Jack and Alan were in the same class. Jack's family moved sophomore year. Imogen entered the next. So she never knew of Jack. Also back then Jack was a stick. Wasn't the shredded, mass of muscle that he is today. So she probably wouldn't recognize him.

Jack felt odd helping. He was actually putting his muscles to use. He wasn't just flexing them for the pump. He was actually moving things around. A strange experience indeed. Maybe he should do this more, he thought. Not anything stressful like construction or helping people move out of their houses, but something light and simple. He could get used to this.

They were hanging streamed lights across the top of the cafe. Imogen was planning to turn the regular lights off. And instead cast ambient light through the streams and some paper shade lamps.

Alan was nervous. He couldn't wait for the party to start while at the same time not wanting it to ever begin. He couldn't talk to Imogen except for when she was directing him. But he liked this sort of contact as well. A shared mission. This party felt like a thing he belonged to.

In a moment when there was nothing urgent, he checked his phone. Aaron texted. "I'm home."

"Home?" Alan texted.

"Yeah. I flew back. Fuck it. What you up to tonight?"

Shit, Alan thought. "Who's that?" Jack asked. His face showed something. Like he knew that the text was from someone important.

"Nobody" alan said routinely.

nobody.