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“Because you watched him play and then let him play with you.” Arlo’s grin is teasing, and he strokes a thumb over my lip before pulling away. “I’m kind of jealous,” he admits. “It’s only me that hasn’t had a chance to get to know you better.”
“And Cyril,” I point out dryly, and Arlo grimaces.
“Cyril doesn’t want to break you,” he tells me after a moment’s hesitation. “You should probably let him keep his distance.”
“Why?” I press my hands to the counter behind me, my back to the window. “He can’t be worse than any of you, right? Especially Ezra, since he’s a literalpsychopath,” I point out, unsure of the meaning behind Arlo’s words. Is he joking, maybe? Or just trying to make me afraid of Cyril for some reason?
“He’s much worse. And there’s a reason Ezra listens to him,” the dark-haired man points out. “What time do you get off work?” The question surprises me, and I wonder if I’ll get whiplash from how fast he’s changed the conversation.
“Uh, seven?” I ask, trying to recall when exactly Idoget to leave here today. I work long days, which I don’t mind at all, because this job is barely work and I’d rather be here than in a lot of places. So I work long shifts, and since Sera isn’t worried about money in the least, thanks to her investments, she pays me well for it. It’s the only way I can afford a studio apartment on a nicer side of town and the only way I’m not hurting for cash at all times. Not that it’s enough for me to buy a houseor a new phone, but I definitely get by.
Quite well, in my opinion. And I like to think my parents would agree if they were still alive.
“I’m taking you out for dinner,” Arlo informs me, continuing the trend of notaskingfor a date but instead just assuming I’m fine with it. I am fine with it, in this case, because I like Arlo’s calm and his good nature. I like Arlo more than I care to admit, actually, and I’ve wanted to get to know him for a few days.
Not that I’ll ever tell any of the others that. I don’t need them thinking that I’m getting complacent or that I’mhappybeing their pet. Which, of course, I’mnot,and they need to learn that now instead of later.
“Okay,” I agree, and Arlo steps forward to kiss me sweetly, chastely, and surprisingly politely, given everything else about him.
“I thought you might not like me,” he admits. “So I’ve kind of stayed away. But now that I see that’s not the case, I’m going to be around more often.” He smiles when he says it, and I can’t decide if it’s a threat, a promise, or something strange in between. So I only look at him, a bemused, pleasant smile on my face as well.
“I don’t have any more of an issue with you than I do with the other Lost Boys,” I tell him, and whatever message he gets from that makes him snort and eye me with amusement.
“That’s not exactly as nasty of a comment as you think it might be,” he murmurs, stepping back once more. “Oh, and by the way…” He stops his movement and looks at me with curiosity rather than accusal. “Who were you on the phone with when I walked in?”
My knuckles tense on the counter behind me, and I want to askwhyhe wants to know. Is it just curiosity? Something in me doubts that. But I wonder if he actuallyknowsor just has a suspicion as to who it was. If he did know, wouldn’t he just tell me that much and leave me to scramble and put the pieces together?
My mouth opens just as the door does, drawing our attention to Sera, who comes in with hair that’s tousled and falling in her face while she carries two coffees and a satchel of books. All of which she slams down on the counter and lets out a huff. “You would notbelievehow busy the post office was!” my boss exclaims, looking between us like she knows Arlo just as well as me. “It’s insane, and I don’t think we’ve met.” She zeros in on Arlo, who surreptitiously slides out from around the counter.
“Ari’s my friend,” he says, giving her a wide, brilliant smile that makes my teeth hurt. “I wanted to surprise her at work and ask her out on a date.”
“He did,” I agree, putting my elbow on the counter and resting my head on my hand. “He’s really bad at surprises, too.”
“But she is going on a date with me,” Arlo chuckles. “So I must be doing something right.”
Sera doesn’t share the laugh. She does offer him a quick, half-comfortable grin of her own and says, “You’re always welcome here since you’re a friend of Ari’s. Don’t let me chase you away.”
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” he waves a hand as if he can physically sweep away her words. “I have to go anyway. But hey, dinner?” He locks eyes with me, and the brief warning there is more than enough for me.
“Yeah,” I agree, dipping my head. “I’ll see you at dinner.” He’s gone a few seconds later, and Sera watches him go with her lips pressed together.
“What a weird guy,” she says finally, turning back to me with a shake of her head. “You make some really weird friends, Ari. I’m concerned.”
“You just don’t understand my pure, animal magnetism,” I shoot back with a sniff. “Don’t hate.”
“Oh, I don’t hate,” she assures me. “I’m just not particularly jealous, either. Didn’t he give you the heebie-jeebies?”
