Drop #111: Confidence

When they were done with lunch, Frank asked Jack what he was doing later.

‘Meeting Tim for a drink.’

‘Tim? That guy is such a cheapo.’

‘Is he?’

‘Yeah,’ said Frank. We had cocktails last week and when I asked to taste his he refused, said it was too expensive and I should get my own—can you believe it? What a tightwad! A single sip too precious to share.’

 

Later that evening Jack told Tim that he’d had lunch with Frank that afternoon.

‘Oh, I had drinks with him last week.’

‘Yes, he mentioned it.’

‘Funny story, actually, between me and you,’ Tim said. ‘We ordered cocktails and Frank suddenly asked if he could have a sip of mine, caught me totally off guard. I had to quickly make something up before he put his lips on it – that guy fucks everything that crawls and I didn’t want to get something nasty from him. So I told him it was too expensive to share. Kind of lame, but it worked.’

‘Hm. That is funny.’

 

Tim asked Frank if he’d seen Jack lately, when the two of them had met for drinks the previous week.

‘No, but I’m having lunch with him Saturday.’

‘Yeah, we have tentative plans for that evening. You around?’

‘No, have a work thing.’

‘Pity,’ said Tim and Frank agreed it was a shame.

‘You know,’ Tim said after a pause, ‘I never really trusted Jack.’

‘Yeah, I get where you’re coming from.’

‘I just wouldn’t tell him anything in confidence is all I’m saying, unless you want it blurted all around town.’

‘I totally agree,’ said Frank; then he asked if he could taste Tim’s cocktail.

by E.M. ‘Sweetshanks‘ Vireo