(A very special thanks to the Little blueyed Angel that had the patience to edit this work.)
As was their normal custom, they would meet up after work to down a few pitchers of beer and discuss the latest sports, women, or newest happenings in their various lives and work. They had all been friends and known each other since high school or college, although none were brothers or even related in any other way. Just some guys that were in their mid to late twenties, fairly secure in their status in life, who got together weekly, and although there were sometimes six, the usual was four or five.
On rare occasions they would even meet at one's house or apartment and have a poker game or football party. There was an unwritten, never uttered rule, that they had to stay unmarried to stay in the group. After one brief meeting, Mike noticed that Rick had been unusually quiet and preoccupied during the arguments about their favorite football or baseball teams, when Rick was almost always the most vocal and positive that he was right about anything and everything. So, Mike and Bobby stayed to see what was up with Rick and whether they could help with whatever was bothering him.
"Hey, man, why the long face and no arguments tonight?? Problems with Stacey (Rick's live-in girlfriend of two years), or work got you down??" Asked Mike.
"No, not really, but sorta like that!!!" Replied Rick.
He was a few years older than either Mike or Bobby, and they looked up to him as a big brother.
"Yeah!!!" Bobby chimed in. "What's eating you tonight??" "This isn't like you at all, there's got to be something under your saddle giving you a rough ride!!!","Well, I'll let you in on it............if you'll keep it to yourselves and not share this with the whole world...................Stacey has some weird ideas of what she wants to do for my Big 30th, that's in about two months."