just a shitty situation all around,” he insisted. He smiled and nodded. “I’m doing better. The first few years of college were kind of rough, but I’m better. Thank you,” he said, smiling at her.

Evie rolled her eyes fondly. "I mean, I still think it would have been fine. I think we could have at least made out on the couch more than we did but whatever," she teased back. She nodded, her smile warm again. "I just want them to be proud of me and everything. Like, it's really silly, because realistically I know it doesn't matter to them what my place looks like so much as it's safe but, you know. I'm a New York girl now. I want to be sophisticated and classy and I want them to see it," she laughed. It sounded so silly out loud. She understood that but it still bothered her a bit. "I don't know either," she agreed. "That's good. If you ever want to talk about it or anything, I'm here to listen," she offered.

Foster laughed, shaking his head at her. “I think we made out and more plenty, just not on that couch,” he said with a playful wink. He smiled fondly, but shrugged a shoulder. “I think you’re already sophisticated and elegant and classy and all of that. I think anyone who knows you would see that,” he promised. He nodded. He didn’t really wanna bum either of them out anymore right now, and he was in a good place, so he didn’t think he needed to right now either. “I will,” he said with a smile. “Do you wanna get more? I’m getting a little full, but I feel like I could go for some sort of dessert,” he laughed.

Evie flushed a little bit and rolled her eyes again. "Okay, if you say so," she laughed. He was fun. She'd missed this. She liked that he thought of her that way. It felt special. "Well, thank you. It's always been a weird dream of mine to be all those things. I don't know why," she admitted with a laugh. She let it drop, but she did hope he talked to her about it one day. She'd heard some things from Lori but clearly not everything. "Oh, well, I'm actually full from the waffles," she laughed. "But you can get something else and I'll steal a bite or two."

Foster smirked a bit at the blush on her cheeks and the way she rolled her eyes. They really had the best little young romance. It was so special to him. “Well, I feel like you can consider that a dream that’s come true, then,” he said with a smile. He nodded a bit. “Yeah, the waffles are kind of filling,” he said with a laugh. “Okay, I’ll be right back with a few things,” he said. He went over, grabbing three desserts, figuring she could pick which she wanted to try, or she could try all of them.

Evie just liked being around him so much. She didn't think there were words for it. He was such a good person to have in her life. "Well, thank you. You're a very sophisticated person yourself," she promised. She laughed and nodded a bit, sitting back to wait for him. She finished off the rest of her mimosa and smiled when he came back. "Ooh, these look good!" she said excitedly. "You always had good taste."

Foster laughed a bit at that before he realized she was serious. “Oh, you really think so? I don’t know about that myself, but thank you,” he said with a smile. He liked that she thought so. He grinned at her comment and nodded a little, shrugging a shoulder humbly. “I do have great taste,” he agreed. “I got a mix, so you can have bites of everything if you want, or pick what you’re in the mood for,” he said. He finished off his mimosa, then took a sip of his water.

Evie nodded earnestly. "Yeah! I do think so. I mean, you really grew up and grew into yourself. Then again, maybe I just feel like people here are more polished and I'm just lumping you in with that," she joked. She took her fork as he started talking, nodding a bit as she was already aiming for a bite of one of the desserts. "It's probably a good thing you got a few after all," she admitted with a laugh. "I'm totally stealing more than a bite."

Foster really liked that she thought that he looked sophisticated. He felt the least sophisticated and grown up of his friends. He was still working on himself so much. His proud smile morphed as he started to laugh. “That must be it,” he teased back. He let out a little laugh as she started to eat his dessert before he’d even finished talking about it. He couldn’t blame her. It all looked great. “Yeah! I can tell,” he said with a laugh, picking up his fork to take a bite of one himself.

Evie could tell he really liked the compliment and she was glad. She'd meant it. Even if she'd turned it into a joke at the end. "Who would have thought we'd be here at this age, sharing desserts for brunch? Very classy of us," she told him. She took another bite of the same dessert and grinned at him again. "Your fault really, you offered." She'd never had this much fun at a brunch before.

Foster laughed a bit, not sure if she was serious or not. “I think it’s classy! Plus, sharing is caring,” he said with a grin. He smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “I’m happy to share,” he said honestly. He was having such a good time with her. He thanked the waiter when he brought the receipts. “We pay at the front,” he noted. They’d go pay once they were finished with the desserts. They were almost done, anyway.

Evie grinned at him. "It is classy! We're very proper adults in the city," she insisted. "We have manners and everything. Well, you do, since you grabbed desserts and I just started eating them," she laughed. She thanked the waiter too and took a sip of her water before going back to the food they had left. "Oh, cool. This was a lot of fun, Foster. I'm glad we hung out today," she told him.

Foster shrugged it off. “It’s not big deal, really. I got extra to share with you!” he exclaimed. He nodded in agreement. He had a lot of fun with her. “Yeah, I am, too. I think it’s kind of crazy. It’s been like six, seven years since we hung out regularly, and everything with you feel as normal as it did back then. Hanging out with you just feel right,” he said with a small smile. He didn’t want to be too much or have it seem like he was coming on too strong. But he really did like how normal things felt.

Evie laughed at how he'd said that. "I know. I'm just saying! Can't you just let me call you nice?" she asked with a smile. She completely agreed. They'd so easily fallen back into being friends. It felt so natural. "It's really crazy. It's this weird thing where it kind of feels like no time has passed but then it's also super obvious that we've both grown up so much. I guess some things don't change though," she smiled. "It does feel right, though. And I'm really happy about that."

Foster laughed and put his hands up. “Okay, okay, I’ll let you call me nice,” he said playfully. He nodded in agreement. It did sort of feel like no time had passed at all, even though they were very obviously different. “Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. The way it’s so easy to hang out makes it feel like nothing has changed, but we’re both different. In a good way,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad that this didn’t change,” he said with a smile. He took one last bite and let out a sigh. “I think I’m stuffed.”

Evie grinned when he relented finally. He was a nice guy. She just wanted him to know it. "We are different. I guess some things can't change too much though. Like chemistry! We were always drawn to each other so it makes sense that the friendship comes so easily now," she said. "I'm really glad it didn't either. It's good to have you back in my life. I missed it," she admitted. She laughed a little bit and finished off one of the desserts before agreeing. "Me too. We should probably get going."

Foster nodded in agreement. They had great chemistry, honestly. “Yes, exactly,” he said with a smile. “Yeah, it’s good to have you back, too. I missed this, and I don’t think I even realized how much I did,” he said honestly. He let out a sigh and then stood up. “Alright, let’s go,” he said with a laugh. He took his receipt and went to pay, then stood to the side while she paid for hers. “We should definitely hang out again soon.”

Evie was glad, in a way, that he'd missed this too. She'd feel silly if he didn't. "I don't think I did either. I mean, it's been so long. I thought I'd forgotten what it was like to hang out with you. Then we ran into each other and it's all been so easy ever since. We're really lucky for that." She grabbed her receipt and followed him to pay for her meal. "We absolutely should. We'll set something up." She wrapped him in a hug. "Thanks for suggesting this. It was a lot of fun."

Foster nodded along. He wouldn’t say he never thought of her, but she didn’t cross his mind regularly. And he supposed if Lori told him she was coming back, he would’ve psyched himself out thinking about what it would be like to see her again. But things just worked out so well. “We are. We’re so lucky,” he said with a smile. “Definitely,” he agreed. He hugged her back, smiling brightly that she’d initiated the hug. “Thanks for coming. I had a good time.”

Evie hugged him tightly for a tiny bit longer than necessary. She was just so happy to be back and to be here with him. He really just had a way of making things feel good. "I did too! It was delicious food and excellent company. It was a perfect way to spend the morning. Late morning," she corrected herself with a laugh. "I'll see you soon?" she hoped. "Maybe next time we'll, like, do an activity before we eat."

Foster hugged her back, holding her tight. It amazed him how normal all of this felt. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it did, and he really liked it. It was a happy surprise. He laughed a bit and nodded. “It was a great start to the day,” he agreed. “The best brunch food I’ve ever found,” he smiled. He nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I hope to see you soon,” he agreed. He laughed a bit at that and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “That would be fun. We should aim for that.”

Evie had really had a great time. She'd hoped they'd reconnect when she moved back but she'd never anticipated just how easy it would be to hang out with him so much. She loved it. "It really was! I'll probably be a little lazy the rest of the day despite having things to do," she admitted. "It was delicious." She nodded a bit, still smiling brightly. "I'm already looking forward to it. I'll text you later?" she suggested, taking a step backwards so she could head towards her place. "See you soon."

Foster smiled and laughed a little. He was really so happy that they had reconnected so naturally, and so well. Happy didn’t even really cover it. “Yeah, me too,” he said with a nod. He thought there could be worse things. “I am, too. That sounds good to me! I look forward to your text,” he said with a smile. “See you around,” he said with a wave and a smile, heading back to his own place.

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