Danny still doesn't trust Jake

[NOTE: This chapter happens in parallel with Abbie's narrative.]

"Honestly, not much," said Jake.

"So it's just talk?" asked Danny.

"No. She doesn't have her phone with her." Jake grinned. He kind of enjoyed the power play a little bit. Danny was the type of guy who probably got his way most of the time, but here he had to struggle to figure out how to move forward.

Danny nodded and smirked. "I see. Well, if this isn't a prank ..."

"It's not, man," said Jake. "I'm pretty sure that if you actually asked her to do something with you, she'd do it."

Danny shook his head. "Whatever you say, dude. Whatever you say. Meantime, let's find some lunch, don'tcha think, Phil?"

Phil finished off his beer. "Good call." He turned and looked behind him.

"Looks like more of the real food is coming out now," said Rick.

"Man, it's good," said Phil. "We tasted the menu last week."

The other guys nodded and murmured agreements as they began to move slowly toward the buffet bar. Danny and Jake were the last two to vacate the table.

"Look, Jake," began Danny. "I just got a little hot back there. I don't want to fuck things up. We're here for Phil's big day. That's all."

"It's good," said Jake. "I'm not trying to push any buttons."

"We cool?" Danny asked.

Jake nodded. Danny offered a fist bump, which Jake found a little silly, but returned it nevertheless. Danny caught up to his friends, and joined the conversation with Rick and Arthur. Jake watched, and appreciated that that life wasn't his life.