Abel by Elizabeth Reyes Page A

and what an awesome job Nellie had done getting all the participants together. Irritatingly, she was immediately at the forefront of his thoughts again.
    Little Jack, Noah ’s toddler, scurried into the front room in his pull-up diapers. Roni wasn’t far behind, holding his pants. “Get over here, you little stinker,” Roni laughed. “I swear,” she said, looking at Abel and Noah, “this kid would live in his underpants if I let him.”
    “ So let him,” Noah said, grabbing Jack and spinning him upside down. Jack laughed so hard that he squealed. “It’s supposed to be a hot one today.”
    “ No, I have to get him fed and ready,” Roni insisted. “We’re meeting Nellie at the mall again in a few hours.”
    “ That’s right. I forgot about that,” Noah said, spinning Jack right side up again. “Sorry, little man, looks like you’re going shopping with momma. I’d help you out of it and keep you here with me, but I gotta whip uncle Abe’s ass here into shape.”
    Roni immediately shot Noah a look. With a regretful smirk, Noah winced. “I mean butt, son. Whip his butt into shape.”
    Abel tried but failed at being his “aweless and indifferent” self. Even something as insignificant as this about Nellie had his full attention. He thought of all the times in the past that he’d been around Noah and Roni and heard Roni speak of her friend. He never would’ve imagined feeling like he did now—hopeful that she’d share more about her best friend. His eyes met Roni’s for a moment as she squatted down and helped Jack into his pants. But with a lift of an eyebrow, she brought her attention back to helping Jack, who was struggling to get his leg in the right hole.
    “ What do you think would be best to wear to a Slightly Stoopid concert? This is Nellie’s second attempt to find something for it. Last time we walked out with nothing. She’s kind of worried about looking out of place.” Roni looked up at them again, and Abel couldn’t be sure, but it almost felt as if she were asking him, not Noah. “Concerts at the House of Blues are generally not the dressy kind, right?”
    “ I’ve only been there a couple of times,” Noah said, standing up. “Both times, I wore jeans and a t-shirt. Most of the guys were dressed just the same. Of course, the ones there to pick up dress a little spiffier. But concert or not, girls typically dress up a little more than guys.”
    Roni was still looking at Abel curiously. Done helping Jack with this pants, she shrugged and stood up too. “I suppose you could dress up anything, even a pair of jeans if you wear the right shoes and top. I’ve never been to the House of Blues,” she said as she walked away into the kitchen, holding Jack’s hand. “Maybe someday someone will take me,” she smiled playfully at Noah before picking up Jack and sitting him on his high chair.
    “ Next time, for sure,” Noah said. “I’ll look into it, and next concert we’ll go with her.”
    It didn ’t even dawn on Abel until he and Noah were headed out the door. Roni wasn’t going to the concert with Nellie. He was anxious to ask Noah about it but knew his interest would spark suspicion. Noah would no doubt start up with one of his perturbing lectures about why getting involved with Nellie in any way right now was a bad idea, so he refrained.
    They headed out to Griffith Park , where they usually ran a good four to five miles. Today they’d be doing twice that since they were working on Abel’s endurance. Noah filled him in on more of the details of the mixer on their way, giving Abel an excellent excuse to get back to Nellie and her concert Friday. “So that meeting we’re having Friday night with the director of PR,” he said, avoiding eye contact with Noah so his question would sound as natural as possible. “I guess Nellie won’t make that meeting like we talked about if she’s gonna be at a concert Friday night.”
    “ That’s right,” Noah turned to him, but