Page 52 of Damián

“What?” I gasp, inhaling a crumb of pizza crust straight into my windpipe, and start coughing.

Damián drops his napkin and smacks me a few times on the back, helping me breathe. “Come on, Ollie, you can’t die on my watch. No one would ever hire us again if our informant died while eating pizza.”

I wheeze, clutching my chest as the coughing stops.

“You want to meet my best friend?”

“I do.” Damián shrugs unbothered, reaching for his soda as if he didn’t just invite himself on my outing. “I mean, I feel like I should. It would be weird if we’re doing all these boyfriend things for a month and I don’t even know your best friend.”

“Ajá…”

“It would look suspicious.”

“Suspicious?” I ask.

“Very suspicious.” He nods solemnly.

I am completely lost on what the hell is actually going on inside his head. I narrow my eyes at him, and he winks at me.

Fine, I give up trying to figure him out.

“Okay. I’ll ask her.”

“Great,” he says, and takes another bite of pizza, chewing super slow as he stares at me expectantly.

“Oh… you meant… ask her right now?”

“Yeah.”

Oh shit…

If I text her about Damián and she says yes… won’t that be an admission of how I’ve been talking to her about him?

Damn… that’s embarrassing.

“I mean…” I shift awkwardly on the floor. “I would have to actually tell her about you first.”

“Tell her. I’ll wait.”

I let out a long breath, wipe the grease off my fingers with a napkin, and pull my phone out of the pocket of my bathrobe. I open Zara’s chat and type…

OLIVER: Hey, I know we had plans on Friday, but Dami wants to meet you.

I hit send and toss the phone onto the carpet. “There. Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” He grins.

I’m about to reach for my soda when my phone vibrates.

Then it vibrates again… and again.

Damián’s smile widens, his eyes drop to the screen that’s lighting up on the floor, then back up to study my face.

“I’ll check.” I snatch the phone up, silently praying Zara has an ounce of chill.

She doesn’t.

ZARA: OMMGGG!!!!!