“Not a lot gets to you, does it?” Cole said rhetorically as he sized the other man up. This wasn’t that much different than any of the stupid things he’d done with his frat brothers at Texas so he wasn’t ascribing any particular meaning to it. The only thought in his head was to give as good as he’d gotten so he opted to put his in the same place and knocked it back quickly, with an accompanying laugh that was warm against his friend’s neck. “Wow. That was some cheap alcohol,” he said because he was now privy to what quality spirits were and that wasn’t it.

He leaned back into the couch and eyed Max with a smile. “Still probably smarter being here with you than whatever that party was going to turn into. I’ve passed the age where stupid behavior can be written off as boys being boys.”