This was a totally super charming story. I loved it, from the narrator's initial punchy, up-beat tone, to his characterization of the other characters, to the story's own "screwball buddies against the outer dark" themes. This story had me smiling and laughing half way to work and half way home. In fact, I'd go so far to say that this story was nearly perfect: every word placed exactly where it belonged, every plot point paced in just the right way. Wonderful. I need to look out for more stuff by this author.
And, finally, I enjoyed the Oakland shout-out. I teach middle school in Oakland, I have to admit that I imagined the off-screen boyfriend as one of my boys, all growed up. It was a little thing, but it made me smile.