Page 113 of Employing Patience

“Right. Well. Here’s the thing. I might have kinda, sorta, gotten myself involved with someone.”

“Joey?” Orson asks.

I pretend not to hear him. “We’ve been flirting for a while, I thought he was messing with me, then shit got physical, and I realized I don’t ever want it not to be physical.”

“So you’re the one who gave him all those hickeys?”

I ignore him again. “And of course, now I’m scared. Because I’m catching feelings, and I’m not good with feelings.”

Mack snorts. “What are you talking about? You’re the best with feelings. Why do you think you’re always the one we come to when we need someone?”

Ah … “You do?”

Orson tries and fails to hold back his smile. “Did you somehow miss that?”

“Even when your advice is”—Payne makes quote marks with his fingers—“‘get laid,’ talking to you helps.”

“I did not know any of that.”

“It’s your presence,” Keller says. “Makes people think you can handle anything.”

“Except for these feelings, apparently.” I rub my chest, right over where that warm gooeyness is growing.

“Never thought I’d see the day.” Payne grins.

“No need to laugh about it.”

Keller shrugs. “Who’s laughing? It’s called being happy for you. You know, that thing you always are for us?”

“What would you say?” Orson asks, stroking his scruff. “Embrace life with all of its infinite changes.”

“And this is a change. Capital C. Underline. Shouty mark.” Payne draws an exclamation mark in midair as though to prove his point.

“None of this is helping.”

“What are you worried about?” Keller asks.

“Falling for the guy and being dropped like a hot potato.”

“Potatoes can be rinsed.”

“And bruised,” I grumble.

“But they’re hardly ever broken,” Orson says, injecting life into his voice.

“This game is fun.”

We all turn to look at Mack. He stares back.

“Is it not fun?” he asks.

I drop my face into my hand. “I want to tell him that he means something and that I want boyfriends and partners and all that.”

“But …”

“Well, for one thing, he keeps disappearing on me. Swapping his shifts and being all shady about where he’s going—”

“Well, that doesn’t sound good.”

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