In the end, they never turned on the TV. Abel and Luke drank through a six-pack of beers and talked, veering towards light topics after Luke admitted his dire situation. He asked Abel why he liked such dingy places as Eventide and the diner, and that made Abel laugh.
"It's not like security is a luxury job," he said, grin wide on his face. "I have to find places that are good and cheap."
Luke sat sideways against the arm of the couch and asked more about his job. His brain felt hazier as the night progressed and Abel told him about finding a box of kittens in the parking lot and that the most action-packed part of his job was telling teens making out in cars that they couldn't park there.
It was easier for Luke to sit across from Abel and watch him laugh and smile when he had some al
