Page 19 of Forgotten Romance

“I’ll have you know my pookie has breathed fresh life into me.” Art gives a flourish as he points at me. “But you. You were my last hope. My last look into freedom. If you’re not single, who am I going to live vicariously through?”

“Your sister is single,” Payne says, and Art’s mouth drops.

“My sister? My sister? Mariana, the patron saint of abstinence? What is wrong with you?”

“She went on a date last night.”

Art scowls. “I know. I had the niblings for her.”

“Until what time?” I ask.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, did you have them until late … or all night?”

“It was a sleepover, but not because she was having a sleepover, okay? It was just easier.”

“Uh-huh.”

Art throws up his hands. “Here I am, trying to help my buddy out, and all I get is shade. Shade, damn you.”

“Help me out?” I perk up at that. “What do you mean?”

“Well, my forlorn one, you’re looking at the brain’s trust. We, the great gays of the DMC?—”

Orson raises his hand. “Bi.”

“Ditto,” Griff says.

Art scoffs. “Great gays and bis doesn’t sound the same.”

“What about …” I think. “Great gays and brilliant bis?”

Art tilts his head back to look at the ceiling. “Why? Honest question, why?”

“Hey, that works!”

“It’s like a fucking tongue twister. The great gays and brilliant bis of the DMC.”

“I think you originally had a point,” Payne says. “That didn’t involve alliteration.”

“I give up. Mack is trying to win back Davey. Discuss.”

My cheeks heat as my friends turn as one and stare me down.

“You want Davey back?” Keller, who’s been quiet this whole time, asks. “We all knew you wanted him back, but you’re actually going to do it?”

I hurry to nod. “He’s home for twelve weeks.”

“And?”

“And this is my chance.”

Keller sighs, and I know he’s about to hit me with logic.

I point at him. “No.”

“But—”

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