Page 53 of Tony

“Holy shit. You’re fucking him. Well, good for you, Belinda. I’m happy about this. I like that boy.”

“No, I’m not fucking him. And don’t call him a boy.”

“Sorry. Man. Guy. Whatever. He’s not that young. I don’t know why you’ve always been so hung up on his age.”

“It’s not his age.”

“OK. So… what is it then?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know. Tony is here and—”

“What? Stop. Back up. What the hell is going on? Did you just say Tony—as in my boyfriend’s brother, Tony—is in Colorado with you?”

“Yes! He’s been here… Oh, I don’t know. A few days, at least. He just showed up out of nowhere and…” I sigh. “I told you how I get with him. He makes me crazy.”

“Holy shit! You’re with Tony! We can be sisters!”

“No! I mean, I did fuck him yesterday outside Sick Boyz—”

She guffaws again.

“Stop laughing! This is serious! Because while I was fucking Tony, Vann was fucking Soshee—”

“She’s the moody one with red hair? Works at Anna Ameci’s?”

“Yeah, that’s her. And he didn’t catch me with Tony, but I caught him with Soshee. Right?”

“OK?”

“And then I had this like… reaction?”

“Define that?”

“You know. I locked myself in the bathroom and puked and cried.”

“OK. Keep going.”

“And then Vic came and made me tattoo some hot army dude all night.”

“Not sure that matters. But OK.”

“And then I went home, and Tony and Vann were arguing outside my apartment. And I hit Tony in the mouth”—she laughs again—“and then he left and bitch, then… then… Vann starts pouring his heart out to me. I’m talking… like… serious fucking grand gesture-type things just flew out. Romantic things like he earned a chance, and he knows we’d be good together, and why do I give Tony all the chances when he didn’t earn them? Vann practically called me his soulmate.”

“Well, that’s not a surprise, right?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Belinda, that poor boy has been in love with you for more years than we’ve been friends.”

“I know, but—”

“I am not surprised. I think he’s your one.”

“My one?”

“You know. The one. The one you’re supposed to be with. Marriage, babies, dogs, house. That kind of thing.”

“Are you sure?”