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“Yes, thank you,” she smiled, still warm, still familiar, but Joq had an uneasy feeling he’d played that all wrong.
Joq was beginning to feel like it was the party that wouldn’t end. He was stuck talking to management, his beer going warm in his hand. He shot another look over to where George was still playing rounds of pool with Scotty and some of the older guys. Lacy was long gone, and Finn was nowhere in sight. He wanted to leave with George, but he’d had enough.
He excused himself and went to put his beer on the bar near the service entrance. Finn bumped into him as he came out of the toilet.
“Sorry, sorry,” Finn said and looked up. The apology was still coming when he saw it was Joq and his face contorted before smoothing into an embarrassed smile. “Joq, hey. Didn’t know you were still here.”
“I didn’t know you knew I was here at all,” Joq replied, smiling a tad insolently, but also to soften the remark.
“Well, it’s George’s birthday, so,” Finn smiled back weakly.
“It is,” Joq replied. “Heading out?”
“Uh, yeah?” Finn looked at him like he couldn’t comprehend why he was asking.
No, Joq thought as he sized him up, like he interpreted that as an accusation.
“George and Scotty will make this an all-nighter,” Joq said.
Finn shrugged like he didn’t give a shit either way. The little liar. Well, he was hardly little, but he was young enough to deserve the tag.
Joq placed his beer on the bar.
“What about you?” Finn asked.
Joq met his eyes from where he was leaning past him to get to the bar.
“What about me what?”
Finn jerked his chin. “Heading out?”
Joq got the weirdest feeling this conversation was all happening in subtext. He felt like there was a wrong answer and a right answer.
And fuck that.
“Yeah,” he said slowly and straightened. “George knows where his bed is,” he glanced over at him. George was watching Scotty take a shot and giving him pointers like he couldn’t help himself. Scotty guffawed and shook his head at him.
Joq glanced back at Finn.
Finn’s lips were twisted and the alcohol must’ve loosened him up because he wasn’t doing the usual, ‘I’m super chill with everything’ routine. No, he was mad.
Joq leaned forward, leaned in for the kill. “He gets a bit worked up after nights like this.”
He felt Finn jerk away from him. Joq huffed a laugh.
He expected Finn’s anger to be dialled right up.
He didn’t expect the hurt look.
“You know how it is,” he added lamely and wished he’d walked away after the previous comment.
“You shouldn’t be telling me this,” Finn said. There was an attempt at authority in his voice, but he couldn’t quite cover the wounded lilt.
“You do know what boyfriends do, right?” Joq didn’t know why he was pushing it, but he wasn’t about to stop.
Another hurt look flashed in Finn’s eyes. “That’s George’s business.”
Joq raised both eyebrows at him. And alright, kid’s got some claws after all.
