Page 9 of Out of Nowhere

“I usually head out around now. Malia closes up for me,” Brand said to Dex. The juice bar closed at six-thirty, and Brand told Seo-jun to leave the rest of the cleaning to Prashant, a teenager who worked there part-time after school.

The drive back to Brand’s was uneventful, and once they reached his apartment and made sure no one was lurking inside, Brand told them he normally just ate a light snack for dinner and to help themselves to anything in the kitchen. Then he excused himself to go to bed, taking a peach and some cheese with him.

As they’d eaten so heavily at lunch, Dex and Seo-jun had a similar meal before showering. As promised, Seo-jun allowed Dex to go first, and Dex washed as quickly as possible so that Seo-jun wouldn’t be doused with frigid water as he had been the night before. A half-hour later, the two lounged in bed, Dex scrolling through his phone while Seo-jun read a paperback, the title of which Dex couldn’t comprehend because it was in what Dex assumed was Korean.

“Brand’s ex is something else,” Dex said after a half hour of scrolling through the guys’ Instagram.

“How so?” Seo-jun asked, putting down the book. Dex was accustomed to his co-worker’s way of focusing completely on someone when they spoke to him, but it still made goosebumps rise on his flesh to have Seo-jun’s dark eyes on him and him alone.

Clearing his throat, Dex said, “All his pictures are of himself. I can’t find one picture of Brand, and I’ve scrolled back pretty far.”

“Maybe he got rid of those when they broke up,” Seo-jun said. “Or, rather, after Brand left him.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Dex kept scrolling. “He also photoshops his pictures, which I find weird. I mean, I know some people do it, but come on. What’s the point of photoshopping when all your friends know you’re doing it?”

“No point at all, but people continue to do it anyway,” Seo-jun said. Seo-jun didn’t use social media—Dex had checked long ago.

“And does he even have any friends?” Dex continued. “I can’t tell by these pictures. Actually, I think his best friend is himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked his own pictures.” He chuckled as he continued to scroll through a seemingly endless amount of Matt Pierce’s selfies. “Hell, he’d probably marry himself if he could.”

“One trait of narcissism is a very high opinion of one’s self as well as a tendency toward self-admiration both mentally and physically,” Seo-jun said.

Dex arched a brow. “So, you think Matt Pierce is a narcissist?”

“He fits too many of the traits not to be. The love-bombing at the beginning of his relationship with Brand was textbook narcissism. Why are you staring at me like that?”

Dex felt his face heating. “I, uh, I’m not used to hearing you talk so much.”

Seo-jun was quiet for a moment before saying, “Do you want me to stop?”

“What? No! I-I like listening to you.”

Was that a blush on Seo-jun’s cheeks?

“Tell me more about narcissists,” Dex encouraged, putting down his phone and repositioning himself on his pillows so that he faced Seo-jun. He watched the man’s Adam’s apple dip as he swallowed.

“As I said, narcissists tend to have high opinions of themselves. They also look down on others and expect to be recognized for achievements that they usually feel are greater than what they are. Frequently, they are envious of others and expect others to be envious of them as well.” Seo-jun paused, and Dex smiled.

“Sounds like you know a lot about them.”

“I’ve done some research on narcissism,” Seo-jun said, looking away and flicking his pink tongue over his naturally full lips before continuing. “Narcissists are critical of others, and they tend to be arrogant braggarts.”

“What was it you said that Brand’s ex did that was typical?” Dex asked.

“Love bombing,” Seo-jun said. “Overdoing it with gifts and compliments, monopolizing the other person’s time. Slowly pulling them away from friends and loved ones so they only rely on the narcissist. Why do you like listening to me talk?”

Dex blinked at the rapid change of topic.

Because I find you so very attractive. Because I love watching your beautiful mouth move. Because I’m absolutely infatuated with you.

He couldn’t say any of those things. “Because even though we spend a lot of time together, you rarely talk. And I hardly know anything about you.”

“I’m not talking about myself,” Seo-jun pointed out.

“Would you?” Dex asked, heart fluttering in his chest. He would love to get to know Seo-jun better.

Seo-jun looked both flattered and uncertain, and when he didn’t say anything right away, Dex rushed on, “You don’t have to. I understand privacy. I was just thinking…we’re friends. I mean, I think we’re friends. At least, we’re coworkers. And I don’t even know if you have a family, a girlfriend, or…anything.”

“I do not have a girlfriend,” Seo-jun said, and Dex was so relieved to have any answer that he didn’t even feel too let down that Seo-jun didn’t add that he liked men.

---